I've always loved the books. I grew up near Ashdown forest. When I visited the UK again I stayed in Hartfield and went to the little cafe they mention in the article. It was nice, my kids enjoyed it.

I was reminded this year that my Winnie the Pooh is not everyones when someone at work posted a quote that made no sense to me. I read some of the poems Milne wrote, thinking it must be from those. Of course it was just from a more recent Disney movie. It was about being smarter than you think, it made me chuckle anyway because quite a few of the original stories are about what happens when you think you're smart. Milne might not have the best reputation as a good bloke, but his writing about childhood was subtle and grounded.

The original bridge where Milne and his son Christopher Robin created the game Pooh sticks became worn and unsafe in the late 1990s.

It was dismantled and replaced with a replica which is still in place in Ashdown Forest.

The original structure sold at auction in 2021 for £131,000.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ba5HllbvLf4, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977) Ending

I was a quiet kid. Books, shows, and films shaped my sensibilities and moral tastes.

I wonder if that remains possible today. Content designed solely for the dopamine hit seems to crowd out everything else.

For anyone with young children I highly recommend reading them Winnie-the-Pooh for bedtime stories - much fun!