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| A very curious bear |
Immigration is a hot topic at the moment, but getting used to life in a new city has never been easy and back in 1958, when a small bear from darkest Peru first found himself in London, he was fortunate to meet the Brown family and have their help as he explored. Now he's returning the favour to other people visiting the city. In advance of the new film about him opening this November, the Paddington Trail has been set up to guide visitors around London.
The trail is marked by three foot high statues of the very distinguished-looking bear, all of which will later be up for auction to raise money for the NSPCC. They will appear at museums, parks, shops and landmarks that Paddington visited and Visit London has produced a trail map to help with finding them.
"As a long-time fan of Paddington Bear I’m delighted that this world-famous, marmalade-loving, duffle-coat wearing, polite but notoriously accident prone bear will be celebrated by Londoners and visitors to our great city, with the launch of this fantastic trail," said London Mayor Boris Johnson.
“It’s going to be wonderful to see two iconic British institutions – Paddington Bear and the NSPCC – coming together against the backdrop of this wonderful city, to raise vital funds for vulnerable children and their families," said NSPCC CEO Peter Wanless. "Paddington was fortunate enough to be found by Mr and Mrs Brown who gave him love and a safe space to grow up – something that every young person deserves. Through ChildLine, the NSPCC is there 24/7 for any young person who is feeling lost and in need of support.”
