Jeremy Clarkson’s parents Shirley and Eddie made a fortune by creating arguably the UK’s most famous children’s toy, that has been a staple of British culture for many years
Jeremy Clarkson’s family raked in the cash after creating a beloved British icon.
Shirley and Eddie Clarkson’s humble design business struck gold when they crafted the first-ever prototype of the bear in 1972, which they presented to their kids Jeremy and Joana as a Christmas treat.
Their mates were so impressed with the cuddly creations that the Clarksons began flogging them at local shops during the 70s, even jazzing up Paddington’s look with his iconic yellow wellies.
However Michael Bond, the author behind the Paddington tales, caught on to the unauthorised merch and legal issues appeared to be on the horizon. The Clarksons bumped into the writer himself in an elevator, Bond hit it off with them and the drama quickly dissolved.
“I got in the lift with Shirley and Eddie,” Bond told The Sunday Times. “They were terribly nice and pretended it had all been a mistake – and we were friends by the time we got out of the lift. I gave them a licence.”
That moment of kindness in the lift turned the Clarksons’ lives around, as they went on to flog millions of bears and Paddington-themed merch all over the world. After their massive success, the Clarkson duo ended up selling the cuddly bear rights to the legendary toy shop Hamleys.
In a 2010 chat with AutoTrader, Jeremy admitted he wouldn’t have had his TV career if it wasn’t for Paddington Bear. He was able to attend two posh schools, Hill House School in Doncaster and Repton School in Derbyshire, all thanks to his folks’ hard work.
The official Paddington Bear website says: ‘The very first Paddington bear soft toy was designed in the UK by a lady called Shirley Clarkson. She made it as a Christmas present for her children, Joanna and Jeremy Clarkson (who was to go on to become a world famous motoring journalist).”
“So many people admired Shirley’s Paddington that she started to make some more until her company, Gabrielle Designs and was granted an official licence to sell them in the UK in 1972.”
When Michael Bond sadly died in 2017, the motor-mouthed TV host penned a heartfelt tweet to pay tribute to the author. He tweeted: “Very sad to hear Michael Bond has died. I knew him for 45 years and rarely met anyone kinder or more gentle.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
