Town marks 100th anniversary of Winnie-the-Pooh

A town is marking Winnie-the-Pooh's centenary with a programme of family activities celebrating the classic children's book.

The event in Beverley has been organised by the town council in partnership with a range of local organisations, businesses and schools.

Officials said the celebrations would bring the magic of the Hundred Acre Wood to the town through a variety of activities for all ages.

Highlights include a Winnie-the-Pooh treasure hunt, as well as schoolchildren creating their own stories inspired by the works of A.A. Milne.

The author published Winnie-the-Pooh on 14 October 1926.

Matt Snowden, acting town clerk, said the idea came about after councillors began looking for significant anniversaries to mark in 2026.

"Last year was a major one because of the anniversaries of VE Day and VJ Day, so we wanted to see whether there were any commemorations taking place this year," he said.

"One of our councillors, Graham Johnson, was looking through a list when he spotted it was the 100th anniversary of Winnie-the-Pooh.

"As soon as he mentioned it, everyone around the table started smiling.

"It just cheered us up thinking about it."

Councillor Cheryl Giles, Beverley's mayor, said: "Winnie-the-Pooh has been loved by generations of children and adults, inspiring wonderful memories, reading and imagination.

"My thanks go to everyone involved for helping create such a varied programme and I hope families across Beverley enjoy taking part."

Families can collect a free treasure hunt sheet from Beverley Tourist Information at the Treasure House until 15 November.

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