Michael Bond, creator of arguably the world's most famous bear, reveals how he found inspiration for the childhood favourite. Helena Catwright reports.
The door opens at Michael Bond’s un-showy London home. ‘I’ve been watching out for you,’ he smiles. Poetically, Michael lives in Paddington, with his wife Sue, a retired literary agent, and his guinea pigs, Oksana and Olga.
He leads the way to his ground-floor office where the desk is hidden under swathes of paper and tottering piles of books. The walls are hung with favourite illustrations and stacked with cases of books – many of which are his own.
It’s been almost 60 years since a little bear from darkest Peru found himself homeless and alone in Paddington station, wearing a tag saying ‘Please look after this bear. Thank you’.
Two hundred books later, Bond, now 91, is still writing. ‘I do a seven day week,’ he says proudly. ‘I even write on Christmas Day.’
Michael wasn’t always a writer. During the Second World War, the 15-year-old got a job with the BBC, near Reading (where he grew up), switching radio transmitters on in the morning, then off at night. He was in an office at the top of the building when it was hit in an air raid. ‘I’m lucky to be here,’ he says.
After the war, Michael joined the BBC monitoring service and rose through the ranks to become a cameraman and work on the first series of Blue Peter. It was then that he started to dabble with creative writing.
On a snowy Christmas Eve in 1956, he went to Selfridges on Oxford Street to buy a present for his then wife, Brenda, when he came across a lone bear. ‘There was one little bear sat on the shelf in the toy department. There was no one around and I felt very sorry for it. I moved away, but when I came back, he was still there. I thought, ‘You can’t spend Christmas sitting on the shelf,’ so I bought him.’
Bu hikaye WOMAN'S WEEKLY dergisinin May 09,2017 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye WOMAN'S WEEKLY dergisinin May 09,2017 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Patchwork PROJECTS
Easy ideas to show off English paper-piecing techniques
Night train to BERLIN
Germany's exciting and varied capital is now reachable by train from the UK
French FANCY
Raymond Blanc's right-hand man, Benoit Blin's favourite bakes
Are you missing out on BENEFITS?
Here's how to find out what you are eligible for
TRAY bien
All-in-one tray bakes, packed with flavour
We took a grown-up GAP YEAR!
Who says taking time out is just for students?
'I'm obsessed with reality TV!'
THIS WEEK'S COLUMNIST Author and presenter Louise Minchin
What to eat and do for A HEALTHIER GUT
Fix those problems and boost your wellbeing
Picture palaces
In an age of cinema complexes, we celebrate five historic and beautiful picture houses that have stood the test of time
'My diet during Bake Off is cake and alcohol!'
Dame Prue Leith on the popular baking contest