A loveable spectacled bear known for his signature red hat, duffle coat and highly specific taste in sandwiches, Paddington is a national treasure and a movie star three times over.
Now, thanks to a new permanent statue of the little Peruvian, he’s a work of art too.
After a Paddington statue trail that took in every corner of the UK, from Cardiff to Liverpool to Reading, the public has voted on where the bear bust will have his permanent home. The people of ninety towns and cities applied for the honour, but coming out on top is… Norwich. A fine city for a fine bear.
Norwich, nicknamed the ‘City of Stories’, delivered entries that highlighted ‘a strong community spirit’, according to Paddington’s bosses at StudioCanal. Particularly adorable was a local primary school teacher who shared how Paddington inspires her pupils ‘to be brave, and explore not only new places but also new ideas and challenges, even if things go the wrong way’. No hard stares for those pupils.
The statue will be unveiled in the city just ahead of February’s school half-term.
‘Norwich is a city bursting with adventurous places for a little bear to discover as well as some amazing local food and drink,’ says Stefan Gurney of the Norwich Business Improvement District. ‘We look forward to welcoming Paddington as one of our newest residents.’
The full list of locations of Paddington statue locations.
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