Star plans sandwich date with 'friend' Paddington

Hugh Bonneville has said he will "definitely" spend some time chatting and enjoying a marmalade sandwich with his furry friend Paddington Bear when he visits Suffolk.

The British actor, who has starred in three live-action films with the beloved character, will meet up with his old pal when he promotes his children's book in Bury St Edmunds.

The 62-year-old will be talking at the Bury St Edmunds Literature Festival in the town, which boasts a statue of Paddington on a bench in the arc Shopping Centre.

Bonneville, who was born in Paddington, London, said the county was "very lucky" to have the Peruvian native to lend an ear to tired shoppers when they need a sit down.

"I'm definitely going to have a photo with my friend on the bench," he told the BBC.

"I know he is a much treasured part of so many communities that he has visited and enjoys a sandwich on the bench and then a chat with passers-by.

"I should be doing the same."

Aside from his role as Henry Brown in the Paddington film series, Bonneville is perhaps most famous for starring as Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham in Downton Abbey.

He also appeared alongside Judi Dench, Kate Winslet and Jim Broadbent in the 2001 film, Iris, some of which was filmed in Southwold.

"I remember Kate Winslet and I having a good couple of pints in a pub on the seafront there," Bonneville said.

"So, I'm vaguely familiar with [the area] and I'm looking forward to coming back and dipping my toe, if not into the North Sea, at least into the area."

Bonneville, who has also previously filmed in Dunwich, is returning to Suffolk to promote his latest children's book, Rory Sparkes and the Spy Who Loved Tea.

He will share stories, answer questions and meet fans of his works at the Hunter Club Arts Centre, one of the venues for the Bury St Edmunds Literature Festival.

"I'm really looking forward to it, and it will be lovely to meet families, chat to young readers and writers, and have a natter about Rory Sparkes and reading," he said.

Like the first book in the series, Bonneville's latest offering centres on unlikely young hero Rory who "feels a bit out of place" but learns to embrace his differences.

It is somewhat based on the memories Bonneville has of being a child, which he previously wrote about in a memoir, prompting the idea for a children's book.

He told the BBC he initially scoffed at the idea of writing one but said it has been a "lovely and unexpected departure" from his time on film and TV sets.

"My agent said, 'What about a children's book?' and I said, 'Absolutely not, not my interest, not my area'.

"But then I thought, maybe life in southeast London wasn't as dull as I remembered and so out of that grew Rory Sparkes and the adventures he has with his mates.

"It is largely based on my childhood, so it's been fun to revisit."

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