From Peru to Buckingham Palace! Ten facts about Paddington, the bear who had tea with Queen Elizabeth...
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The Paddington coins
You can also find Paddington on some very special 2018/19 50-pence coins, where he can be seen visiting various London landmarks, including the Tower of London, Buckingham palace, and of course, Paddington station. You can collect them, but they cost more than 50 pences. - 2/10
Inspired by an abandoned bear
To create Paddington Bear, British writer Michael Bond was inspired by a teddy he saw on the shelf of a London shop near Paddington Station on Christmas Eve in 1956. He decided to buy the bear as a gift for his wife and from that moment he began to write his story. - 3/10
Paddington isn't his real name
Paddington isn't this beloved bear's real name. He has a Peruvian name, Pastuso, but he told his adoptive family that no one would be able to understand it. It was then decided to call him Paddington, which is the name of the railway station where he was discovered. - 4/10
He wasn't initially from Peru
When Michael Bond originally created the character, he wanted him to be from Africa, a continent he'd been to and considered very exciting. There was just one problem: there aren't any bears in Africa. Someone suggested South America instead, and Peru became Paddington's homeland. - 5/10
He has his own statue in London
Paddington is named after the railway station located in west London, in the district of the same name, because that's where the Brown family originally found him, with a luggage tag that read: "Please look after this bear". Since then, the station has become a synonym for the character. - 6/10
He is an Andean Bear
Peru has only one type of bear and therefore Paddington is an Andean bear or Spectacled bear. They get their slightly odd name from the marks around their eyes which look a bit like glasses. Sadly, they are a vulnerable species because of habitat loss issues. - 7/10
He loves marmalade
If there’s one thing we know about Paddington, it's that he loves marmalade! But why? It's simple. Although bears prefer honey in real life, Michael Bond enjoys marmalade, so he decided that Paddington would be a fan of it as well! - 8/10
He has sold 35 million books
This bear has become a very beloved character all over the world and the numbers reveal it. According to official figures, more than 35 million copies of the book ‘Paddington’ have been sold and translated into more than 40 languages. - 9/10
The first book was written in 10 days
Amazingly, Michael Bond wrote the first Paddington story in just ten days. It quickly became a smash hit and went on to write over 25 books, each one filled with lots of stories about the bear and his adventures. How amazing is that? - 10/10
He is over 60 years old
That's right, it's over 60 years since Paddington was created. Specifically in 1958. Ever since he's become a world famous character, and has been in films, books, TV shows, a musical and even a sketch with Her Majesty. A lot of work for a small Andean bear.
What is it about this bear that we love him so much? We have read about him and seen him so many times ion screen that it seems like Paddington is a member of our family.
And now the bear who loves marmalade has got to have tea and sandwiches with Queen Elizabeth for her Platinum Jubilee!
But how much do you know about Michael Bond's literary creation?
