From Darkest Peru to Paddington Station

In 1958 a rather scraggly bear from darkest Peru turned up at Paddington Station with a battered suitcase and a label around his neck saying, “Please Look After This Bear. Thank you.”

Paddington Bear is the fictional creation of former BBC radio engineer and cameraman Michael Bond.

Mr and Mrs Brown took up Paddington’s plight.

Mr. and Mrs. Brown first met Paddington on a railway platform. In fact, that was how he came to have such an unusual name for a bear for Paddington was the name of the station. (The opening lines of Bonds first book – “A Bear Called Paddington” and those recorded on the plaque of the Paddington Bear statue)

While Paddington is a fictional character he is based on a real bear which Bond found alone on Christmas Eve 1956 in a London store. Feeling sorry for the bear he bought it as a present for his wife. This bear was christened Paddington as the Bonds lived near Paddington Station at the time.

Bond wrote some stories about his new bear and in 1958 “A Bear called Paddington” was published. It is thought that the tag around Paddington’s neck was prompted by Bonds memory of children assembling, with tags around their necks, at various London stations during the Blitz for evacuation to safer parts of the country.

Since 1958 Paddington books have sold more than thirty-five million copies worldwide and have been translated into over forty languages.

The 2000 statue of Paddington Bear in the station is by British sculptor, Marcus Cornish and is based on original drawings by Peggy Fortnum, illustrator of the first Paddington book.

For those wishing to pick up a bear of their own at Paddington pop up the escalator beside the statue and you will find the Paddington Bear shop selling all sorts of Paddington bears and memorabilia including bronzes of the station statue.

Got to admit I got my first Paddington Bear from the station many years ago!

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This blog entry is one of a group (loop) of entries based on many trips to London. I suggest you continue with my next entry – Paternoster Square – Lost Opportunity – or to start the loop at the beginning go to my introductory entry – London…as much of life as the world can show.

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