Latest news with #PaddingtonBear
ITV News
17 hours ago
- ITV News
Man receives fine for causing damage to Paddington Bear statue in Penrith
A 56-year-old man from London has received a fine for causing damage to a Paddington Bear statue in Penrith. Anil Puir, aged 56 of Stanstead Road, London appeared before Carlisle Magistrates Court on Tuesday 22 July after being charged with criminal damage. The statue and surrounding flower beds were damaged on Monday 2 December 2024. Community Beat Officer, PC Stewart Green said: 'Eden NPT will continue to target those who seek to commit offences such as this within our local community, including through Operation Enhance - our operation dedicated to tackling antisocial behaviour and violence in hotspot areas including in Penrith town centre. 'I hope this conviction serves as a reminder to other offenders that this type of behaviour will not be tolerated by Cumbria Police."
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Vandal dumped shrub over statue of beloved Paddington bear, causing outcry
A VANDAL who sparked a public outcry by damaging a popular Paddington Bear statue in Penrith town centre has been punished by magistrates. Anil Puri, aged 56, was caught by CCTV as he committed the crime in Little Dockray on December 2 last year. The Paddington Bear figure has become a huge hit with town residents and visitors alike since it was unveiled in October, 2024. It was one of around two dozen similar statues installed on benches in locations across the UK prior to the release of the film Paddington in Peru, and the only one in Cumbria. Prosecutor George Shelley told Carlisle Magistrates' Court this morning (Tuesday) the Paddington Bear figure, belonging to a film company, was maintained by the Penrith BID (business improvement district) group, which also owned surrounding planters. CCTV captured Puri causing the damage. 'He pulls a shrub from the planter and dumps it on to the figure's head,' said Mr Shelley. Puri then shoved a shrub between Paddington's arms, which are clasped around his trademark marmalade sandwich. There were scratches caused to the figure, which was damaged to the tune of £40. Around £250 damage was caused to the planters. 'The next day there was a public outcry on social media,' said Mr Shelley. Puri, of Stanstead Road, Lewisham, London, said in the aftermath he had been suffering from mental health issues. Appearing in court remotely today over a video link, Puri admitted causing criminal damage to the statue and planter. A man with no previous convictions, he apologised to all concerned for what he had done. Magistrates fined Puri £50. He must also pay £290 compensation to Penrith BID, along with £85 costs and a £20 mandatory surcharge. Penrith mayor Doug Lawson said in response to Puri's vandalism: 'Since Paddington arrived in Penrith, he has been a constant source of entertainment and joy for young and old alike. At one stage my Facebook feed was full of pictures of friends and family with the statue. 'I said at his unveiling that he was a symbol of the welcoming and generous culture of Penrith. 'With all that in mind, I am deeply saddened to hear that someone would attempt to damage the statue; obviously, any vandalism is wrong, but this act seems particularly heartless. 'I can only hope that having been caught, the person responsible reflects on their actions and the upset they have caused.'
Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
'Mum invented the Wombles but devastating event was her inspiration'
A beloved children's TV show is getting a 2025 rebrand with a new interactive experience - and The Wombles creator's son says his mum would be thrilled Underground, overground, The Wombles are once again wombling free. The furry eco-conscious inhabitants of Wimbledon Common are staging a comeback with a brand-new interactive exhibition that brings their world to life for a new generation. WOMBLE MANIA opens his weekend in the Peak District and charts The Wombles' journey from book to screen. New episodes featuring the creatures who gather stuff 'every day folk leave behind' are also in the pipeline for later this year. According to her son, Wombles creator Elisabeth Beresford would have been thrilled that Great Uncle Bulgaria, Tobermory, Madame Cholet and the rest of the gang are once again back in the limelight. 'Mum would have loved the fact they are making a comeback. They hold a special place in British culture after all," says Marcus Robertson, who as a child was the inspiration behind the character of Orinoco. He believes that the message conveyed by the loveable rubbish collectors, who emerge from their burrows under Wimbledon Common to litter pick, is as crucial today as it was when his mum started to write the books back in the late 1960s. 'The Wombles were really ahead of their time in terms of ideas about caring for the environment, picking up litter and recycling - their motto is 'make good use of bad rubbish' and that says it all. 'But it's more than just about looking after your surroundings and nature. They have values of kindness, mutual respect, generosity, community; there's no violence. These are all the things we should be embracing here in 2025.' Marcus, 69, who lives in Surrey and has two grown up sons, is adamant his mum never set out to preach to her fans. 'For her, The Wombles were never 'being' green - they just were green. That's how they lived their lives. 'Remember, Mum was 13 when the war started and that's how she was brought up - to never waste a thing.' Elisabeth Beresford was born in 1926 into a literary household. Her Godparents included the poet Cecil Day-Lewis, while George Bernard Shaw and DH Lawrence were family friends. It was almost inevitable, then, that she would become a writer and journalist. She married the BBC tennis commentator and broadcaster Max Robertson in 1949 and penned her first children's book in 1957. But it was an afternoon stroll with her two children on Boxing Day in 1966 which changed the course of her life and gave the world The Wombles. 'She'd written lots of stuff for kids by this time and had been asked by her publisher to come up with an answer to Paddington Bear, which had been hugely successful,' remembers Marcus, who worked in sports marketing and now runs a luxury steam train business. 'As we walked along Wimbledon Common my sister Kate mispronounced 'Wimbledon' as 'Wombledon'. And that was it. By the time we got home Mum had the fundamentals of The Wombles in her head.' Initially imagined as 'tubby little bats' and later 'teddy bears with claws', many of the characters were based on members of Elisabeth's own family. Her mother - Marcus's grandmother - was Madame Cholet, her brother was Tobermory and Marcus's grandfather Great Uncle Bulgaria. Marcus himself remains hugely proud to have had the character Orinoco - famed for relishing both his food and naps - modelled on him. 'And yes, he and I do share some traits - my wife would say I haven't changed at all!' he laughs. 'Did I mind being the inspiration behind Orinoco? Not at all. Why should I? It's a lovely thing.' The first Wombles book appeared in 1968 and many more followed. But it was the arrival on our TV screen of the iconic stop-motion animated series - 35 five-minute episodes produced between 1973 and 1975 - which cemented their place in the childhood folklore of many. While Elizabeth wrote the scripts, Marcus would help, listening and making suggestions as she read them over the phone to him while he was away at boarding school. The show's success was cemented by a catchy theme tune written by Mike Batt, The Wombling Song, as well as the narration of Bernard Cribbins, who voiced all the characters. 'Having watched Bernard in The Railway Children, he was one of my heroes. When I met him he was exactly as you might imagine - great fun,' says Marcus. 'He captured my grandfather as Great Uncle Bulgaria to a tee. I see some episodes of the show now and look at how the character talks to Orinoco and I find it quite moving, because that's how my grandfather spoke to me; Bernard totally got him. 'My family members are intertwined with The Womble family and always will be.' The Wombles were a worldwide smash. Elisabeth penned more than 20 books, which were translated into 40 different languages. Musically, the band The Wombles, under the guidance of Mike Batt, had eight Top 40 singles including Remember You're a Womble and Wombling Merry Christmas. They appeared on Top of The Pops 17 times in the early 1970s and were even the interval entertainment at the Eurovision Song Contest in1974. There was a feature length live-action movie too, while further episodes were made in the late 1990s. In 2011 The Wombles performed at Glastonbury and in 2021, were the UK government mascots at Cop26 and supported its #OneStepGreener campaign. This year, as well as the new visitor attraction at the Heights of Abraham in Derbyshire, The Wombles will return to our screens with a suite of new shows on YouTube. Appearing in both live action and animated formats, the episodes will all have a sustainability message and explore solutions to environmental problems. They will also feature tips and tricks to reduce food waste and upcycle old clothes. The Wombles' ethos has also inspired a good cause, The Wombles Community Charity, which aims to harness their green message to encourage community-led environmental action. It was when Elisabeth received in 1998, however, that the author perhaps understood for herself how far her creations had travelled. 