(Reuters) — Commuters of the railway station of Paddington in London reflected on the passing of Michael Bond, the British creator of Paddington Bear, who died on Tuesday (June 28) aged 91 after a short illness.
The Paddington Bear, a marmalade sandwich-loving refugee from Peru, entertained generations of children with his exploits in London.
Wearing a tag round his neck that read “Please look after this bear,” Paddington was named after the London railway station of the same name where he was found after a boat journey from “darkest Peru,” according to Bond’s 1958 story “A Bear called Paddington.”
Bond said the inspiration for the character came when he spotted a teddy bear in his flat, and wondered what would happen if a real bear arrived at Paddington Station like a World War Two refugee with a label around his neck.
A movie based on the beloved character was released in 2014. A sequel, featuring Hugh Grant and Brendan Gleeson, is due to be released later this year.