Media Centre

Please look after this bear – train stations at Newcastle and York join celebrations to mark 50th anniversary of Paddington Bear

21 Jan 2008

It was a whole half century ago that Paddington Bear, in his trademark duffle coat, arrived from Darkest Peru and was found at Paddington Station in London. Fifty years of marmalade sandwiches later, he still remains one of Britain’s favourite bears!

To celebrate this very special 50th birthday, BBC Radio 4 is placing Paddington bears at the National Express-run stations at Newcastle and York tomorrow (Tuesday 22 January) wearing the label ‘Please Look After This Bear’.They are among a total of 50 bears ready to be found by a prospective owner at railway stations throughout the UK.

In exchange for taking the Paddington bears home, the finders are being asked to call BBC Radio 4 and leave a special birthday message about the well loved bear.

National Express East Coast’s head of stations, David Roberts, said: “We are delighted to support the 50th anniversary celebrations of this well-known and well-loved traveller.Happy hunting!”

On Saturday 1st March in a special one off programme on BBC Radio 4, children’s author Michael Morpurgo will talk to the finders, hearing how and where they found the bears, their favourite Paddington memories and what Paddington means to them. Interwoven with these stories, they will hear from Paddington’s creator, Michael Bond who will how he came to write A Bear Called Paddington in 1958 and why he thinks the character has stood the test of time.

There will also be archive material from the unlikely recipient of the first Paddington Bear soft toy – Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson - whose mother, Shirley, made one for him at Christmas and then went on to run the only factory in the world licensed to produce them.

Listeners are invited to contact BBC Radio 4 with their memories of Paddington Bear via the freephone number 0800 043 9993, via email at
paddington.bear@unique.com, through the website:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/arts/paddingtonbear.shtml or through the postal address
c/o Unique 50 Lisson Street, London NW1 5DF.

-ENDS-

Note to Editors:
Please Look After This Bear is on BBC Radio 4 on Saturday 1st March at 10.30am and is produced by Susie Matthews for Unique Productions.

For more information, please contact:
BBC Radio 4 Publicity, 020 7765 5337/3210
Email: radio4publicity@bbc.co.uk
www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice / www.bbc.co.uk/radio4

National Express East Coast Media Centre
0845 059 3988 or 0845 059 3494
media.centre@nationalexpress.com