60th Anniversary Paddington Bear

60th anniversary Paddington Bear plush

Paddington Bear is a beloved character from an English children’s book. The concept for Paddington Bear was inspired by a stuffed bear purchased as a Christmas gift by Michael Bond for his wife Brenda in 1956. Brenda named the bear Paddington, after the Paddington Station that was close to their home in London. Michael Bond published the first Paddington Bear book in October 1958, followed up by an entire series of books. Paddington Bear is a classic hit and has sold over thirty-five million copies and has been published in over forty languages (1).

Katherine Krall purchased the 60th anniversary Paddington Bear plush at Harrods, a world famous luxury store, as a souvenir while on vacation in London with her brother and his husband.

The September 2018 trip to Europe with her brother was a bucket list trip for Katherine. Not only was she able to spend time with her brother Steven Sosa-Krall and his husband, Rafel Sosa-Krall, she visited London, Paris, and Rome, cities she had always wanted to see. While in these cities she saw precious art and learned about European history. Katherine purchased the souvenirs listed above to commemorate her favorite places she visited. 

1. “The Author.” Paddington. Accessed October 29,2022. https://www.paddington.com/us/back-in-1958/michael-bond/.