The town centre could also see a big bronze bear statue offering a welcoming hug.
These are just some of the plans put forward by the town's BEAR team, a group dedicated to the re-branding of Congleton to make the most of its "Beartown" heritage. Entrepreneur Dawn Gibbins, owner of Barefoot Living, heads the team of 12, which includes 10 volunteers. She first proposed the re-branding last year as a way for Congleton to increase its national and international visibility, attracting both tourists and businesses to the town.

Under the re-branding Congleton has adopted the motto "Beartown...where friends are made."

Congleton's bear links date back to a story from the 1600s about the townspeople using the town's bible funds to buy a new bear to take part in bearbaiting - although the team hopes to present a more cuddly bear image.

There will be 22 banners with the logo and artwork on lampposts along thee Mountbatten Way and Market Street entries to the town. The team has asked local businesses to use the banners as for advertising opportunities.

There will be branding manual and a new website to promote the town. Miss Gibbins, who commissioned a feng shui report for the town last year, listed some of her ideas: "We would love to have an eight-foot bronze bear in a hugging position so people can get a nice welcome to the town. "It would be great if we had it somewhere prominent like the town centre near where we have the Christmas tree." She enthusiastically added: "We have come up with a Congleton bear hug. You hug each other left cheek to left cheek so it connects your hearts. If you do it the other way it only connects your livers. "We would love it if we could get a hug spot in the town centre, an area of special flooring where you stand to get a hug from people walking past. For someone like a little old lady, getting a hug on the street could be the only physical contact they get. I think it could make for some beautiful stories."

She adds that the town's friendly stance could attract attention from the national media. She said: "We would like to hold an event like a 'bear hug day' on the 20th November, tying it in with Children in Need. We could invite Pudsey Bear and raise money for the charity." A teddy bear's picnic has already been held in Congleton Park.

Miss Gibbins hopes the branding could be tied in with traditional events such as Congleton Carnival, which could be tweaked to feature a parade based on Rupert, Winnie the Pooh and other famous bears.

Since the re-branding was announced, the BEAR team has been organising school events, and asked children to write bear-based stories. So far around 300 stories have been written, and a book featuring the tales should be published by Christmas. Miss Gibbins added: "All of our team's enthusiasm will really rub off on the people of Congleton."