Like millions of children and families around the world, Paddington was forced to flee his home and build a new life far away from those he loved. His stories and adventures exemplify kindness, tolerance and perseverance in the face of adversity, making him the perfect champion for children’s rights. Rail improvement work will affect train services between Didcot Parkway and Chippenham or Bristol Parkway. Trains between London and South Wales will also be diverted, not stopping at Didcot Parkway or Swindon – stopping additionally at Bath Spa and Bristol Temple Meads.

Illustrator, Paul Kidby said: “It has been a huge honour to illustrate this set of stamps to commemorate 40 years of Discworld. I am delighted to finally be able to tell people about it as it has been a big secret to keep! It’s a wonderful celebration of Terry’s ongoing legacy and continued popularity.” Trains between London Paddington and Bristol Temple Meads will be diverted, not stopping at Chippenham or Bath Spa. For over 60 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. The UK Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK) raises funds for UNICEF’s emergency and development work for children. We also promote and protect children’s rights in the UK and internationally. We are a UK charity, entirely funded by supporters.October 2021 – Paddington, the much-loved children’s character, has teamed up with UNICEF to bring exciting opportunities for children to learn all about the lives of their peers around the world. UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. Across more than 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for everyone.

With the festive season fast approaching, the UK Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK) is offering buyers a suite of charitable, Paddington themed gifts for little ones. These unique educational gifts will help UNICEF in supporting vulnerable children around the world and help bring a smile to their faces this Christmas. United Kingdom Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK), Registered Charity No. 1072612 (England & Wales), SC043677 (Scotland). Participants will embark on a mission to help Paddington and the Brown family prepare for a special day, becoming immersed in some of the iconic locations from the Paddington stories. The experience culminates in a Windsor Gardens extravaganza, while Ttemed food, beverage, and retail will be available. Some trains will also run between London Paddington and Bath Spa – not stopping at Didcot Parkway, Swindon or Chippenham. Paw-fect for children of all ages, and the young at heart! Paddington’s Parcels is a beautiful way to spread the message of giving and kindness – build your parcel now!During the closure, most GWR services will start or terminate at Reading instead of London Paddington, with limited train services to/from Ealing Broadway. A reduced Elizabeth line service will run between Ealing Broadway and Maidenhead. We all know that children are naturally curious and love to learn new things. That is why, with each of these products, children will be able to explore a different interest with Paddington and contribute to the life of a child who lives elsewhere.” Paddington station will be closed on Sunday 24th Dec (Christmas Eve) and reopens on Thursday 28th Dec. So for Christmas getaways using Paddington station, you will need to travel by the end of Saturday 23rd December 2023. The Paddington Bear Experience will be directed by Immersive Octopus, written by Katie Lyons, designed by Rebecca Brower, with costume design by Stewart J Charlesworth, lighting design by Terry Cook, sound design by Luke Swaffield for Autograph, and video design by Novak.

Sir Terry Pratchett, OBE (1948–2015) is regarded as one of the UK’s greatest fantasy writers. His defining work is the Discworld series, which spans 41 novels that have been translated into over 40 languages, with more than a hundred million copies sold worldwide. London County Hall will host large-scale interactive show The Paddington Bear Experience later this year. Also, there’s no Elizabeth line between Paddington and Ealing Broadway, so getting to Ealing Broadway will be challenging. During the closure, the railway will be closed between Paddington and Ealing Broadway, so it will be possible to catch a train at Ealing Broadway on Christmas Eve and on Wed 27th December, but the station will likely be very crowded and the train services will be less frequent.

Firsts

During rehearsals before the opening of her season at the Talk of the Town theatre in London, 26 September 1962, 1st Terry Pratchetts DiscworldA set of eight Special Stamps issued to celebrate Terry Pratchett’s globally popular, fantasy Discworld series, and the 40th anniverary of the first book in the series, The Colour of Magic.