Photos of BBC Children in Need at Drusillas by Dean Thorpe

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On the 20th of November 2009 Pudsey bear invaded Drusillas park. A few parts of the BBC Children in Need show that was shown on BBC1 came live from Drusillas Park in Alfriston, East Sussex. During the day at Drusillas there were also various things going on to raise money for the charity Children in Need. I managed to get to Drusillas Park just in time for the race between a group of Cub Scouts from Eastbourne and Thomas the Tank Engine. Now that may not sound like a very fair race, but being Children in Need it was not like that. The Cubs Scouts (watched over by Sir Topham Hatt and Pudsey Bear) had to eat a hundred donuts between them in less time than it took for Thomas to go round the track at Drusillas park. I watched as parts of the evenings events were broadcast live from Drusillas on BBC South East Today and on the main Children in Need program itself, the Presenters were Caroline Feraday and Ben Adams, the South East weather was also presented live by Kaddy Lee-Preston. I even got somebody to take my photo with Pudsey bear!

For more details of Drusillas Park please visit their Official site
For more details of BBC Children in Need and Pudsey please visit their Official site
For more details of the 11th Eastbourne Scout Group please visit their Official site
To see some of my Drusillas animal photos please visit the Animal photos section of my site

	To raise money for BBC Children in Need 2009 a group of Cub Scouts from Eastbourne took on my favourite type of challenge!
	In the time it takes for Thomas the tank engine to travel round Drusillas park (about five and a half minutes) the group of Cub Scouts had to eat 100 donuts.
	All that training, all that practising, the seconds counting down before Thomas the Tank Engine was settings off and fun part could begin.
	More shots of the donut munching Cub Scouts battling their way through their challenge, I bet some were a bit manic after all that sugar!!!
	I have to admit that the donuts they do at Drusillas Park Zoo are very nice and I probably could eat quite a few, but not sure I would want to rush them like that, I like to enjoy mine.
	The Cub Scouts from Eastbourne were all very determined to beat Thomas the Tank Engine, what a fun way to help Children in Need.
	Where is my next donut! All the Cub Scouts that were there took part and ate their fair share of the tasty donuts.
	Watch out kid, I think somebody is after one of your donuts! The donuts did look and smell very tasty, so I would not blame him if he was!
	I think the Cub Scouts enjoyed their challenge for BBC Children in Need, but they were saying they did not think they would be eating any more donuts for a while!
	The Fat Controller watching as the last donut was finished with just a few seconds to spare and they successfully completed their challenge against Thomas the Tank Engine.
	The evening was being filmed by the BBC and bits of the evening were shown on BBC South Today and Children in Need, even I could be seen in a few bits!
	Sir Topham Hatt was there to set Thomas the Tank Engine off and watching over the Cub Scouts to make sure there was no cheating.
	This is Thomas the Tank Engine arriving back in Tidmouth Hault at the end of the race with the donut eating Cub Scouts from Eastbourne.
	A photo of Thomas the Tank Engine stopped at Tidmouth Hault once the race was over, still looking happy despite being beaten by the Cub Scouts.
	Pudsey was there to congratulate the Cub Scouts after they managed to eat all 100 of the donuts, but they did not save him (or me) any.
	Almost there, just a few pieces of tasty donuts to go and the challenge against Thomas would be over and the winner could be announced.
	Pudsey bear getting a hug from one of the Cub Scouts and a sugar covered Carla looked like she was wanted a hug from Pudsey too.
	Pudsey bear being led off by a helper (Who kindly took my photo with Pudsey) to look round the other things going on at Drusillas for Children in Need.
	Sir Topham Hatt (The Fat Controller) standing beside Thomas the Tank Engine. It was my first visit to Drusillas Park Zoo after dark.
	Pudsey bear dancing on his own, he spent most of the evening dancing, I bet he had sore paws the next morning.
	Peter Moon, Sue Woodgate, Pudsey bear, Christine Smith, Laurence Smith. Christine and Laurence have owned Drusillas since May 1997.
	The VIPs of Drusillas Peter Moon, Sue Woodgate, Pudsey bear, Christine Smith, Laurence Smith, Malcolm Yarwood and one other I can't remember the name of (sorry!).
	Peter Moon, Sue Woodgate and Pudsey bear. Peter is the Drusillas Estate Manager and Sue is the Drusillas Zoo Manager.
	Another photo of Peter Moon, Sue Woodgate, Pudsey bear, Christine Smith, Laurence Smith and the others in the Children in Need marquee.

