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On 24 December 1925, A.A. Milne’s first Winnie-the-Pooh story, The Wrong Sort of Bees, was published in the London Evening News. Written for his young son, Christopher Robin, this story – and subsequent books – were inspired by a much-loved teddy bear bought from Harrods, and the rolling countryside near their home in Sussex. Despite Pooh’s close association with the Hundred Acre Wood, his origins are firmly rooted in London. This article explores the connections between the city and one of literature’s most beloved bears.
Winnie-the-Pooh and Harrods
The toy bear was purchased from Harrods in 1921 by Milne’s wife Daphne as a gift for their son’s first birthday. It had been made by renowned British toy manufacturer Farnell (who created Britain’s first teddy bear in 1906) and was bought for 13 shillings and a penny (c.£40 in today’s money). When the first Pooh book was published in 1926, first editions could be ordered from Harrods’ book department.
Inspiration for the name
Whilst the bear was originally named Edward, it was changed to Winnie after seeing a Canadian black bear with the name on the family’s frequent visits to London Zoo. You can see a statue commemorating Winnie, and her owner Lieutenant Harry Colebourn, at the zoo. Pooh was the name Christopher had given to a swan.
London life
The family lived at 13 Mallord Street in Chelsea from 1919 until 1940. From 1924, the Milne’s also had a countryside retreat in Hartfield, East Sussex. The rural setting was the inspiration for Hundred Acre Wood.
Illustrator of the Pooh stories, E.H. Shepard, lived at 5 Melina Place in St John’s Wood.
Manuscripts and illustrations
Whilst the manuscripts for the Winnie-the-Pooh series are held at the Wren Library in Cambridge, Shepard’s collection of original pencil drawings are at London’s V&A Museum.
Further afield
Sussex’s Ashdown Forest is the real Hundred Acre Wood; here, you will find a memorial to Milne and Shepard. There is also a museum and tea room, Pooh Corner, in Hartfield.