Myself and my young friend Tommy eagerly lined up in Mr Gruber’s shop waiting to get the okay from The Paddington Bear Experience ticket office to go through and get on the train. When we were ushered on board it was not long before we were moving, writes Michael Holland.
A jolly train guard joined us to explain that Paddington Bear had lost his suitcase that held his aunt’s secret marmalade recipe and without it the Marmalade Day Festival could be ruined. What could be done? Most of the young people in the carriage shouted out their ideas.
Eventually the case was found and the recipe made safe but now our group had other tasks to carry out, so, after disembarking at Windsor Gardens we were led to The Browns’ beautiful house where Mrs Brown showed us around some of the tastefully decorated rooms. But! We could hear Paddington crying out in despair behind a door. As Mrs Brown looked in to see what was wrong you could hear a panicked Paddington. Children craned their necks to peek inside the art room where Paddington had been painting.
With Paddington sent off to get cleaned up we entered the room. What a mess! So much disarray that we had to fit all his artworks back together before we were handed over to Mrs Bird, a truly lively lady who had us finding keys and codes. By now the kids were all working together while the grown-ups looked on enviously and hoped they could have a go at solving the problems. Mrs Bird, though, kept the focus on the young ‘uns.
Before we knew it we were bundled into a large pantry to watch an amazing light-show explaining why we were being transported to a Peruvian jungle to collect oranges and make marmalade in a special machine. Excitement levels visibly rose.
Suddenly we found ourselves in a rain forest, with Morgan as our guide, seeking plans for the machine, maps and fresh fruit in the undergrowth.
There was a frenzy of young people running around excitedly, looking beneath plants, behind trees and in every nook and corner until all the components were found for the next piece of fun – Making marmalade!
From that moment it was not long before one little person had the job of putting the oranges into the marmalade machine, another turned a crank to ensure a certain part moved smoothly, while 8-year-old Tommy pulled on a rope that lifted a huge boulder up and down to guarantee the whole operation ran smoothly. We knew it had gone well when the first two jars of Paddington Bear’s favourite treat dropped out at the end. Success was ours!
Rather sweaty from the exertions, or from the tropical temperatures in the jungle, we made our way to our favourite bear’s party for marmalade sandwiches, orange-influenced drinks and funfair games.
The Paddington Bear Experience is fast-forward, high-energy and just about perfect for getting youngsters working together, problem-solving and enjoying some audience participation with the well-known characters who make this a wonderful event. Right from the ticket office the actors are out to put a smile on everyone’s face who comes through, up until you can take on Mrs Bird at the coconut shy.
The adults’ enjoyment comes from seeing their offspring having so much fun. Young Tom voted the jungle as his favourite part as he could show off his muscles when he lifted the big rock up and down with the rope.
My favourite bits were the clever visuals that made the train move, and the animatronic Paddington Bear that talked and moved. When he looked you in the eye it was like you were connecting to a living thing.
County Hall, Westminster Bridge Rd, London SE1 7PB. Daily, 10 am – 6pm (Timed slots).
Admission: Adults, £29, Children £19.
Booking and Full Details: https://paddingtonbearexperience.com/
@PaddingtonBearExperience @PaddingtonBear
