Happy 50th Paddington Bear!!

[Disney Wrassler]

In honor of the 50th anniversary of the creation of Paddington Bear, I wanted to pose this question. Who here has had a Paddington Bear during their childhood?

I have !

[All4dISNEY]

Oh this brought back wonderful memories! I just loved the Paddington Bear books in 3rd grade. Happy 50th indeed.

[MonstersGoBoo!]

I had a Paddington Bear!

[Roo719]

YES!!!! HBD, Paddington! I read all of the books as an elementary student---and it was my first foray in British Literature.

Haven't looked back since!

Peace and Anywhen Marmalade,
Roo

[Disney Wrassler]

I loved his books too. Go to Googles homepage and look at the tribute picture they have for him. Or if you check it out tomorrow, check out their archived images for 10-13-08

[Disney Wrassler]

Please pass me the Marmalade too, Mr. Roo!



Here is some stuff I found on Wikipedia:
Paddington Bear - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Origin

Bond based Paddington Bear on a lone teddy bear he noticed on a shelf in a London store near Paddington Station on Christmas Eve 1956, which he bought as a present for his wife. The bear inspired Bond to write a story, and in ten days, he had written the first book. The book was given to his agent, Harvey Unna. A Bear Called Paddington was first published on October 13, 1958, by William Collins & Sons (now Harper Collins).

The toy Paddington Bear

The first Paddington Bear was created by Gabrielle Designs in 1972, a small business run by Shirley and Eddie Clarkson, with the prototype made as a Christmas present for her children Joanna and Jeremy Clarkson (English broadcaster and writer). Shirley Clarkson dressed Paddington in Wellington boots to help the bear stand upright. This is the origin of the addition of Wellington boots to Paddington's attire. The earliest bears wore small children's boots manufactured by Dunlop until they could not keep up with production. Gabrielle Designs then produced their own boots with paw prints moulded into the soles.

Storyline

In the first story, Paddington is found at Paddington railway station in London by the Brown family, sitting on his suitcase (bearing the label "WANTED ON VOYAGE") with a note attached to his coat which reads, "Please look after this bear. Thank you." Bond has said that his memories of newsreels showing trainloads of child evacuees leaving London during the war, with labels around their necks and their possessions in small suitcases, prompted him to do the same for Paddington.[4]
He has arrived as a stowaway coming from "Darkest Peru", sent by his Aunt Lucy (one of his only known relatives, aside from an Uncle Pastuzo who gave Paddington his hat),[5] who has gone to live in the Home for Retired Bears in Lima. He claims, "I came all the way in a lifeboat, and ate marmalade. Bears like marmalade." He tells them that no one can understand his Peruvian name, so the Browns decide to call him Paddington after the railway station in which he was found. Bond originally wanted Paddington to have "travelled all the way from darkest Africa", but his agent advised him that there were no bears in darkest Africa, and thus it was amended to darkest Peru, home of the spectacled bear.[6]
They take him home to 32 Windsor Gardens, off Harrow Road between Notting Hill and Maida Vale. The stories follow Paddington's adventures and mishaps in England.
When he gets annoyed with someone, he often gives them one of his special "hard stares" (taught to him by Aunt Lucy), which causes the person to become flushed and embarrassed.

[aimster]

I LOVE Paddington! I had a plushie one when I was a kid. Loved the Paddington films back in the 80's.

I have a plushie penguin on my desk and he wears a hat like Paddington's, so I named him Paddington Penguin.

[blumacara]

I have a bear - he's on my bed right now actually. I still love him to death