The creator of Paddington Bear, Michael Bond, would have turned 100 years old today.
Bond brought the marmalade-loving bear to life in 1958 and created one of the most beloved British fictional characters.
The book series A Bear Called Paddington is about a friendly bear from the depths of Peru who arrives alone at Paddington station in London.
The Brown family discovers the polite bear with his old hat, battered suitcase and duffel coat and he quickly becomes part of the family.
Thomas Michael Bond was born on 13 January 1926 in Newbury and grew up near Reading.
Books were a part of his life from an early age and he remembered never going to sleep without a bedtime story.
Bond left school at the age of 14 and got a job with the BBC at a transmitter facility in Reading.
He first started writing when he was stationed in Cairo with the RAF in 1945 and continued his career at the BBC as a cameraman when he returned in 1947.
While working for the BBC he continued writing short stories and liked the idea of becoming a writer.
Bond came up with the idea for A Bear Called Paddington on Christmas Eve 1956 when he noticed a lonely teddy bear on a shelf in a shop window.
He bought the stuffed animal for his wife as a stocking filler but the discovery of the bear also inspired his writer’s mind.
The author drew on his memories of the Second World War when Jewish children from Europe arrived and London children were evacuated to the countryside.
Bond remembered that they had labels around their neck with their name and address and carried a little case with their most important belongings.
The writer told the BBC: “Paddington Bear was a refugee with a label – ‘Please look after this bear. Thank you’, and he had a little suitcase.”
After gathering his ideas the book was drafted within ten days.
The original book series consists of 29 books and they have inspired television, film and even stage adaptations.
The adventures of Paddington Bear have been translated into more than 40 languages which makes him a beloved character all around the world.
Michael Bond died on 27 June 2017 after a short undisclosed illness.
The writer was once asked why Paddington remained so popular with children.
He said: “Paddington is eternally optimistic and always comes back for more, no matter how many times his hopes are dashed.”
Featured Image: from Unsplash
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