Pickfords was appointed the official removals partner for The Paddington Trail, a London-wide event from VisitLondon.com, STUDIOCANAL and NSPCC.

The event saw 50 statues of this famous bear placed across the capital from 4 November – 30 December to mark the release of Paddington in UK cinemas on 28 November and to raise vital funds for the NSPCC and its Childline service.

Pickfords moved the 50 statues from the 3DEye studios where the designs have been brought to life to their final locations across the capital ahead of the launch of The Paddington Trail on 4 November.

Visitors and locals are now able to follow the paw-prints of the world’s favourite Peruvian explorer, visiting locations from as far west as Heathrow through to the O2 in the east, taking in some of London’s key cultural hotspots and landmarks, including the Royal Opera House, Museum of London and, of course, Paddington Station.

The bears have been designed by a host of renowned celebrities, designers and artists, including the stars of the Paddington film: Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Peter Capaldi, Julie Walters, Ben Whishaw and Nicole Kidman, Hollywood actors Benedict Cumberbatch and Michael Sheen, director Guy Ritchie, leading fashion designers Matthew Williamson and Lulu Guinness, and world-famous ex-footballer David Beckham. They will be auctioned by Christie’s at www.christies.com/paddington from 10 December to raise funds for Pickfords’ charity partner, the NSPCC. 

Pickfords’ London branches, under the leadership of Area Manager Steve Gooding, managed the logistics of the Trail.  The deliveries were scheduled for the day and evening of November 3^rd and included 6 different vehicles, 22 men and one cameraman who was videoing the installation.   The main challenge was pre-packing 50 bears in the studio prior to delivery, achieving the deadlines for delivery and responding to very short notice changes to the agreed schedule on the final weekend.   All bears were delivered safely without incident.  

Pickfords’ Managing Director, Russell Start said: “We are delighted to be involved in The Paddington Trail, an event that will inspire visitors to explore London, and most importantly, help raise money for our charity partner, the NSPCC.”

See visitlondon.com/paddington to find out more about The Paddington Trail or follow #PaddingtonTrail on social media.

To find out more about Paddington and the film go to www.paddington.com