Bury St Edmunds Paddington Bear statue in the arc Shopping Centre brings back mix of emotions for one town resident

The arrival of a Paddington Bear statue in Bury St Edmunds town centre brought back a mix of emotions for one resident

Between 1967, and 1995, Paul Lainchbury, now 91, ran the Serendipity shop in Guildhall Street.

It sold homeware and gifts - and in the early 1970s, began stocking the first Paddington Bear soft toy, which proved popular.

“We must have sold several hundred of the soft toys over the years. Everybody loved them,” said Paul.

“I remember one Christmas Eve, a man on his knees, knocking on the shop window after we’d closed a little early, shouting: ‘I have to get one of these for our children. My life depends on it’.

“They were superb toys, simply beautiful, with felt coat and hat and Dunlop Wellingtons.”

The original Paddington Bear soft toy made by TV show host, Jeremy Clarkson’s mother, Sheila Clarkson, and her company, Gabrielle Designs, made millions of pounds from the bear after being granted a licence by character creator, Michael Bond.

A Paddington Bear statue has been installed on a bench in the arc Shopping Centre as part of promotion for the new film, Paddington in Peru, released today.

It also brought back some emotional memories for Mr Lainchbury.

“My wife and I, Pamela were heartbroken when, in 1974, we heard about the plane crash, near Paris, in which eighteen members of Bury Rugby Club died.” said Paul.

“We wondered what we could do to help - and decided to send Paddington Bear toys, anonymously, to the children of those who were killed, as a gesture.

“We didn’t have enough in stock at the time and so phoned Sheila Clarkson’s company, and they sent some more straight away.

“The children only learnt later where the bears came from as they grew up. We still see some of them around today, and they always tell us, they still have their Paddington Bear.”

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