All upcoming public events are going ahead as planned and you can find more information on our events blog A Birthday Treat" – The Browns visit the seaside resort of Brightsea to celebrate Paddington's birthday. Whilst there, Paddington takes an interest in a new leisure activity. It was a happy childhood home. “I think the most precious thing you can give a child is your time,” Bond says. “And I think the next most precious thing you can give a child is an interest in books. If you’re brought up with books being part of the furniture, with a story being read to you when you go to bed at night, it’s a very good start in life. I never went to bed without a story when I was small.” The rights for Paddington are now owned by Paddington and Company Ltd, which was previously owned by Mr Bond. In 2016, it was sold to French media giant Vivendi, which itself owns StudioCanal - the film company behind Paddington 2 and a planned third Paddington movie. The stories follow Paddington's adventures and mishaps in England, along with some snippets of information about his past. For instance, one story reveals that Paddington was orphaned in an earthquake before being taken in and raised by his Aunt Lucy. [24] Characters [ edit ]

Studio Canal and the British Board of Film Classification narrowly missed feeling the full force of a hard stare after Paddington was awarded a PG certificate rather than the U that would be more usual for a children’s film of this type, due to “mild bad language” and “mild innuendo”. Bond, who had yet to see the film when the rating was confirmed, was reportedly dismayed at the prospect of sex and swearing, declaring that he would be very upset and “might not sleep well”. Fortunately, a muffled “bloody” and the sight of Downton Abbey’s Hugh Bonneville cross-dressing as a charlady was the extent of the depravity, and a relieved Bond declared the film “a delight from start to finish”. Party at the Palace: The Queen meets Paddington Bear for jubilee celebrations". BBC . Retrieved 5 June 2022. On 13 October 2008, Google celebrated the 50th anniversary of the first Paddington publication by placing an image of the travelling bear with a sign showing Peru and London incorporated into a Google Doodle. [83] a b "Michael Bond, Paddington Bear Creator, Is Dead at 91". The New York Times . Retrieved 23 November 2023. Mrs Mary Brown: Henry's more serious-minded yet exceptionally friendly wife. In the 1989 animated series, Mary and her husband have a 12-year-old American nephew named David Russell. In the film adaptation, she works as an author and illustrator and is the first of the Browns to warm to Paddington.Paddington Takes the Test (1979) [34] The eleventh collection in the main series includes these stories: Paddington Recommended" – Paddington visits a department store where a case of mistaken identity occurs in the restaurant.

Bond originally wanted Paddington to have "travelled from darkest Africa," but his agent advised him that there were no bears in Africa, and thus it was amended to Peru, home of the spectacled bear. [21]

Paddington Turns Detective" – Paddington investigates the disappearance of Mr Brown's prize marrow. Goings-On at Number Thirty-two" – Paddington mistakes a man installing the Browns' new television for a burglar. Breznican, Anthony (17 June 2014). "Colin Firth leaving as voice of 'Paddington' movie – EXCLUSIVE". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved 19 November 2014. In 2010, Paddington Bear was first used in marketing for Robertson's, appearing on the jars of their Golden Shred marmalade. [84] [85] In November 2014, a balloon with Paddington Bear was introduced in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. [1] A song about Paddington Bear, " Shine" was released on 13 January 2015 by Gwen Stefani and Pharrell Williams, to coincide with the U.S. release of Paddington. [86] Statue of Paddington, donated by the British Embassy in Lima, in Parque Salazar, Miraflores, Lima a b Calnan, Ellie (26 July 2023). "Studiocanal's 'Paddington In Peru' starts shooting in the UK amid SAG-AFTRA strike". Screen Daily. Archived from the original on 26 July 2023 . Retrieved 26 July 2023.

Professor Smith points out that almost all of the humans in A Bear Called Paddington are not even vaguely curious about their guest’s past. In fact, the only character in the book who is even slightly curious about Paddington’s former life in Darkest Peru is Mr Gruber, himself an immigrant, who, we later discover, fled from Hungary during the Second World War.A Spoonful of Paddington" – Paddington takes up spoon bending after seeing Uri Geller on Blue Peter. As part of the promotion of film and to celebrate cross-cultural links between the UK and Peru, the British Embassy and StudioCanal commissioned a statue of Paddington in Parque Salazar in the Miraflores district of the Peruvian capital, Lima, which was unveiled in July 2015. [87] Lucy: Paddington's aunt from Darkest Peru. The film establishes that she and Uncle Pastuzo rescued Paddington rather than being biologically related to him. She was his legal guardian until she had to move into the Home for Retired Bears in Lima, Peru. In the movie, after a deadly earthquake, she informs Paddington that she is too old to travel to London with him, although in Paddington 2, the residents of Windsor Gardens arrange for her to come to London and see it for herself. In the film adaptation, the explorer Montgomery Clyde names her "Lucy" after his mother. Volodymyr Zelensky: Ukraine's president was the voice of Paddington". The Independent. 28 February 2022 . Retrieved 5 October 2022.