Changes

The familiar cast of characters is still around - the indulgent and kindly Mr and Mrs Brown, the bouncing twins Jonathan and Judy, the maker of marmalade Mrs Bird, Paddington's great friend Mr Gruber, and Paddington's nemesis, the mean old neighbour Mr Curry. And there are a few new characters to enjoy, too. And of course, Paddington gives several of his infamous ''hard stares''. You'll be expecting funny dialogue? Of course , you will. And you get that too. I'll share one example. When Paddington goes on the TV cooking show, the judge, Sir Percival Rushmoor, introduces himself:

''Hurrying forward, he held out a welcoming hand. "I'm Sir Percival Rushmoor. I’m invigilating." "I’m sorry to hear that, Sir Percival,"said Paddington. "I hope you feel better very soon."''

Paddington Bear entered our cultural consciousness and stayed there, didn't he? We all know him and we all love him. And for good reason. This new collection updates the settings - TV reality shows, mobile phones, it's all twenty-first -century stuff - but the old-fashioned charm is just as it always was. As are the themes of openness and inclusivity. These stories remind us several times that Paddington is an immigrant and a welcome one too - reminders we could do with right about now, if you ask me.