On St. Valentines Day the 14th February 1908, for her 7th birthday, Ivy Tapp was given the special present of a Bing bear by her father, James Tapp, of Teignmouth, Devon. Ivy named the bear 'Jimmy' after her father. This very appropriate St. Valentines gift meant everything to Ivy and soon they became inseperable. James Tapp was employed as Head Gardener of a large Estate in Teignmouth for the majority of his life and lived in a small cottage on the Estate with Ivy and 'Jimmy'. In order to save up sufficient money to pay for Jimmy, James played the euphonium in the Teignmouth Town Band.
Ivy died in Teignmouth in 1980 and 'Jimmy' went to live in tenterden, Kent with one of her daughters. The family decided to ask Christie's to find Jimmy a new home as it became difficult to decide which of their five children should look after him.