Of Bears and Pucks

With apologies to John Steinbeck.

Tonight I went to a charity ice hockey game in Edinburgh, mostly because my son was playing but also because of the charity angle.

The charity is fundraising for a memorial to Wojtek. 

Wojtek was a bear. As an orphan cub he was rescued in Iran in 1942 by part of the Free Polish Army. He was adopted as a mascot and traveled with them as they fought in Palestine, Egypt and Italy.

They ended up in Scotland in 1946 and when they were disbanded in 1947, Wojtek went to Edinburgh Zoo until he died in 1963.   

The game tonight was between a Scottish select and an International select, drawn from players who already live here. They were diverse - I spotted Latvians, Polish, French, Slovak and Canadian (they had flags on their shirts).

The International team won 5-3. Entertaining and a good level. They'll also play games in Dundee and Aberdeen, with the overall winner getting a handsome trophy. 

The memorial is to be in Princes Street Gardens in Edinburgh.