TOTAL LICENSING
As Nicholas Durbridge explained, Who Wants to Be A Millionaire in the
“Paddington was constantly in the US, the million-dollar question, which
public eye. He joined Richard Branson I believe was answered correctly, was
as a crew member on his Atlantic Blue ‘Where does Paddington Bear come
Riband speed record attempt and from?’
even accompanied Mrs Thatcher to Obviously, Karen like everybody else
a Conservative Party Conference, al- involved, is working towards the birth-
though we did discover later that the day celebrations next year. “We have
bear she took to the conference was already been asked to do all sorts of
a counterfeit!”. things in celebration of Paddington’s
Paddington was also chosen by Eng- birthday”, she explained. “I am even
lish tunnellers as the first item to pass Patron of the National Marmalade
through to their French counterparts Festival!”
when both sides of the Channel Tun- Karens thoughts on why Paddington
written a numbers of books with her
nel linked up in 1994 continues to be so popular nearly fifty
father. “We really work well together”,
and such was the years after he first emerged are quite
she said.
popularity of the bear simple.
Another area with which she has been
that a retail stand was “My father never created Padding-
heavily involved is
opened at Paddington ton in order to
the development
Station followed, a make money
of the www.
few years later, by the and, because of
paddingtonbear.
unveiling, by Michael, this, everything
co.uk website
of a permanent life- grew slowly from
and, more partic-
sized bronze statue at books, through
ularly, answering
the Station. publishing and
letters from fans.
One aspect that m e r c h a n d i s e .
“ P a d d i n g t o n
Karen and Michael You can see the
has always had
are particular proud evolution also
such a strong
of is Paddington’s through the dif-
fan base and my
long-time involvement ferent images of
father used to
in Action Medical Re- Paddington – from
reply personally to every letter he re-
search. the early Peggy Fortnum drawings,
ceived”, she explained. “Even today, he
Back in the 1970s, through the FilmFair models and the
still signs every letter. And I reply to all
Michael had been ap- Cinar animation. Through all of this,
the emails that come in”.
proached by a number of charities though, it’s surprising how many peo-
And these can come from anywhere
hoping to use Paddington. However, ple remember the original FilmFair
in the world as the popularity of the
Action Medical Research’s idea of series with fondness.”
little bear from Peru seems to know
the children’s ‘Make It Grow’ club ap- “Paddington lives in a rather nice
no bounds.
pealed and Paddington became firstly world and that’s rath-
In fact, as Nicholas Durbridge ex-
the spokesbear for the club and later er appealing. He’s
plained, he crops up in the most un-
the mascot. It is an association that timeless and the
likely places. “A couple of years ago on
continues today, over thirty years later, world has changed
and Karen is now a trustee of the around him”, she
charity which funds research into concluded.
a variety of illnesses.
“In 2001, we marked our
association with Action
Medical Research by pub-
lishing a new book which
my father and I co-wrote”,
explained Karen. “The
book was called Padding-
ton Goes to Hospital. For
me, it was important as I had
spent time as a child in
hospital and so has
one of my children”.
In fact Karen has co-
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