AMANPOUR: And finally tonight, imagine a world of mad cap adventures, marmalade sandwiches and a refugee bear from deepest darkest Peru, who made it all the way to Paddington station in London. Today, we pay tribute to the small but perfectly formed Paddington bear as we remember his creator, Michael Bond, who died on Tuesday, aged 91 after a short illness. Starting as a young child obsessed with books, Bond fought in World War II and then worked his way up through the BBC, where he wrote hits for children's TV. Paddington, of course, was by far his most famous creation. Inspired by the personality of his father and the circumstances of children evacuees, fleeing the blitz of London during the war, Paddington made his arrival in books, waiting at the train station bearing his name with a tag around his neck saying, "Please look after this bear. Thank you." Michael Bond's creation charmed the world then and now with new Paddington films. He wrote over 200 books over six decades and he was rewarded by the queen with a CBE and by children and parents all over the world with a deep sense of affection for that one special bear. And that's it for our program tonight. Remember you can always listen to our podcasts, see us online at Amanpour.com and follow me on Facebook and Twitter. Thanks for watching and good-bye from London.
The Man Who Made a Bear Called Paddington