Paddington packs his suitcase for a short move across Cardiff

A statue of Paddington bear which received complaints due to its location has been moved.

The statue, which arrived in Cardiff to promote the Paddington in Peru movie, was initially erected at St John’s Gardens in the city centre, but has now been moved to Cardiff Castle.

Launched as part of Paddington Visits, a trail of Paddington Bear statues in 23 locations across the UK and Ireland to celebrate the new film arriving in cinemas, the Paddington statue has proven hugely popular.

However, with St John’s Gardens only being able to be accessed from 10am-4pm, Monday – Saturday, and closed all day Sunday, there were complaints from families who wanted to take their children to visit the famous bear.

Some people had wanted the statue’s hours to be extended and business development service FOR Cardiff opened the gardens for an extra day due to its popularity.

However, Cardiff Council and FOR Cardiff recently posted on social media that they were investigating the moving of the Paddington statue.

Now in his new home at Cardiff Castle, Paddington will be able to greet more families.

 

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A Cardiff Council spokesperson said they were “pleased” to have worked with FOR Cardiff and Studio Canal “to find Paddington a new home at Cardiff Castle for the duration of his visit to Cardiff”.

“The castle grounds are free to access and open seven days a week, meaning even more families can enjoy visiting him,” they added.

The Paddington statue is a meticulously crafted and painted statue sporting the wise bear’s signature red hat, blue duffle coat, and, naturally, a marmalade sandwich in paw.

This new Paddington movie sees the much loved bear return home to the Peruvian jungle to visit his beloved Aunt Lucy, now a resident at the Home for Retired Bears.

With The Brown Family and Mrs Bird in tow, a thrilling adventure ensues when a mysterious disappearance plunges them into an unexpected journey from the Amazon rainforest to the mountain peaks of Peru.

You can visit Paddington him at Cardiff Castle’s free public square seven days a week, giving more opportunities to see everyone’s favourite marmalade-loving bear.

View Cardiff Castle opening hours HERE