I first saw them in November 2011. Back then there were only four of them: two bears, a monkey and a rabbit to be precise. One day they were just there, sitting in a tree.

Since then their number has increased – well over a hundred for sure although I’ve given up counting them – and more and more stuffed animals arrive to join the party. For the most part it’s good old teddy bears, but dolphins, crocodiles, elephants and a great deal of other plush creatures have come to join in. They have spread from their original tree, and now occupy the whole of two trees. Some have been there for so long, they are almost indistinguishable from the tree, faded in colour and shape.

I pass their hangout quite often, but I still haven’t been able to catch a glimpse of any of them arriving at the scene. It remains a mystery what makes them gather in this particular area, where (to be honest) not much else is going on.

Maybe they are there to keep an eye on the skaters on the nearby ramp, or maybe they are looking after the friendly, harmless bunch of beer drinking guys hanging out in a shack on the same spot of green.

Whatever the reason, they are not telling.