Introducing...... Paddington Bear

Although Paddington now lives in London, England, he originally came from Darkest Peru where he was brought up by his Aunt Lucy after he was orphaned following an earthquake when he was just a few weeks old.

When Aunt Lucy went to live in the Home for Retired Bears in Lima, she decided to send him to England to live. After teaching him to speak English she arranged for him to stow away in a ship’s lifeboat.

Eventually, Paddington arrived on Paddington Station in London which is where the very first story begins with the words:

Mr. and Mrs. Brown first met Paddington on a railway platform. In fact, that was how he came to have such an unusual name for a bear for Paddington was the name of the station. The Browns were at the station to meet their daughter Judy when Mr. Brown spotted a bear sitting all alone on a suitcase, behind a pile of mail bags, close to the lost property office. The bear was wearing nothing but a hat and he had a label round his neck bearing the words Please Look After This Bear. Thank You.

Unable to resist such a simple request, Mr. and Mrs. Brown took Paddington home to live with them at 32 Windsor Gardens with their two children, Jonathan and Judy and their housekeeper, Mrs. Bird.

The Browns decided to name their new member of the family Paddington, after the place where he was found, although we later learn that in Peru his name was Pastuso.

When he was found, Paddington wasn’t too sure how old he was so the Browns decided to start again at one. They also decided that he should have two birthdays a year (just like the Queen!) and so he celebrates these on 25th June and 25th December.

Paddington wears an old bush hat which was handed down to him by his uncle in Peru and he is hardly ever seen without it. Paddington sometimes completes his outfit with a pair of Wellington boots.When Paddington was first found by Mr. and Mrs. Brown on Paddington Station, he was wearing a label round his neck on which his Aunt Lucy had written the words "Please look after this bear. Thank You."Paddington is rarely parted from his battered, brown, leather suitcase. It has his initials P.B. written on the side and a secret compartment in which he keeps all his important papers.

Paddington’s favourite food is marmalade. He always carries a jar in his suitcase and he often has a marmalade sandwich tucked under his hat 'in case of emergencies'.

When Paddington goes shopping in the market he usually takes along his shopping basket on wheels.One of Paddington’s most important possessions is his scrapbook where he likes to write about all his adventures. It is also full of mementoes and the regular postcards which he receives from his Aunt Lucy in Peru.