One snowy Christmas Eve he was taking refuge in Selfridges when he came across a small toy bear, literally left on the shelf. Bought as a ‘stocking filler’ for his first wife, Brenda, it was to act as the inspiration for ‘A Bear Called Paddington’, first published in 1958.

In 2015, Michael was awarded a CBE for his services to children’s literature, to add to the OBE he received in 1997. Michael died in 2017, leaving behind one of the great literary legacies of our time.