DAY 114 - Has anyone see Paddington Bear?

A work day today, but it wasn't all bad. That's because we knew the day would end with a quick train ride to Evesham to watch the 5 p.m. showing of Paddington 2 at the Regal Cinema. This movie is just opening in Canada, but here in the U.K. it has been a huge hit since it premiered in cinemas in early November. As far as I know, Paddington 2 is the highest rated movie ever on Rotten Tomatoes with a 100% approval rate from 176 movie critics and an 8.7 out of 10 score.

But who or what is Paddington really?  Well in today's blog we thought it would be interesting to explore the answer
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Actually, it turns out that Paddington the Bear is as old as I am! He was created as a character in the book A Bear Called Paddington by the British author Michael Bond. Most people know the story of this bear who came from Peru to London where he is found at Paddington Railway Station by the Bond family. He has a red hat, wears a blue duffle coat, and carries a very used suitcase around.  Oh yeah, and his favourite meal is marmalade sandwiches.

However, here are some interesting facts about Paddington Bear:

The Paddington Bear soft toy was the first thing that was passed through the Chunnel between France and England by the workers connecting the two ends of the tunnel underneath the English Channel.

The idea for the original book came as a result of Michael Bond buying a teddy bear for his wife on Christmas Eve and it took him 10 days to write the book.

There have been over 20 Paddington Bear books, some of which are comprised of series of stories that have been made into TV episodes.

Where's his hat?

Paddington's real name is Pastuso, a Peruvian name. He was raised by his Aunt Lucy after his parents were killed in an earthquake.

He is a Spectacled Bear and they actually reside in Peru. They are the only bear native to South America and are generally smaller in stature when compared to other bears ... but they do not talk.

The first Paddington film grossed $1.8 million in Peru.

Well, we certainly enjoyed the film although on the SmithWalsh scale it rates a 3.5 out of 5. We warn viewers that the film contains numerous scenes of cuteness. Hugh Grant is particularly good as an over-the-top villain.

Ale of the Day: Paddington Beer, Murray's Brewing Co., Bob's Farm, New South Wales, Australia