WHO IS THIS Paddington Bear was created by a man called Michael Bond; then a BBC cameraman, when he wondered into Selfridges, London on Christmas Eve of 1956 to buy his wife a Christmas present. There he found the last bear on the shelf and took him home, naming him Paddington after the closest train station to his home. Within 10 days Michael Bond had written the first story about Paddington Bear.
Within 2 years his first book “A bear called Paddington� was published. These books were illustrated by Peggy Fortnum; the first of a long line of Paddington Bear illustrators. In the next year, 1959, his second book was published and then by 1960 his books had been published in the USA and translated into Swedish, Dutch and Danish.
PADDINGTON BEAR? Since then, Paddington Bear has been transformed into radio shows, television series’, theatre productions, and stuffed toys leading to 1000s of memorabilia being created even a rock group from New Zealand named themselves “The Paddington Bears”.
Back in Peru, Paddington was called Pastuso, the same name as his uncle. As Paddington wasn’t sure how old he was Mr and Mrs Brown, who found him, decided to start again, at one year old. They also decided he should have two birthdays a year, like The Queen. They fall on the 25th of June and the 25th of December. Paddington can speak brilliant English because he was taught to do so in Peru by his Aunt Lucy, who was unable to look after him any more, as she was moving into the Home For Retired Bears, in Lima.
Paddington Bear came to the big screen for the very first time in 2014 in ammagical adventure film. Michael Bond’s beloved creation has bee brought to life by producer David Heyman (the Harry Potter films, Gravity), director Paul King and the Oscar winning special effects team behind Gravity and Harry Potter. The film includes an all-star cast Hugh Bonneville, Julie Walters, Ben Wishaw, Peter Capaldi, Nicole Kidman. In celebration of the film being released, 50 statues of Paddington Bear were placed around London designed by a variety of people from the Goverment of Peru to Hugh Bonneville, from Ant and Dec to Chelsea FC. Each of the Paddington statues on the Trail launching in London stands at three foot six inches tall, and weighs 320 kilograms.
PLEASE LOOK AFTER THIS BEAR
Meet the woman obsessed with Paddington Bear who has a 400-piece collection worth more than £10,000. Emma Bending’s Nortampton house is filled with Paddington memorabilia. The 44-year-old’s collection is worth more than £10,000. She fell in love with the character as a young child and now owns 30 bears. Emma Bending’s house is filled to the brim with teddies, books and prints that are all fuelled by her love for the small Peruvian bear character. The 44-year-old was so desperate to see the new movie that she booked herself into the first showing at her local cinema when she couldn’t get tickets for the premiere on eBay. Emma, who works as a school attendance officer, said: ‘Paddington is so naughty and mischievous but is so polite and British at the same time.
- AND 30 OTHERS! Emma’s obsession with the bear started aged four after her grandparents gave her one of the first books. She collected teddies, books and even had a Paddington-themed bedroom. Emma has spent the last 12 years building up a bumper collection and their home in Bugbrooke, Northampton, plays host to more than 30 stuffed bears. Book shelves stocked with five first editions worth up to £3,000 cover her walls and her favourite piece is a simple sketch of the beloved children’s character by the original illustrator Peggy Fortnum. Altogether, she has got more than 400 items of memorabilia, including a life-size stand-up bear that was originally part of a Harrods shop display and cost £400. Emma spends much of her spare time repairing old Paddington Bear toys that have seen the wear of time and has darned fur, sewed up holes in coats and glued boots to bring bears back to life.
EMILY FIELDHOUSE