This month marks 50 years since Michael Bond brought Paddington Bear into the world. Beloved of children and adults the world over, the bear from Darkest Peru first appeared on our shelves in A Bear Called Paddington on 13 October 1958. He has featured in several books since, most recently in a special anniversary edition, Paddington Here and Now, published by HarperCollins to coincide with Paddington hitting the big 5-0. Paddington will always hold a special place in my heart. I have memories of being taken to the special Paddington shop in Bath as a child and I was lucky enough to go home with a 'life size' Paddington Bear, complete with suitcase and spare pyjamas! I'm not quite sure why he came with pyjamas, but I was always rather glad he had them just in case!
Michael Bond's gentle tales of Paddington's adventures, mishaps and eternal optimism will be forever popular. Happy Birthday bear!
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