Paddington Bear Was Here !

From time to time I post something completely different,

and this story is a little different, please read on ...

The photograph below shows all that is left of the Paddington Bear statue on his bench in Paddington's creator Michael Bond's home town of Newbery, Berkshire, UK... but two have now been arrested and the stolen Paddington Bear statue recovered.

photo credit christopher gibbins

The lovable bear is everyone's favourite. Even the late Queen Elizabeth has been seen enjoying tea with him as can be seen here and do watch the video it's so lovely.

"Two men have been arrested after a Paddington Bear statue was damaged and stolen from a bench, police have said.

The sculpture was taken from his seat in Northbrook Street, Newbury, at about 02:00 GMT Sunday morning 2 March, according to Thames Valley Police.

The force said on Sunday evening it had recovered the statue, adding that Paddington was "heading to Newbury police station for a much-needed marmalade sandwich".

Two 22-year-old men, were arrested on suspicion of theft and criminal damage and remain in police custody.

Insp Alan Hawkett said: "The Paddington Bear statue is a beloved part of Newbury so we have been doing everything we can to locate it and the offenders."

The force said it would keep the sculpture safe and support its restoration.

The statue of the Peruvian bear, holding one of his beloved marmalade sandwiches, was unveiled in the home town of Paddington creator Michael Bond in October.

It was one of 23 celebrating the children's character placed across the UK last year as part of the Paddington Visits trail, ahead of the StudioCanal film Paddington in Peru.

Residents in the Berkshire town earlier expressed their dismay at the theft, saying he was "a lovely addition to Newbury".

Christopher Gibbins said he had seen the damaged remains of the statue at about 08:00 GMT on Sunday while out on a walk.

"Very sad to see it had happened as he made a lot of people in the town very happy," he said.

Many locals took to social media, sharing pictured they had taken with Paddington.

Sue Kearney's dog looks rather interested in the bear's marmalade sandwich

"To some it may not seem like a big deal but he was such a little ray of sunshine, walking to work or taking my small kids into town, he just brought a smile to people," Whitney Burnett wrote.

Juliet Curtis said: "I find it especially sad as Newbury is the home town of the author Michael Bond. How upset he would have been."

Words and more pictures can be seen here and here

... and I just had to include a Marmalade recipe, well Paddington Bear always enjoyed his marmalade sandwich 😊 You can see a recipe for sugar free orange marmalade which is zesty and full of flavour. It has 2.1g net carbs per tablespoon and is suitable for low carb and keto diets/lifestyle ... see it here Of course a lower carb bread for your sandwich may be a good idea too! 

Please be aware you will find a variety of articles and recipe ideas within this blog, and not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter. If you have any concerns about your health, it is always advisable to consult your doctor or health care team.

All the best Jan