A new film starring the iconic British children’s character, Paddington Bear, will hit theaters on November 28. In order to promote the film and raise funds for the NSPCC and ChildLine, charities for children in the United Kingdom, a host of Paddington statues will appear around London starting today. The statues are each made by a supporter of the charities and work to create a path to lead Londoners around the city to learn about the childrens’ charities and make donations.
One of those Paddington statues is a bespoke design made by Gile Taylor, Design Director at Rolls-Royce. The Rolls-Royce Paddington will be situated opposite the Rolls showroom at Berkeley Square in Mayfair.
The statue is a combination of a characterization of the founder of Rolls-Royce, the Honorable Charles Rolls and of the famous children’s bear, Paddington. The overcoat and hat are in signature Rolls-Royce purple while the aviator’s goggles (often worn by Rolls when racing) and peckish stance are from a photograph of the famous racer turned automaker.
After the release of the new Paddington movie at the end of the month, auction house Christies will sell the statues online to winning bidders, proceeds from which will also benefit the charities.
