One day, Paddington found a new suitcase on the table....

It was a small size, about the same as his old suitcase.

 The back was very clean but the front looked like somebody had carried it out in the rain. "Poor suitcase," thought Paddington, "the rain has such a bad effect on pure leather in pale shades like tan."

He took a close look at the handle. "Good strong stitching, "he thought, "and a nice sized grip for my paws."

The suitcase had a price label still attached. "How marvellous!" thought Paddington, "Perhaps the case is for sale?" He was surprised at the reasonable price displayed on the suitcase. "Mr Gruber will think it's an absolute bargain! And enough change from a fiver to get a sachet of Suchard's hot chocolate to drink!"

Paddington liked catches that are easy to spring open. "Bear's paws aren't built for stiff openings," he said to himself as he opened the first catch. It sprang up quickly and Paddington wondered if the suitcase was being used. "It would be wonderful if it were empty and I could use it as my second best case,"he thought. "An extra place to store my marmalade sandwiches and my floral pyjamas."

But Paddington was out of luck. As the second catch sprang open the lid popped up, the suitcase was so full of something. Paddington peeped inside. He could see a lot of bright colours and what looked like a tin. "Marmalade sandwiches, perhaps?" Paddington mused hopefully, "or Rich Tea biscuits to dunk in my Earl Grey?"

Paddington lifted the lid cautiously, keen to see what was inside. Alas, not marmalade sandwiches but something infinitely more colourful and even more useful for keeping Mrs Brown quiet while he watched the tennis final on TV.

"What lovely colours!" Paddington exclaimed, "They look just like the ones available from Wool Warehouse in the Attic 24 pack of 17 shades, the ones I was going to get for making my granny squares blanket... " and then Paddington looked closer at the pockets on the back of the case. His heart started to beat quickly and he began to smile happily.

"Small squares of three shades, with two rounds of gentle cream edging and a single crochet border in meadow green; perfect!" he said dreamily. "If whomever could make enough and sew them together in rows of ten for about twenty columns that would make a perfect blanket for me to snuggle under in the cinema when my film comes out."

Then Paddington sat quietly and thought. "And whoever I sound like, it better not be that snarky Colin Firth!!!" he said with a growl.

The suitcase came from a garden party held in a friend's rather small back garden in aid of the local Claire's House Hospice. We raised £1500 between friends and neighbours which will all benefit sick children and their families. 

Paddington comes from the new film, due to be released in December, voice of Paddington unknown since the 'conscious uncoupling' between it and Colin Firth. I can't imagine who else they could have; Martin Freeman? Morgan Freeman? (walk of the Paddingtons, anyone?) Benedict Cumberbatch? (might not be right for Paddington but would certainly give me a treat!) or my personal favourite idea; somebody doing Heath Ledger's voice as the Joker. Now THAT would be a family movie!!!

Image from the Creepy Paddington Tumblr feed.