Tullie House are set to welcome a very special guest to the museum with a brand-new exhibition.

Paddington: The Story of a Bear, celebrating over 60 years of Paddington Bear, will begin on Saturday 20th, and will be based at the museum for three months.

Visitors will follow Paddington’s journey from the mind of Blue Peter camera operator Michael Bond. The exhibition will explore how Bond took inspiration from his own experiences and family in bringing Paddington to life, looking at Paddington’s migration from Peru to London and finding a new home with a new family.

Highlights of the exhibition will include:

• First edition of A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond given to his parents, illustrated by Peggy Fortnum, published by HarperCollins Publishers in 1958

• The original review of A Bear called Paddington by Barbara Ker Wilson, 1958

• A selection of memorabilia owned by Michael Bond on loan from his family, including Bond’s typewriter used in the 1960s

• Clips from some of the film and TV adaptations and a sound recording of Bond talking about the process of creating Paddington’s stories

• Original illustrations of Paddington stories by artists including Peggy Fortnum, David McKee and R.W. Alley

The story of Paddington is the inspiration behind ‘From Peru to Paddington’, a community project created for the exhibition, which explores the experiences of those who have migrated to Carlisle.

Tullie House will be adding their own elements to bring the exhibition to life. This will include storytelling and dressing up areas, drawing and adventure postcard writing, as well as Story Lab, an interactive feature designed to help you create your own Paddington tale.

Jill Goodfellow, Exhibitions Manager at Tullie House said:

“Tullie House is thrilled to be the first touring venue for Paddington: The Story of a Bear created by the British Library. The amazing illustrations and original books will give lifelong fans a wonderful blast from the past, while younger visitors can get caught up in the magic and adventure of Paddington with fun and interactive activities. We’re so excited to have a new exhibition for the whole family to enjoy over the winter months.”

Paddington: The Story of a Bear at Tullie House is included with the cost of general admission. It’s free for under-18s. Buy admission ahead of your visit at www.tulliehouse.co.uk/admission or by calling the box office on 01228 618718.