A Good+ 1st edition of the third book in Bond's eponymous series about Paddington. This copy contains a lovely, warm TLS from the author to Mr. Priestley; dated 29th July 1999 – ‘Thank you so much for taking the trouble to write to me. It is nice to hear you enjoy reading the Paddington books, and are collecting bears and autographs./ I am enclosing the signed photograph that you asked for.’ The signed photo, alas, has subsequently been lost by its owner and only the letter is now included with the book. Price-clipped dust-wrapper has fading to spine, small nibbles and enclosed tears to top and bottom with brown stain on rear cover; three small fragments from bottoms of pages 95, 121, 123 missing; small stain 0.25cm stain affecting bottom of pages 109-115; and a few finger dinks to pages but otherwise a nice clean copy with a lovely associated letter from the author.
