Two days after my younger son was born (in 2004), I walked into a high end, old fashioned toy shop in the beautiful historic city of Chester in England.

I knew exactly what I intended to buy.

I walked up to the counter and said to the older lady staff member sitting there.

Could I see the 2004 Steiff “year bear" you have in the display cabinet please.

I couldn't believe the way she slowly looked me up and down, shook her head, then said “I'm not wasting my time unlocking the cabinet when you obviously cant afford one of our Steiff collection bears".

I was 40 years old and had come straight from work to buy the bear as a present for my new son, before picking him and my (now ex) wife from hospital.

Although I was in my work uniform, it's the uniform of an auto manufacturer that pays skilled workers highly, I was bamboozled by her attitude.

All I could say in return was “that bears only £300, hes for my new bourne son, I'll just buy one somewhere else" and walked out.

She smiled and said “bye bye" as I walked out!

I found the same bear two days later in my local town, the shop owner was delighted to sell him to me, she said he was on consignment from Steiff because he was so valuable the shop couldn't afford to own stock like him on their own.

I paid the £285 requested in cash and took bear home to my son Dylan.

Dylan loves “bear", these days bear lives in his original box, an investment for Dylans future or a bear to be loved by his children depending on what the future holds.

The lovely toy shop in Chester is long gone, not surprising really, the way they treated people that wanted to be a customer.

If you turn away people that obviously earn an honest living, you dont deserve to be in business