The famous statue of Paddington Bear has found a brighter new home in Paddington Station after protests from fans – including actor Hugh Bonneville.
The bronze statue, which has become a visitor and tourist attraction, had been moved to a “dark, dingy corner” of the station when the Elizabeth line opened in May. This was because its original location, under the clock arch, became an evacuation route.
It has now been temporarily relocated to platform one – with rail bosses promising to find a permanent home “slap bang in the middle” of the station.
Network Rail decided to restore Paddington to his former glory after a social media campaign led by TV presenter and journalist Martin Roberts.
He said: “To my horror, a few months ago I discovered the Paddington Bear statue had been moved to a really dark, dingy corner on the other side of the station.
“Something had to be done, and lots of people supported my viewpoint, including Hugh Bonneville, who played Mr Brown in the Paddington Bear films.
“For years I’ve made a point of saying ‘Hello!’ to Paddington whenever I’ve passed through the station. I was horrified when I discovered the location he’d been moved to - by the side of a cafe in an area used for smoking.
“And although I learned it was only temporary it was still a terrible spot for the thousands of people who come to visit to enjoy their moments with this special statue to a very special bear.
“Thankfully Network Rail’s station team at London Paddington were brilliant and took action. I’m over the moon to see Paddington back where he belongs and I shall be celebrating with a large marmalade sandwich, of course.”
The statue, by Marcus Cornish, is owned by the Paddington Bear shop at the station. It was erected in 2000.
Paddington famously starred in the platinum jubilee celebrations when he took tea with the Queen at Buckingham Palace.
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In the original book by Michael Bond, he arrived at Paddington station from Peru with a ticket round his neck reading: “Please look after this bear.”
The move was welcomed by Sir Peter Hendy, chairman of Network Rail.
Susan Evans, Network Rail’s head of stations and passenger experience, said platform one was “great but not ideal” and would be used temporarily until a better location could be found on the main concourse. “Let’s get him slap bang in the middle of the station,” she said.
“The Paddington Bear statue is synonymous with our London Paddington station and we are working on identifying a new prominent permanent position for him nearer to the main station concourse.
“This will undoubtedly be welcome news to the many Paddington Bear supporters as well as enhancing the experience of our passengers, particularly those with young children. We look forward to providing an update on these plans in due course.”
