A dad from Morley, Leeds, has launched a new business making bespoke teddy bears for poorly children to help them feel better.
His teddy bears with health conditions have become an internet sensation amongst parents of vulnerable children and play therapists alike.
Nick Hardman, 37, works in industrial automation and likes to use his 3D printers in his spare time to create other objects on the side.
At the beginning of the pandemic, he used his 3D printers to produce 12,500 items of PPE to help stem the shortage that was seen across care homes and NHS hospitals.
Once supply began to level out for PPE, he then looked for a new project and came up with the idea to start making toys for sick children instead.
Soon after setting up his 3D Toy Shop, he received a request from a parent of a child with hydrocephalus to create them an accessible toy.
So, after doing some research and discovering the condition - in which an accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid occurs within the brain, typically causing increased pressure and headaches - is often regulated with the use of a shunt valve, Nick set about doing just that.
The father of two designed and printed off a teddy-sized valve, then went about fitting it to the bear so that the child's toy would be just like them. After sharing it online, the post went viral - with over 68,000 commenting to praise his ingenuity.
That was in X. By October, he had over 100 requests for teddies with shunt valves - so set about getting the products tested to guarantee they were safe to be played with by the vulnerable children who wanted them.
He set up a fundraiser and found a lab to test his toys and plastics, refining the design to make sure it was compliant with toy standards before shipping the bears out to their new families.
Listed on Etsy, the shunt valve teddy bears have now been shipped right across the world to customers in far-flung countries like Australia and America.
Nick continues to take requests for accessible toys, and has gone on to create a bear with a tracheostomy valve and another with a Berlin Heart called Eddie the Teddy. 1.2-metre bear Eddie is destined for Great Ormond Street Hospital, where he will be taken into the care of one lucky child.
Having received a lot of interest from hospitals and from play therapists seeking new ways to normalise disabilities for children, Hardman's ext plan is to set up a not-for-profit 3D printing business going forward with more machines to help him supply directly to hospitals.
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Get Baked’s viral ‘Bertha’ cake has a sister on the way – and she sounds just as cheeky
She's big, she's green and she's ready to ruin your figure.
A lot of you will have seen the viral ‘Bertha’ cake by Leeds born beloved sweet treat specialists Get Baked.
They recently opened another site in Manchester's Northern Quarter, where queues literally formed round the block of hungry punters wanting to get their hands on the infamous sugary treats.
And now it's going to happen all over again, as they've recently unveiled their newest flavour which is sure to go down a storm.
We’ll give you a hint: it’s a current food and drink trend that’s about as big as Bertha herself – it’s not matcha, it’s not hot honey (duh), and it’s not Guinness…
Images: Get Baked
Yes—scratch that; HELL YES!Get Baked is set to welcome Bertha’s equally beautiful twin sister, and she’s officially a pistachio girlie.
Having started out life simply as ‘Bruce’, after taking inspiration from the iconic scene from Matilda, this thing has become a phenomenon in its own right, and who doesn’t like more flavours of a good thing?
Probably one of the biggest foodie crazes going at the minute, thanks to the popularity of pistachio cream, cookies, lattes and the similar social media sensation that is the ‘Dubai Pistachio Bar' people are rather fittingly going nuts for this particular flavour of almost absolutely anything.
With that in mind, the Leeds-born bakery and dessert shop – founded by Rich Myers over in Headingley back in 2011 – have shown no hesitation in hopping on the bandwagon and creating a new twist on their own viral menu item.
Teasing the full details in a post on their Instagram this week, they wrote: “What’s big, green, and is going to destroy your life in a couple of weeks’ time? Pistachio Bertha. Strictly limited to 5,000 slices. Coming oh so soon. GB.”
In case you were wondering just how mad those with a sweet tooth could possibly go for a slice of cake, just look at the recent queues when they finally launched in Manchester city centre:
Speaking on the grand opening here on our turf and his partner Amy’s hometown, Myers said simply: “Manchester, what a launch. Thanks for much for the warm welcome. Stay baked.”
Leeds Tattoo Expo to return to the First Direct Arena for 10th anniversary
Clementine Hall
The tenth annual Leeds Tattoo Expo will showcase some of the best in tattooing both local and internationally.
If you fancy getting yourself a fancy new bit of ink, then look no further than the iconic Leeds Tattoo Expo that will be returning to the First Direct Arena this June.
Taking place on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 June 2025, over 200 tattooists and 70 traders will be flocking to the city to show off their skills.
And not only that, but there’ll also be a whole host of market traders for you to browse as well as live music to have a boogie to.
The artists will be tattooing with options for both pre-booked appointments and walk ups available throughout the weekend.
Image: Leeds Tattoo Expo
There will also be a piercer, tooth gems and a henna artist ready to adorn your body.
Alongside getting tattooed, there’s plenty to do and to see over the whole weekend; there'll be an alternative drawing class, an illustrators market with kids’ workshops provided by Art Gecko, an art fusion event on the main stage, burlesque performances and competitions, a small vintage clothing pop-up, fire breathing and break dancing demonstrations in the square outside the arena.
The annual tattoo competitions will also be taking place each evening, where tattooists showcase their work to a panel of judges, sponsored by Killer Ink!
To celebrate Leeds Tattoo Expo's tenth anniversary, they'll be hosting a Pre-Party at Belgrave Music Hall on Thursday 5 June which is a completely free entry event complete with live music and free pizza.
You can find out more about the event and book your tickets here via the First Direct Arena's website.
Georgina Pellant -
4th May 2021 
