Working with Paddington Bear
An April 2026 round up
Ok, first, let’s address the elephant in the room, I knooow I haven’t posted anything here since the latter end of 2024. A lot has gone on in the last 18 months and I’ve been mostly sharing over on Insta. So, I figured, I would treat Substack like a journal, like a catch up post… and dare I say, it may turn into a regular thing.
And, second, let’s talk about what I’ve been up to in April.
YOS
Not only was it my birthday month, but it was also a big date in the local art scene. It was York Open Studios and for the first time, I opened up my actual studio! This is fifth time I’ve been selected to take part, and in the past I have shared with other artists, in different venues. Back in September, I moved into my new studio here in Tadcaster, which meant I was able to let people in. Yay! My last studio was a shared front door with lots of other businesses and we had to escort our visitors around the building, for privacy and safety and all that. But now, I have my own front door that opens onto the street. It’s perfect. My own front door. It’s the littlest things, right? I’m just above the gorgeous, Beth Elsdon Art Gallery, on the end of the main high street. For YOS, I shared the space with my friend Naomi from Morgan+Wells and had a lovely time. Being right on the edge of the YOS boundary, meant that our footfall was lower than in previous years, but it was so nice to meet people from the local community. A brilliant couple of weekends. So a massive thanks to everyone who came to visit me.
PADDINGTON
The people who I worked with on the York Nutcracker trail, York BID, asked me if I would look after York’s Paddington Bear sculpture. There are a few of them in the country. StudioCanal introduced them to tie in with the movie releases and as they are so beloved, they’re here to stay. However, each city has to maintain them. Paddington gets so much love from visitors, sometimes bits of his paint chips off and he can look a little scruffy. So StudioCanal have sent over the official paints and I can help keep him looking smart and ready for his adoring fans. Thanks so much to the amazing people at York BID for giving me such a wholesome and adorable project to work on!
BBC RADIO YORK
With the revival of Balamory to CBeebies, I was asked to come on the show to talk about my experience working in children’s TV. You know me, I love a chat, so of course I went in. The conversation quickly turned to talking about being creative in a more general sense - so with YOS happening around the time, you couldn’t shut me up!
Listen to my full interview with BBC Radio York
THEATRE, FILMS & BOOKS
It’s been a productive month for me in terms of absorbing some culture. Here’s a list of what I saw and my quick thoughts about them… and do tell me in the comments if you agree or disagree:
(T) The Secret Garden at York Theatre Royal. It was fine, but disappointing
(T) An Evening with Evelyn Clarke at the Citadel. A talk about the launch of their new new book, hosted by Criminally Good Books (a superb local indie bookshop). Really enjoyed the chat.
(T) Legally Blonde at The Grand Opera House. Really enjoyed it. Amber Davies was sensational, must admit I felt ambivalent about her being in it, but that woman’s voice was incredible. Defo recommend it if you can catch the tour.
(F) Project Hail Mary. I read the book a few weeks back and the film totally lives up to how wonderful it was. Ryan Gosling was wonderful. Rocky was wonderful. The whole thing was wonderful. Go and see it, or read it, or whichever you like best.
(B) Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield. Haunting. Profound thoughts about grief. Very good book. This was also this month’s book club book.
(B) Gypsy Boy by Mikey Walsh. I’ve been meaning to read this for years. Glad I got round to it. Heartbreaking, yet affirming. Very good book.
(B) The Golden Spoon by Jessa Maxwell. A murder mystery set in the world of a TV show like the Great British Bake Off. I hated it. Don’t waste your time.
I write longer reviews (sometimes) on my Goodreads, so if that interests you, you’ll find my Goodreads profile page over here.
Fankoo…
Well, that’s it for now, those are my updates for April. Thanks so much for sticking with me, it means a lot. Hopefully I won’t leave it so long before the next post. I’d love it if you have time to say hi in the comments, just so I know you’re still here with me.
Speak soon,
Marc x
Amaze amaze amaze x