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Celebrate Paddington Bear's Birthday in London

If you are a fan of Paddington Bear, the lovable spectacled bear from "darkest Peru", then you might want to celebrate his birthday in London, the city where he first met the Brown family and started his adventures. Paddington's birthday is not exactly known, but he celebrates it twice a year: on June 25 and December 25. Here are some of the Paddington Bear activities you can do in London to mark the occasion:

• Visit Paddington Station, where Paddington Bear first arrived in London with a suitcase and a label that read "Please look after this bear. Thank you." You can see a bronze statue of Paddington at platform 1, where he was found by Mr and Mrs Brown. You can also shop for Paddington souvenirs at the Paddington shop near the statue or at other outlets around the station.
• Follow the Paddington Trail, a series of 50 statues of Paddington Bear designed by celebrities and artists, which are located around London. You can download a map of the trail from the official website or use an app to find them. Some of the statues are near famous landmarks such as Buckingham Palace, Tower Bridge and St Paul's Cathedral.
• Watch a Paddington movie or TV show, which are based on the books by Michael Bond and illustrated by Peggy Fortnum and other artists. The movies Paddington (2014) and Paddington 2 (2017) are both critically acclaimed and commercially successful, featuring a CGI-animated Paddington voiced by Ben Whishaw and a live-action cast including Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins and Nicole Kidman. The TV shows include Paddington (1976-1980), which used stop-motion animation and narration by Michael Hordern, and The Adventures of Paddington (2019-present), which is a CGI-animated series aimed at preschoolers.
• Read a Paddington book or listen to an audiobook, which are available in 30 languages across 70 titles and have sold more than 30 million copies worldwide. The first book, A Bear Called Paddington, was published in 1958 and introduced the character and his background. The latest book, Paddington at St Paul's, was published in 2018 to mark the 60th anniversary of the series and was the last one written by Michael Bond before his death in 2017.
• Bake a marmalade cake or make some marmalade sandwiches, which are Paddington's favourite food. You can find recipes online or buy ready-made products from supermarkets or bakeries. You can also try some other Peruvian dishes, such as ceviche, quinoa or pisco sour, to honour Paddington's origin.

If you are looking for a place to stay in London for your Paddington-themed trip, then look no further than Mercure London Paddington Hotel next to Paddington Station and offers comfortable and convenient accommodation for travellers. The hotel is also close to other attractions such as Hyde Park, Oxford Street and Madame Tussauds. Mercure London Paddington Hotel is the best place to stay for Paddington Bear fans who want to celebrate his birthday in style.