Shirley Clarkson is famous herself for her success in creating and marketing the popular toy.

Bearly Believable: My Part in the Paddington Bear Story tells the tale of Shirley's start in business as Gabrielle Designs, a tiny spare-room business that began by selling tea cosies in Doncaster and grew into an international business shipping Paddington Bears all over the world.

Shirley, who lives in Bulwick, Northamptonshire, made her first Paddington Bear as a Christmas present for her two children, Jeremy and Joanna, who were mad about the Michael Bond books.

Soon she and husband Eddie were marketing the bear around the country – although two weeks into the venture they received a letter from solicitors representing Michael Bond, saying they were contravening copyright.

Ordered to attend a meeting, Shirley's husband Eddie arrived with a Paddington Bear toy under his arm. He bumped into Michael Bond himself in the lift on the way up to the solicitor's office. Michael loved the bear and the rest is history.

Sales of the bear soared and Jeremy Clarkson himself started his career as a Paddington Bear salesman.

Shirley Clarkson's book is out now, priced £16.99.

She will be doing a book signing tomorrow (saturday, June 21 from 10am until 1pm at Uppingham Sports and Books in the Market Sqaure, Uppingham.

Jane Mclean from the shop said: "It's great for us to have a local author coming to meet our customers. The book is very amusing."