Royal Mail today revealed images of 10 Special Stamps being issued to celebrate 65 years of the most beloved marmalade-loving bear – Paddington.
Six stamps in the main set are taken from Ivor Wood’s strip cartoons of Paddington, originally published in the London Evening News newspaper in the late 1970s.
Six of the stamps issued to celebrate Paddington's 65th anniversary feature iconic scenes from Paddington cartoons by Ivor Wood.
In 1975, illustrator, animator, and writer Ivor Wood was instrumental in transforming Paddington from a beloved literary character into a star of the small screen. Working with animation company, FilmFair, Wood designed and directed the first Paddington television series for the BBC. Four stamps presented in a Miniature Sheet capture moments from this TV series.
The set also includes a miniature sheet featuring scenes from the Paddington BBC series.
David Gold, Director of External Affairs and Policy, Royal Mail, said: “Paddington continues to bring cheer to generations of children worldwide. These delightful stamps will brighten up the day of anyone receiving mail with a touch of Paddington’s charm.”
Rachel Clarke, SVP Licensing and Retail UK at The Copyrights Group, said: “Paddington is a real heritage brand with a modern hero and we are delighted to be partnering with Royal Mail to celebrate 65 years since Michael Bond first introduced us to the beloved bear.”
The stamps are available to pre-order from today (August 24) at www.royalmail.com/paddington and by telephone on 03457 641 641. A Presentation Pack including all 10 stamps in the set is priced at £17.70. The stamps go on general sale on 5 September.
Stamp by Stamp
Main Set
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1st Class – Paddington with a jar of marmalade
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1st Class – Paddington sawing wood
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£2.00 – Paddington pushing a shopping trolley
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£2.00 – Paddington holding an ice cream
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£2.20 – Paddington carrying presents
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£2.20 – Paddington and a crab
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Miniature Sheet
1st Class – Paddington reaching for a marmalade sandwich
1st Class – Paddington and Mr Gruber having elevenses
£2.00 – Paddington and the Brown family having breakfast
£2.00 – Paddington baking
About Paddington
For 65 years, British-born writer Michael Bond has delighted readers all over the world with his stories about Paddington, the bear from Peru, famous for his love of marmalade. The kindness and humour in the stories appeal to children and adults alike, ensuring Paddington's enduring popularity from one generation to the next.
HarperCollins Children's books have published Paddington's adventures continuously since 13th October 1958 when, as William Collins, they first introduced A Bear Called Paddington to the world.
Since then, Paddington’s adventures have been adapted several times for television and at the end of 2014 Paddington made his debut onto the big screen, a further film Paddington 2 followed in 2017 with a third in the works. The movies were produced by STUDIOCANAL, European leader in production, distribution and international sales of feature films and series, part of CANAL+ Group, major player in the creation and distribution of content worldwide. In 2020, a brand-new Paddington TV series designed for a pre-school audience, The Adventures of Paddington launched on Nickelodeon, introducing him to a whole new set of fans.
You can catch-up with Paddington’s many adventures on:
Twitter & Instagram @paddingtonbear | //Facebook.com/PaddingtonBear | dailymotion.com/Paddington | //YouTube.com/Paddington
©P&Co. Ltd/ SC 2023
About The Copyrights Group ( a STUDIOCANAL company)
The Copyrights Group, part of the European leader in film and series production and distribution STUDIOCANAL (a Canal + company), owns and manages the PaddingtonTM IP and official stores. It is a full-service international IP development agency and consultancy offering strategic worldwide brand development, licensing, and retail expertise.
The company develops a 360-brand strategy for Paddington based on raising awareness for the character worldwide. Alongside reaching millions on social media, Paddington’s global reach has also helped UNICEF raise millions for children in need through branded fundraising products since 2020. The Copyrights Group keeps expanding Paddington’s licensing program in all key categories including experiential.
About Royal Mail Special Stamps
For more than 50 years Royal Mail’s Special Stamp programme has commemorated anniversaries and celebrated events relevant to UK heritage and life. Today, there are an estimated 60 million* stamp collectors worldwide.
About International Distributions Services plc
International Distributions Services plc is the parent company of Royal Mail Group Limited, the leading provider of postal and delivery services in the UK and the UK’s designated universal postal service provider. UK Parcels, International and Letters (“UKPIL”) comprises the company’s UK and international parcels and letters delivery businesses operating under the “Royal Mail” and “Parcelforce Worldwide” brands. Through the Royal Mail Core Network, the company delivers a one-price-goes-anywhere service on a range of parcels and letters products. Royal Mail has the capability to deliver to around 31 million addresses in the UK, six days a week (excluding UK public holidays). Parcelforce Worldwide operates a separate UK network which collects and delivers express parcels. International Distributions Services plc also owns General Logistics Systems (GLS) which operates one of the largest ground-based, deferred parcel delivery networks in Europe.