Dacorum Residents Encouraged to Enter Paddington Competition

Paddington Visits bench

Paddington Bear could make a welcome return to Dacorum, courtesy of Studiocanal, who are running a special competition.

Following the recent release of Paddington in Peru, a nationwide trail of Paddington statues has been installed across the country. The search is now on to find a home for the final statue. Paddington is no stranger to Dacorum, having welcomed film crews to Gadebridge Pharmacy in Hemel Hempstead last year to film a scene with Mr Brown (Hugh Bonneville).

To be in with a chance of winning, the public are being encouraged to write a short message to Paddington to tell him what makes their home so special, the more heartfelt and imaginative the better. Organisers are looking for iconic local landmarks to visit and for colourful locals who can step into Mr Gruber’s shoes and join him for a spot of tea.

Following the launch of the competition, Hugh Bonneville said: ‘The Paddington Visits benches have been a huge success, there are now 23 of them in towns across the UK and Ireland, bringing joy to so many people. And now, to celebrate the success of Paddington in Peru, there is going to be one more added to the list! All you need to do is write to Paddington, telling him why your town is so special and marmalicious!’

Dacorum Borough Council’s Portfolio Holder for Transformation (People & Climate and Ecological Emergency), Cllr Caroline Smith-Wright, said: ‘After the excitement of hosting a scene in the latest Paddington film, it would be a fantastic legacy to secure a statue for our borough. From the tranquil setting of Hemel’s Water Gardens to our historic town centres that are full of imaginative and creative independent shops. We have some fantastic locations for Paddington to visit. I hope that our residents, including children, will enter the competition to give us the best chance to join the Paddington Visits trail and give this lovable bear a home in Dacorum.’

To enter visit www.paddingtoninperu.co.uk/paddington-visits. The competition closes on Sunday 5 January 2025.