I was a frequent user of Paddington Station this week and so naturally I had to call on the bear that made the station famous, Paddington Bear. Located just under the clock on Platform 1 is a life-sized bronze statue of Paddington marking the spot where the Browns first found him having come from "deepest, darkest Peru". With trademark hat, note reading "
please look after this bear, thank you" and of course his suitcase informing us that it would be wanted on the voyage.
Designed by Marcus Cornish, the statue is based on the original drawings of Peggy Fortnum and unveiled by Michael Bond himself on 24th February 2000. If you find yourself at Paddington Station seek him out and have your photo taken with him.
©
Arfon Jones 2015. All images are copyrighted throughout the world.
You can bet I would if I ever found myself there, 'cos I love Paddington. He used to appear in the Blue Peter Annuals (which I never bought at the time), and his TV show narrated by Michael Hordern was superb. (I've got the complete DVD set.) Back in the late '70s, I bought a little Paddington Bear figure from a long-vanished shop called Nurseryland, which I've still got.
ReplyDeleteSame here, growing up I was a huge Paddington fan I had books, bed sheets, curtains and a moneybox (of which I still have) I also have the Blue Peter annuals! Just up the escalator from the statue is a shop completely devoted to Paddington!
DeleteI always rub his nose. Judging by how shiny it is compared to the rest of him, a lot of other travellers do the same thing.
ReplyDeleteExcellent! I must go back and pose for a photo with my own suitcase :)
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