A Paddington Bear statue has been unveiled in Dean’s Park as part of the Paddington Visits Trail.
The statue located behind the York Minster is part of the nationwide Paddington Visits trails and marks the upcoming release of the film Paddington in Peru which arrives in cinemas on 8 November 2024 and will be the third instalment in the Paddington franchise released by STUDIOCANAL.
York is one of the 23 locations participating in the Paddington Visits trail with the iconic statues appearing all over the UK and Ireland from Land’s End to London Paddington and Southampton to Sunderland.
The York Paddington bench is a collaboration between STUDIOCANAL, York Bid and the York Minster.
The Paddington statue is already proving popular, with queues forming of people excited to take a photo on the bench next to Paddington.
The Paddington bear statue is seen wearing his signature red hat, blue duffle coat and accompanied by his famous marmalade sandwich in one paw.
A spokesperson from STUDIOCANAL expressed excitement about bringing Paddington to a town near you and said: “We hope that everyone seeks out their local Paddington, whether that’s dropping by for a chat about your day or to enjoy a marmalade sandwich or two while enjoying the view!
“Paddington is ready to welcome everyone!”
York Vision conducted an Instagram poll and found that out of 62 students, 17 have already visited the Paddington bear statue, while 35 are yet to visit it.