5 fun facts about Paddington Bear that will amaze you
“A wise bear always keeps a marmalade sandwich in his hat in case of emergency.” — Paddington Bear. This marmalade-loving fictional bear character caught the imagination of adults and kids alike since 1958. Created by British author Michael Bond, Paddington Bear appeared first on 13th October 1958 in the children's book A Bear Called Paddington. Since then, it has been featured in more than twenty books illustrated by many artists including Peggy Fortnum. There have been quite a few screen adaptations of this bear too, including films and TV series. Let us learn more about the inception of our warm and kind-hearted bear, Paddington!
A lone teddy bear inspired the creation of Paddington Bear
Have you ever seen an abandoned or unwanted toy thrown away or left on a store shelf? Did you feel strangely sad about it? The author had a similar experience too! That is how the Paddington Bear came into existence.
On Christmas Eve in 1956, Michael Bond was exploring the Selfridges department store in UK. He was searching for a present for his wife. While searching, he stumbled upon a teddy bear lying alone on a shelf. Bond felt sad about it and purchased it.
However, the would-be author couldn’t shake the image of the abandoned bear from his mind. He started crafting tales about it. Initially, they were for his own enjoyment. But he soon realised he could create something that young readers might find appealing.
Paddington’s emigration story was influenced by refugee children
Remember how Paddington met London’s Brown family at the Paddington station? When Mr. And Mrs. Brown met the bear, he was sitting on a suitcase with a label around its neck which had this written on it, “PLEASE LOOK AFTER THIS BEAR. THANK YOU.” After a brief conversation, the Browns got to know that he had emigrated all the way from Peru in South America as his aunt, who he was staying with therein, had to go to a home meant for retired bears. Well, this backstory surprised Mr. And Mrs. Brown and so were you when you read it, right? Have you ever thought why Bond associated an emigration story with a bear? Well, there’s a reason behind it. Thousands of kids were evacuated from European cities and towns during World War II to avoid bombing. They were taken to the countryside, where they were adopted by strangers. Bond was a soldier at the time, when German Nazis bombed the UK. His recollections of the Jewish refugee children travelling from London and passing through Reading station (a major railway station in London) inspired Paddington’s story. In a 2014 interview, he stated that all refugee kids had a label around their necks. It had their name and address. They carried a tiny bag or parcel with all their favourite items, just like Paddington. This is why even Paddington was spotted on a train station, with a name tag and some food to eat in his suitcase.
The spectacled bear of Peru inspired Paddington’s appearance
When Bond first conceptualised the character of a bear, he intended for him to originate from the ‘darkest of Africa’. It’s because Africa was a place Bond had visited and considered fascinating. There was only one issue: bears don’t exist in Africa!
Peru was chosen as Paddington’s home country after South America was recommended as an alternative. Peru, unlike Africa, has one species of bear – the spectacled or Andean bear. That’s why the Paddington Bear is a spectacled bear from Peru.
They are given this relatively peculiar name because of the marks around their eyes. These marks resemble glasses. Sadly, habitat loss has made them a vulnerable species.
Paddington was not his real name
This beloved bear’s real name wasn’t Paddington. Originally, he had a Peruvian name Pastuo. But then, why did Bond name him Paddington? Well, it was a tribute to a shop in England’s Paddington train station, where the Brown family met the bear. Interestingly, Bond and his wife were staying close to Paddington station at the time too.
There is a statue of the Paddington Bear at the Paddington Station
Paddington Station in London has a little statue of Paddington Bear. He is precisely the size that you would imagine. Marcus Cornish, a modern British sculptor, created the bronze Paddington Bear statue in 2000. It symbolises the connection between Michael Bond’s fictional bear and the station where his name originated. If you ever visit the station, make sure you go to the nearby Paddington shop! It only carries Paddington Bear stuff.