Beverley is getting ready to celebrate 100 years of Winnie-the-Pooh with a special programme of family activities across the town, initiated and coordinated by Beverley Town Council.
To mark the centenary of A.A. Milne’s much-loved stories, Beverley Town Council has brought together local businesses, Parkway Cinema, East Riding Libraries, East Riding Concert Orchestra and Longcroft School to create a programme celebrating Winnie-the-Pooh and his friends.
At the heart of the celebrations will be a town-centre Winnie-the-Pooh Treasure Hunt, organised by Beverley Town Council. Winnie’s friend Henry Bear will be hiding in shop windows at locations around Beverley, with clues to help families complete the hunt. Beverley Chamber of Trade has generously donated £100 to help deliver this.
Families can collect a free treasure hunt sheet from Beverley Tourist Information at the Treasure House from Saturday 24 th Oct to Sunday 15 th November. Completed sheets can be returned for the chance to win prizes, with winners selected at random.
The celebrations continue on Monday 26 October, the first day of half term, with a special 11am screening of Disney’s Winnie the Pooh (2011) at Parkway Cinema Beverley. Tickets are available through Parkway Cinema.
East Riding Libraries are also joining the celebrations. At Beverley Library, a special Winnie-the-Pooh Storytime at 10:30am on 13 October, with Winnie-the-Pooh Bounce and Rhyme sessions on 16 October at 10am, with songs, rhymes and actions inspired by Pooh and his friends. These are aimed at children under the age of 5 and are free.
Beverley Library will also be running activities themed around Winnie’s 100th - including a map-making work shop for youngsters , based on the beloved Hundred Acre Wood – exact time to be confirmed, alongside other activities. Details will be listed on the East Riding Libraries What's On website.
The programme gets underway before half term with the East Riding Concert Orchestra’s “Listener’s Choice” concert at Parkway Cinema on Saturday 17 October at 7.30pm. The family-friendly concert will feature audience-requested music including The Magic Flute, The Phantom of the Opera, Les Misérables, Gershwin, Pirates of the Caribbean – and, appropriately, Winnie-the-Pooh.
The centenary will also inspire the next generation of storytellers. Students at Longcroft School will be writing their own stories inspired by the works of A.A. Milne, with a selection of their work due to be published on the Beverley Town Council website in early 2027.
Cllr Cheryl Giles, Mayor of Beverley, said:
“Winnie-the-Pooh has been loved by generations of children and adults, inspiring wonderful memories, reading and imagination. I’m delighted that Beverley Town Council has been able to bring together so many local organisations and businesses to celebrate this special centenary. My thanks go to everyone involved for helping create such a varied programme, and I hope families across Beverley enjoy taking part.”
Sonia Carvill, Longcroft School’s Librarian and Literacy Manager, said:
“This is a wonderful opportunity for our students to engage creatively with the work of A.A. Milne and to discover how much their own ideas can grow from the stories they read. Writing their own Pooh-inspired stories will encourage them to use their imagination, develop their confidence as writers and see the enjoyment that can come from creating stories for others to share.”
Beverley Town Council’s Winnie-the-Pooh centenary programme brings together literature, music, film, creativity and local businesses in a celebration designed to be enjoyed by children, parents, grandparents and Pooh Bear fans of all ages.
From following clues through Beverley’s shop windows to listening to live music, enjoying a film, taking part in library activities or creating a new story inspired by the Hundred Acre Wood, the celebrations invite the whole community to rediscover the simple pleasures of imagination, friendship and storytelling – and celebrate 100 years of Winnie-the-Pooh together in Beverley.
