A BROMSGROVE teacher is nearing the end of her eight-month honeymoon adventure, but is still managing to teach her pupils over 7,000 miles away, with the help of Charlie, the school mascot teddy bear.

Charford First School teacher Lorna Broadway was granted a year-long unpaid sabbatical, starting in July, for her and her new husband Tom to fulfil their dream of travelling 25,000 miles across 18 countries on a motorbike.

As a parting gift, Lorna’s year four pupils presented her with a Charford First teddy called Charlie, which has joined the newlyweds on each leg of her journey.

Lorna has used the bear to create online fact files for her pupils, with information about life in countries from Alaska to Mexico, Peru, and Chile.

Lorna, 30, said: “The school were really supportive of the idea and I decided I wanted to include the children in our journey by using Charlie the teddy bear, so the children felt included and like part of the trip. It makes me feel like I’ve been involved at the school too.”

The fact files have been presented to Charford pupils during regular Friday school assemblies.

Lorna’s husband Tom, 31, who helps to run a commercial cleaning company in Bromsgrove, said: “The fact files have been fantastic, not just for Charford, but for Monique and Max, my children back at home. Charlie really helps them to connect to the trip, and he’s actually become a little celebrity.”

Aside from acting as teaching assistant, Charlie has helped the pair out of a few tense moments on their travels.

Tom said: “At one point, the military in Mexico wanted to have a chat with us, so we took the teddy bear out and it kind of diffused the situation. There’s actually a picture on our website of the army captain holding the teddy bear and it’s all smiles.

“We had another encounter in Canada while we were wild camping, when a grizzly bear came up to our tent. If only Charlie could talk to bigger bears.”

Now in Argentina, Tom and Lorna intend to return to Bromsgrove in February.

Lorna is now urging other schools to get involved in the last leg of her honeymoon by using her fact files to teach their pupils about the Americas. To follow the newlyweds' journey, visit adventurefreeway.com.