WATCH: Which Caithness village will host one of only 20 special Paddington benches ahead of new film?
People wanting to take a breather at the end of the road in John O’Groats will soon be able to sit down with their favourite bear.
The Caithness village has been selected as one of just 20 locations around Britain which will host a special bench featuring a statue of the famous character.
The John O’Groats bench – one of only three in Scotland – is part of a “Paddington Visits” trail that is being created in the run-up to the release of Paddington in Peru in November.
It will be the loveable bear’s third big-screen appearance, with Paddington hitting cinemas in 2014 before a sequel in 2017.
The production company behind the latest release, StudioCanal, announced on Monday that the trail of Paddington Bear statues across the UK and Ireland would include John O’Groats.
It says that the “bear-y special statues are coming to cities, towns, and beauty spots across the UK and Ireland in early October”.
“Each meticulously crafted and painted statue will sport the wise bear’s signature red hat, blue duffle coat, and, naturally, a marmalade sandwich in paw. Fans, friends, and family can step into Mr Gruber’s shoes, sit with Paddington for a spot of tea, a sandwich or two, or even write a postcard to Aunt Lucy.”
Actor Hugh Bonneville, who plays Mr Brown in the film, said: “I am thrilled to reveal we are going to be unveiling a number of benches across the UK, all featuring a statue of our beloved bear.
“Ahead of the new film, fans, families and friends can sit down and have a chat with the marmalade-loving bear, so watch this space for more information about Paddington… coming to a bench near you!”
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Paddington Visits launches ahead of the bear’s latest cinematic outing, Paddington in Peru, in UK and Ireland cinemas from November 8. This new adventure will see Paddington 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.
As well as Edinburgh and Lanark in Scotland, the other venues on the Paddington Visits trail are: Ashby, Birmingham, Bury St Edmunds, Cardiff, Chester, County Mayo, Land’s End, Liverpool, London Paddington (where else?), London Westfield, Manchester, Newbury, Newtownards, Penrith, Peterborough, Reading, Salisbury, Southampton, Sunderland and York.
