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Paddington and the Marmalade Maze
When Paddington and Mr Gruber visit Hampton Court they are joined by a group of tourists who all expect to come back home with them for tea! Luckily Paddington finds an a-mazing way out of the situation.
24 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1987
About the author
Michael Bond
649 books420 followersMichael Bond, CBE was an English children's author. He was the creator of Paddington Bear and wrote about the adventures of a guinea pig named Olga da Polga, as well as the animated BBC TV series The Herbs. Bond also wrote culinary mystery stories for adults featuring Monsieur Pamplemousse and his faithful bloodhound, Pommes Frites.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
March 22, 2019
Mr Gruber takes Paddington on an outing to Hampton Court Palace, a place that Mr Gruber feels sure Paddington will enjoy visiting.
Mr Gruber points out a clock that not only tells the time but also tells what month it is; Paddignton comments, 'It's half-past June already.' Then once inside they see a very large bed that Queen Anne slept in. There was a rope round it and Paddington observs, 'I expect they put the rope round it to stop her falling out of bed when she had visitors.'
They go into the Haunted Gallery and Mr Gruber tells Paddington 'They do say that when Catherine Howard's ghost passes by you can feel a cold draught.' Shivering, Paddington replied, 'I hope she's got a duffle coat like mine!'
They visit the kitchen and admire the big old stone fireplace where there was always a lot of smoke, thus the high ceiling in the kitchen, Mr Gruber tells Paddington. Paddngton says that he hoped they might have left some Royal buns behind for them to eat!
And speaking of eating, Mr Gruber says that it is time for lunch and they go outside and sit beside a pond and watch the goldfish that Paddington feels must have eaten marmalade sandwiches to get their colour.
They then decide to visit the maze with a whole host of other visitors. 'Sometimes it takes people hours to find their way out,' explains Mr Gruber. But when Paddington says that his paws are aching through walking Mr Gruber says that it is time to take him home and not bother with the maze. The other visitors hear this remark and say that 'going home' sounds a good idea.
Mr Gruber realises that the visitors think he is a guide but he knows that Mrs Bird will not be too pleased if he takes home a lot of tourists so Paddington has an idea. Mr Gruber is not so sure that going into the maze is such a good idea but follows on as Paddington tells him that coming from darkest Peru he is used finding his way in dark and thick forests.
And sure enough, in no time at all Paddington leads Mr Gruber out of the maze, leaving all the other tourists behind struggling to find their way out. The ticket collector is amazed at how quickly the pair were able to get out and Paddington explains it to Mr Gruber. 'I used marmalade chunks to show where we had been', says Paddington. It is, apparently, a trick that his Aunt Lucy taught him before she went into the House For Retired Bears.
Mr Gruber is still puzzled for he understood that Paddington had eaten all his sandwiches but Paddington always keeps a spare one under his hat and it is the marmalade from that which he used to mark their way.
That night Paddington goes to bed with pen and paper and some rope. He is going to write to Aunt Lucy and tell her about his visit and he tells Mrs Bird that he will use the rope as he does not intend falling out of bed before he has finished his letter ... that is what Queen Anne did to prevent her falling out, after all!
As Stephen Fry once said 'Paddington is a British institution' and this typical adventure emphasises the point!
Mr Gruber points out a clock that not only tells the time but also tells what month it is; Paddignton comments, 'It's half-past June already.' Then once inside they see a very large bed that Queen Anne slept in. There was a rope round it and Paddington observs, 'I expect they put the rope round it to stop her falling out of bed when she had visitors.'
They go into the Haunted Gallery and Mr Gruber tells Paddington 'They do say that when Catherine Howard's ghost passes by you can feel a cold draught.' Shivering, Paddington replied, 'I hope she's got a duffle coat like mine!'
They visit the kitchen and admire the big old stone fireplace where there was always a lot of smoke, thus the high ceiling in the kitchen, Mr Gruber tells Paddington. Paddngton says that he hoped they might have left some Royal buns behind for them to eat!
And speaking of eating, Mr Gruber says that it is time for lunch and they go outside and sit beside a pond and watch the goldfish that Paddington feels must have eaten marmalade sandwiches to get their colour.
They then decide to visit the maze with a whole host of other visitors. 'Sometimes it takes people hours to find their way out,' explains Mr Gruber. But when Paddington says that his paws are aching through walking Mr Gruber says that it is time to take him home and not bother with the maze. The other visitors hear this remark and say that 'going home' sounds a good idea.
