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The new Paddington Bear statue which has been unveiled in Reading's Broad Street to celebrate the new film Paddington in Peru.
The children's character has a special connection to the town, as Reading is where Paddington's creator went to school and started his working life. Michael Bond, who died in June 2017, came up with the idea of a children's story about a refugee bear from Peru who loves marmalade sandwiches in 1958.
Seeing child evacuees wearing identification labels around their necks and carrying small suitcases as they arrived at Reading Station during the Second World War, Bond was inspired to make Paddington a refugee character. Now 23 towns across the UK are welcoming statues of Paddington as part of the 'Paddington Visits Trail' to celebrate the upcoming StudioCanal film, Paddington in Peru.
Paddington Bear statue unveiled in Reading High Street, Reading, Berkshire, UK - 10 Oct 2024