A century after A. A. Milne's first Winnie-the-Pooh book hit shelves, London is marking the anniversary in appropriately odd fashion: the skull of the real bear who inspired it all is now on display. Winnifred - yes, Pooh's namesake was female - was an American black bear who arrived at London Zoo in October 1914, brought over from Canada by Lieutenant Harry Colebourn of the Canadian Army Veterinary Corps. Zoo-goers in that era fed her condensed milk and treacle, which she apparently loved; she lost all her teeth by the time she died in 1934. You can see her skull at the Hunterian Museum at the Royal College of Surgeons, at 38-43 Lincoln's Inn Fields - free entry.
The backstory is a good refresher for anyone heading to the city. Milne bought his son Christopher Robin a stuffed bear from Harrods, borrowed the name 'Winnie' from the zoo bear, and first wrote the character into a Christmas Eve story commissioned by the Evening News in 1925 - in his earlier poetry collection the bear had been called Edward. The 1926 book was followed by Now We Are Six and The House at Pooh Corner, and Disney licensed the rights in 1961, turning the bear into one of its biggest franchises.
Halloween in London
If your trip is timed for late October, London goes hard on Halloween. The Tower of London is running 'Meet the Tower's Ghosts' by day and evening Ghost Tours led by a Yeoman Warder through the darkened fortress. Kew Gardens is staging a night-time illuminated trail with fire performers and, so they claim, a headless horseman. Even posh Kensington and Notting Hill are leaning in, with residential streets dressed up with oversized spiders, floating witches and climbing skeletons.
A new museum for late 2026
Worth planning ahead for: the London Museum opens on November 28, 2026, in the historic Smithfield meat market buildings near the Barbican. Smithfield has layered history - a Roman cemetery, an execution site, home of the Bartholomew Fair, and a livestock market since the 12th century. It replaces the old Museum of London and is being pitched by Mayor Sadiq Khan as a major new landmark for the city.
A restaurant becomes a treasure
Finally, a piece of good news for lovers of old-school dining. Rules, London's oldest restaurant, open since 1798 on Maiden Lane near Covent Garden, has been donated to the National Trust, visitor books, menus, photographs and all. Dickens, Chaplin, Bowie, Liza Minnelli and Harrison Ford have all eaten there, and the interior has barely changed. It's now protected for good.
Why it matters: this is a strong autumn/2026 window for a London trip that mixes literary pilgrimage (free, and genuinely unusual), spooky seasonal events, and two major cultural landmarks - one brand new, one newly secured - all within walking or Tube distance of the usual sights.