Mr Gruber realises that the visitors think he is a guide but he knows that Mrs Bird will not be too pleased if he takes home a lot of tourists so Paddington has an idea. Mr Gruber is not so sure that going into the maze is such a good idea but follows on as Paddington tells him that coming from darkest Peru he is used finding his way in dark and thick forests.
And sure enough, in no time at all Paddington leads Mr Gruber out of the maze, leaving all the other tourists behind struggling to find their way out. The ticket collector is amazed at how quickly the pair were able to get out and Paddington explains it to Mr Gruber. 'I used marmalade chunks to show where we had been', says Paddington. It is, apparently, a trick that his Aunt Lucy taught him before she went into the House For Retired Bears.
Mr Gruber is still puzzled for he understood that Paddington had eaten all his sandwiches but Paddington always keeps a spare one under his hat and it is the marmalade from that which he used to mark their way.
That night Paddington goes to bed with pen and paper and some rope. He is going to write to Aunt Lucy and tell her about his visit and he tells Mrs Bird that he will use the rope as he does not intend falling out of bed before he has finished his letter ... that is what Queen Anne did to prevent her falling out, after all!
As Stephen Fry once said 'Paddington is a British institution' and this typical adventure emphasises the point!
August 18, 2022
Mr Brown's friend Mr Gruber decides to take Paddington for a day out at Hampton Court Palace.
On arrival he tells Paddington about the history o the place and points out the clock that not only tells the time but tells the month also. Paddington looks at it and says that they had better hurry up because 'it is already half past June'!
They see the bed that Queen Anne slept in and Paddington notices the ropes around it and says, 'I expect they put those there to stop her falling out when she had visitors.'
They were looking round with a group and after Paddington had fed the goldfish with some of his marmalade sandwiches, they move on to the edge of the maze. But by this time Mr Gruber is getting tired and says that he ought to take Paddington home for some tea rather than go into the maze.
The group they are with think that Mr Gruber is referring to them all for tea so Paddington has an idea and suggests to Mr Gruber that they go into the maze after all. Against his better wishes Mr Gruber agrees and off they go, followed by the group members.
But Paddington puts a spurt on and dashes around and then finds his way out with the rest of the group stranded inside the maze. Mr Gruber is amazed at how Paddington worked his way round ... that is until Paddington told him his secret. He had used his marmalade chunks that he carried as spares to mark the way!
That night he goes to bed to write to his aunt back in Peru and he goes to bed, complete with rope ... just in case!
I do enjoy Paddington, even on a second read!
On arrival he tells Paddington about the history o the place and points out the clock that not only tells the time but tells the month also. Paddington looks at it and says that they had better hurry up because 'it is already half past June'!
They see the bed that Queen Anne slept in and Paddington notices the ropes around it and says, 'I expect they put those there to stop her falling out when she had visitors.'
They were looking round with a group and after Paddington had fed the goldfish with some of his marmalade sandwiches, they move on to the edge of the maze. But by this time Mr Gruber is getting tired and says that he ought to take Paddington home for some tea rather than go into the maze.
The group they are with think that Mr Gruber is referring to them all for tea so Paddington has an idea and suggests to Mr Gruber that they go into the maze after all. Against his better wishes Mr Gruber agrees and off they go, followed by the group members.
But Paddington puts a spurt on and dashes around and then finds his way out with the rest of the group stranded inside the maze. Mr Gruber is amazed at how Paddington worked his way round ... that is until Paddington told him his secret. He had used his marmalade chunks that he carried as spares to mark the way!
That night he goes to bed to write to his aunt back in Peru and he goes to bed, complete with rope ... just in case!
I do enjoy Paddington, even on a second read!
October 29, 2022
2.5 stars (3/10 hearts) because I don’t hate it enough to give it 2 stars. I felt like this was kind of a repeat of
Paddington & the Grand Tour,
or at least, it had the same kind of premise. I frankly don’t remember a thing except that Paddington messed up tourists again (poor peeps) and used marmalade to find his way out of the maze, which annoyed me because that’s just so litter-y/rude.
November 28, 2025
"It's very old and has over a thousand rooms. Lots of Kings and Queens lived here."Mr. Gruber decides to take Paddington Bear on an adventure to Hampton Court Palace.
It uniquely old and full of interesting tidbits of history, such as the clock that tells both the time and the month. They even pass an Haunted Gallery - full of paintings and intrigue.
"They do say that when Catherine Howard's ghost passes by you can feel a cold drought."One of the neat places on the palace grounds is the living maze - made of hedges and carefully maintained for decades.
