I AM writing on behalf of Britain's most loveable bear - Paddington.

He has asked me to thank readers of the Blackpool & Fylde Citizen for helping to celebrate his birthday in style last month by raising lots of money for his favourite charity, Action Research.

Thousands of people in schools, guide huts and offices celebrated by holding their own Bring Your Bear party.

I joined Paddington recently to open the large sacks of mail which have been arriving following the Bring Your Bear campaign.

I should have known that if Paddington was involved things were bound to get complicated, especially when he started tucking into a large jar of marmalade!

Paddington got rather excited and soon everything was so sticky with marmalade that it was a job to separate the envelopes.

However, when I saw the donations in the envelopes I soon understood the reason for his excitement.

All the money raised will go towards Paddington's Suitcase Challenge - raising £1 million for research into children's diseases.

Jenny Powell & Paddington,

Vincent House,

North Parade,

Horsham,

West Sussex.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.