	This is a photo of me posing with the star of the evening, the great Pudsey bear! The cute and cuddly mascot of BBC Children in Need.
	A stall of Children in Need goodies for sale, great t-shirts, badges, bandanas , keyrings, ears and Pudsey teddy bears, all being sold to raise money.
	Another photo of the stall, this time with the helpful person who sold me some cool Children in Need things to remember the night.
	This was a stall for the raffle, prizes included things like a years family membership for Drusillas worth £180 and you could also buy special Children in Need at Drusillas badges.
	Prepared for the rush of children on a quest for refreshments during the excitement of the evening, Hotdogs (very nice!) and soup were also available free.
	The crew from the BBC, the one on the right was telling us all when to cheer, but with Pudsey bear, Caroline Feraday and Ben Adams we were all excited anyway.
	It was a chilly evening and Caroline Feraday was wearing a very nice sparkly blue dress, but not very warm, so when not filming she was wearing a nice body warmer.
	Ben Adams looking a bit sad for some reason? Maybe it was not as exciting as his time on Celebrity Big Brother, but everybody else seemed to be having a good time.
	A couple of people from the BBC crew, considering how little time Drusillas Park was on the air it took a lot of people behind the cameras.
	A photo of Pudsey bear meeting and greeting some of the many children that had come along to BBC Children in Need at Drusillas Park Zoo.
	Caroline Feraday and Ben Adams from the band A1 preparing to go on the air and broadcast live from Drusillas on BBC South East Today.
	Having interviewed people such as Kate Winslet and Hugh Grant it must have been great for Caroline Feraday to finally work with a real celebrity like Pudsey bear.
	Photograph of Kaddy Lee-Preston, a BBC South East weather presenter who won the Royal Television Society Best Regional Personality award in 2007.
	Another photo of Caroline Feraday and Ben Adams, I think it must have been past Bens bed time, the cold was making many of us feel tired.
	Down in the farm Ben Adams and Caroline Feraday were presenting the live local portion of the Children in Need show directly from Drusillas.
	Photo of Ben Adams and Caroline Feraday getting the Cub Scouts ready for their very short interview on BBC South East Today.
	Caroline Feraday and Ben Adams interviewing some of the Cub Scouts about their race with Thomas the Tank Engine and all those donuts.
	The real Pudsey bear and three little Pudsey bears in the farm part of Drusillas Park Zoo, I wonder what the pigs, donkeys, cows, ducks, chickens and ponies thought of it all.
	Practising their dance routines in the marquee getting ready to be shown on TV as part of a live link up with the JLS song Everybody in Love.
	Lots of kids and the staff were wearing the Pudsey bear ears, I was tempted with some myself, but instead made do with two Pudseys attached to my camera.
	The lady in red tried to get me to take a photo with her camera phone, sorry, but I could not get through the crowd on my crutches, if you read this and want any of these photos please just ask.
	Photo time again for Pudsey bear with more adoring fans, Pudsey put a lot of smiles on faces every time he was around.
	Another crowd shot in the marquee of some of the people there to celebrate BBC Children in Need, the marquee only held a small percentage of them.
	My final photo from Children in Need at Drusillas Park Zoo, it did go on later, but sadly I had to get going. It was a great evening. Thank you to everybody at Drusillas.