However, the hedges provide quite the challenge for our characters...well, for all but one of the characters! Paddington Bear is ready to save the day!
Oh this was such a fun romp in the palace! I was able to visit Hampton Court a few years ago and I loved this little book.
I had so much fun recognizing the various locations in the palace that I visited! From the giant fireplaces in the kitchens to the clever hedge maze - every time I turned the page, I was like, "I remember that one!"
Paddington and Mr. Gruber have such a fun dynamic - I love watching them play off of each other!
Overall, I loved this story and definitely recommend it to the Paddington fan!
February 17, 2025
Fantastic story! We loved the drawings, looking exactly like Hampton Court Palace!
January 31, 2018
I’m a sucker for Paddington, and I love that he visits Hampton Court in this book. It’s not the best PAddington story, but it’s a pretty good one.
January 7, 2021
Страхотни илюстрации, освен това е интересно и забавно за (сбъркани) фенове на Британската империя. Определено е за малките читатели между 2 и 5, които докато слушат могат да разглеждат богатите картинки. НО като текст е пълна нула, даже се чудя да не би част от текста да е бил съкратен, за да се побере покрай июстрациите? Та на моменти той дори губеше смисъл, ако не гледаш и доразказваш по картинките. Е, предполагам че важното е, че на Ясен му хареса :)
November 4, 2023
3.5 Stars
Paddington And The Marmalade Maze isn't my favourite Paddington book but the illustrations by R. W. Alley are absolutely beautiful. Let's face it, it's Paddington so it's always worth a read!!
Paddington And The Marmalade Maze isn't my favourite Paddington book but the illustrations by R. W. Alley are absolutely beautiful. Let's face it, it's Paddington so it's always worth a read!!
February 14, 2019
We loved shouting out Here Grubber!
May 13, 2023
This bear’s a genius.
July 12, 2024
Another cute book about Paddington. Lovely illustrations.
January 11, 2025
I didn't know his last name was Brown! I guess I didn't realize he had a last name....
March 29, 2025
Dad says: ‘dry, far too formal for a children’s book, weak character, bear has no backbone, eg, better take them in the maze instead of telling them the truth. Made me want a rope too’
September 29, 2025
A cute little classic book of adventure and the handiness from keeping a spare sandwich
Read
December 3, 2025this one reminded me so much of the episode from the show where hes in the museum and everything. hes so real for trying to get rid of the crowd in the maze
April 12, 2026
George sat through the whole thing, high praise indeed
January 15, 2012
Well everyone knows the story of Paddington Bear and his adventures and in this particular story the focus is on a trip Paddington and his friend Mr. Gruber take to Hampton Court Palace and we are introduced to some historical figures such as Queen Anne and facts like how every year over 500 hundred branches of grapes are picked from a tree which grows in the grounds and was planted hundreds of years ago.
Tourists think Mr. Gruber is a tour guide as he knows so much information and they want to go home with him and Paddington to see what a ‘real’ English home looks like. Paddington decides that this is not a good idea so takes Mr. Gruber into a maze to lose the tourists. His plan works and he leads Mr. Gruber out of the maze in record time, we find out this is because he was dropping bits of marmalade on the floor so he can trace his tracks – which is a very clever idea! The book ends with Paddington writing a postcard to his Aunt telling her all about his visit to the Palace.
This is a wonderful children’s story which adults can enjoy to, it uses a combination of both illustrations and words to bring the story alive and is providing children with historical information in a fun yet informative way.
Overall this is a well written story which is enjoyable and easy to read.
Tourists think Mr. Gruber is a tour guide as he knows so much information and they want to go home with him and Paddington to see what a ‘real’ English home looks like. Paddington decides that this is not a good idea so takes Mr. Gruber into a maze to lose the tourists. His plan works and he leads Mr. Gruber out of the maze in record time, we find out this is because he was dropping bits of marmalade on the floor so he can trace his tracks – which is a very clever idea! The book ends with Paddington writing a postcard to his Aunt telling her all about his visit to the Palace.
This is a wonderful children’s story which adults can enjoy to, it uses a combination of both illustrations and words to bring the story alive and is providing children with historical information in a fun yet informative way.
Overall this is a well written story which is enjoyable and easy to read.
September 29, 2014
What can I say nothing beats a bit of Paddington bear
May 4, 2015
Mr Gruber takes Paddington Bear on a little tour of Hampton Court Palace. Very amusing ending.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews