He is one of the most loved toys in literature, the abandoned bear from Peru with an affinity for duffel coats and marmalade sandwiches.
But his creator Michael Bond has revealed the inspiration for Paddington Bear came to the him when he was out Christmas shopping for his wife over 50 years ago and happened upon a single bear in the Selfridges toy department.
Speaking to the Radio Times, Bond recalled how, back in 1956, he had stumbled upon the fateful toy which would spawn his fictional book series and – almost six decades later – this year’s film adaptation, starring the voice of Ben Whishaw.
“Although I didn’t realise it at the time, my coming across a small bear when I took shelter in Selfridges toy department one snowy Christmas Eve was just such a million-to-one chance,” he said. “Had there been two bears, I might have given them a passing glance, but I could hardly ignore one bear all by itself, with Christmas coming on. He looked so forlorn.”
Bond, 88, said he was so moved he bought the bear and named it after the train station near to his house. The Paddington Bear series, which consists of 70 titles documenting the numerous misadventures of the politely spoken bear, has since been translated into 30 languages and sold more than 30 million copies worldwide.
The books were also made into a BBC television series in the 1970s, which was produced by Bond, and the Paddington film is out in cinemas on 28 November, with stars including Hugh Bonneville, Nicole Kidman, Julie Walters and Jim Broadbent all featuring.
In honour of its role in inspiring the books and the upcoming film, Selfridges have created a temporary Paddington Curiosity Shop in the Oxford Street branch , all profits from which will be donated to the NSPCC.
