Fly with me...

Come fly with me just like Peter Pan! This magical statue is to be found in a leafy glad next to a lake in Kensington Gardens. It was so delightful just as the story of it's creation is - "J.M Barrie published his first story about Peter Pan in 1902 in The Little White Bird. It was inspired by his relationship with the Llewelyn Davies family that began in Kensington Gardens. In the story, Peter Pan flies out of his nursery and lands beside the Long Water - on the spot where the statue stands.

Barrie began thinking about a Peter Pan statue in 1906, six years later, in 1912, Barrie paid Sir George Frampton to create the statue and on May 1 st that year it appeared, as if by magic.

There was no pre-publicity or formal unveiling. The statue was erected secretly during the night and Barrie simply placed this announcement in The Times:

"There is a surprise in store for the children who go to Kensington Gardens to feed the ducks in the Serpentine this morning. Down by the little bay on the south-western side of the tail of the Serpentine they will find a May-day gift by Mr J.M. Barrie, a figure of Peter Pan blowing his pipe on the stump of a tree, with fairies and mice and squirrels all around. It is the work of Sir George Frampton, and the bronze figure of the boy who would never grow up is delightfully conceived."

Can't you just imagine the delight as little children discovered it on that day. Many just look at the front but I walked all round it and there were beautifully created little creatures all around, squirrels and fairies and little mice and oh those bunnies! Lots of inspiration for my illustrations!




Next to share with you are photos of the beautiful Liberty shop in London, as well as a truly breathtaking woodland themed baby shower which I was privileged to be a part of through my invitations which I custom made from one of my Prints. So lots to share! Catherine x