'My mum loved the Monarch and I went to Buckingham Palace with her when she was awarded her MBE," says Marcus. 'The Queen had briefing notes for all those she was receiving - but not for my mum; she just seemed to know a lot about her and The Wombles naturally. We like to think she was a fan.' Elisabeth and her family moved to the Channel Island of Alderney and lived there until she died in 2010, which now has a Womble trail in her honour. Her home also inspired the Womble called Alderney, based on Marcus's wife Marianne, who is perhaps the most green of The Wombles thanks to her love of gardening - mirroring Marianne's own passion. Now the family is preparing for a new generation of fans to meet Bungo, Tomsk and the rest of the crew. Marcus is certain his mum would have been thrilled to see how her beloved Wombles have evolved and, for him, having grown up with the characters, they remain a huge part of his life. 'It sounds odd but I do like to believe they really are out there somewhere, carrying on their work and cleaning up after us humans. 'I would not be remotely shocked if I met one." WOMBLE MANIA is now open at The Heights of Abraham Visitor Attraction in the Peak District. Did you know? By the end of the final book, Great Uncle Bulgaria was said to be more than 300 years old. The Wombles has been voted by the British public as one of the top 10 most popular BBC TV children's programmes of all time. Ivor Wood designed The Wombles for TV with pointed snouts and floppy ears, distinct from the teddy bear-like animals illustrated in the original book. Throughout her books, the author revealed there were several sub-species of Womble; the Loch Ness Monster is written as part o f a clean of water Wombles while the Yeti of the Himalayas are giant snow-white Wombles. The highest chart position for TheWombles was Number 2 for Wombling Merry Christmas on 4 January 1975. It was kept off the top spot by Mud's Lonely This Christmas. In the books, Wombles have a varied diet of plants, fungi, and tree products including moss pie, fir cone souffle and elm bark casserole. They are particularly fond of mushrooms.
Daily Mirror
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Rare 50p coin listed for £10k on eBay and there are 9m of them out there
A rare 50p Paddington Bear coin has been spotted on eBay for a staggering £10,000 - but a coin expert has urged people to be wary of purchasing 'rare' coins online A 50p coin has been put up for sale for an eyewatering £10,000 - despite there being 9million in circulation. The Paddington Bear 50p coin was issued by the Royal Mint in 2018 in commemoration of the iconic character. The coin has an image of Paddington Bear standing outside St Paul's Cathedral as he tips his hat, as part of the Paddington series. The eBay seller from Woodbridge has listed the 'rare' coin for a staggering £10K. The design was issued by the Royal Mint to continue the celebrations of the 60th Anniversary of the British Bear - and features a design of Paddington based on the CGI-live action movie. The coins shows Paddington continuing his adventures at the ornate St. Paul's Cathedral as well as others showing him at the Tower of London, his namesake train station and with the guards outside Buckingham Palace. It was designed by David Knapton and the intricate engraving of Paddington in his famous hat outside the London landmark is one of the iconic 5p designs. On the reverse is Jody Clark's 5th Portrait of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, reports Plymouth Live. According to The Westminster Collection, the 2018 Paddington 50p coin releases proved to be some of the "most popular 50p coins of the year". More than 35 million books in the Paddington series have been sold worldwide, with plays, musicals, and animated series also being created of the famous bear as well as the coins which are being listed for a huge mark-up. The Coincollectingwizard - a rare coins expert said: "A Paddington Bear 50p selling for thousands - is this coin secretly worth a fortune People are listing these for £20,000 to £30,000 - what is going on here? Let's break it down before you start digging through your change. "The Paddington Bear 50p was released in 2018 and 2019 to celebrate 60 years of Paddington. There are four different designs featuring everyone's favourite, marmalade-loving bear. There were over 5million minted and sent out into the wild for people to find in their change. "So, how much is this coin really worth? Well, brace yourselves - it's just 50p. Yep, despite the crazy eBay prices, these are common coins with no hidden treasure value. And here's the truth - people can list them for any price, but that doesn't mean they're selling for that much. Always check sold listings for the real value. If you see a listing asking for thousands, it's just someone hoping for a clueless buyer to fall for the trap. Don't be that buyer."
New York Post
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Prince Harry brutally mocked in iconic UK puppet show: No ‘discernible talent'
South Park 2.0? Prince Harry has been mercilessly mocked by the iconic UK puppet show 'Spitting Image' as it took aim at the duke's life in California. The Duke of Sussex, 40, is no stranger to being roasted on TV — having previously been the subject of an infamous South Park episode that ripped apart the Sussexes for their 'Worldwide Privacy Tour.' Advertisement 5 Prince Harry has been mercilessly mocked by the iconic UK puppet show 'Spitting Image' that brutally took aim at the duke's life in California. @SpittingImage/YouTube Now, as the irreverent comedy show gears up to return to screens after a years-long hiatus, 'Spitting Image: The Rest Is Bulls*!t' marked its return by poking fun at the 'Spare' author in its first episode. In the clip, the Invictus Games founder is savaged as having no 'discernible talent' with a hideous puppet taunting the duke's appearance. Advertisement The puppet, which is used to depict the exiled royal, is featured prominently in the 11-minute teaser clip shared on YouTube. The episode sees Harry host a podcast, titled 'The Rest is Bulls–t,' alongside a puppet of Paddington Bear. 5 'Spitting Image: The Rest Is Bulls*!t' marked its return by poking fun at the 'Spare' author in its first episode. @SpittingImage/YouTube 'I'm Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex. Just a regular guy with a title who's fifth in line to the throne,' the duke's puppet introduces himself in the episode. Advertisement He explains that he got into podcasting because he has no other 'discernible talent.' After praising Elon Musk for 'the way you've cut the American government down to size,' Harry's puppet quips, 'I'm trying to do the same with my family!' His life in sunny Montecito, Calif., was also the subject of various digs during the episode — though Harry's wife, Meghan Markle, did not appear. 5 The episode sees Harry hosts a podcast, titled 'The Rest is Bulls–t,' alongside a puppet of Paddington Bear. @SpittingImage/YouTube Advertisement At one point, the show poked fun at Harry's invented butler making him breakfast each morning. 'Nutrition is important. So Perkins makes me a bacon sandwich in case Meghan has made another one of her rank smoothies,' his puppet says in the clip. Another jab at the duke saw him admit to taking a 'session with my accountability coach.' 5 The Sussexes are no strangers to being mocked on TV, having previously been the subject of an infamous South Park episode. AP 'I think it's important to be honest and transparent. I haven't told Megs about it yet,' the puppet said in the episode. The show also referenced Harry's bombshell BBC interview in which the duke moaned that his father, King Charles, would no longer speak to him. At the end of the episode, Harry's puppet is heard asking on the phone, 'Speak directly to me daddy, please?' Advertisement The Post has reached out to Harry's reps for comment. 'Spitting Image: The Rest Is Bulls*!t' is the latest installment of the hit show, which originally ran from 1984 to 1996. 5 The pair were brutally mocked in a 2023 South Park episode over their decision to move across the pond in a desperate bid for privacy. Comedy Central Advertisement Led by British comedians Al Murray and Matt Forde, the new series promises to deliver 'a no holds barred up-to-the-minute assault on the world of politics, pop culture and media control.' The Sussexes were brutally teased in a 2023 South Park episode over their decision to move across the pond in a desperate bid for privacy.
