Film footage uncovered of real-life Christopher Robin

Film footage of the real life Christopher Robin at the age of nine has been discovered 72 years after it was shot.

The unlikely find was made by a BBC producer who was researching a documentary to celebrate the 75th birthday of Winnie the Pooh.

The 10 second film shows Christopher Robin Milne, son of Pooh author A A Milne, taking part in a pageant in Ashdown Forest, East Sussex, in 1929.

Christopher Robin even referred to the pageant in which he followed school children dressed as Winnie the Pooh, Piglet, Eyeore, Tigger and Kanga, who are characters from the world-famous books, but was not aware of the film.

He said in his autobiography: "The pageant went its memorable way and I see it as a ancient cine film, much faded and blurred and with many breaks, but with here and there and a sequence as vivid as the day it was shot. It was exciting doing my bit."

BBC producer Helen Kent wanted footage of Ashdown Forest in the 1920's but the South East Film and Video Archive says it just showed a historical pageant and not the forest. When she read the autobiography she got a copy of the film and to her amazement it contained shots of Christopher Robin himself.

She said: "I couldn't believe I had discovered actual footage of the real Christopher Robin Milne."

Frank Gray, director of the South East Film and Video Archive said: "If anyone asked me 'would this film still exist?' I would have said 'no' as 80% of the films from the 1920's have been lost.

"This is the only film we have of Ashdown Forest from that period, so for this one film to be the film that also showed Christopher Robin was virtually impossible. It's a wonderful piece of film because it links the world of Winnie the Pooh to Ashdown Forest and Christopher Robin."

The Real World of Winnie the Pooh, will be shown on Tuesday, November 27, 7.30pm, BBC2. Film footage uncovered of real-life Christopher Robin

Film footage of the real life Christopher Robin at the age of nine has been discovered 72 years after it was shot.

The unlikely find was made by a BBC producer who was researching a documentary to celebrate the 75th birthday of Winnie the Pooh.

The 10 second film shows Christopher Robin Milne, son of Pooh author A A Milne, taking part in a pageant in Ashdown Forest, East Sussex, in 1929.

Christopher Robin even referred to the pageant in which he followed school children dressed as Winnie the Pooh, Piglet, Eyeore, Tigger and Kanga, who are characters from the world-famous books, but was not aware of the film.

He said in his autobiography: "The pageant went its memorable way and I see it as a ancient cine film, much faded and blurred and with many breaks, but with here and there and a sequence as vivid as the day it was shot. It was exciting doing my bit."

BBC producer Helen Kent wanted footage of Ashdown Forest in the 1920's but the South East Film and Video Archive says it just showed a historical pageant and not the forest. When she read the autobiography she got a copy of the film and to her amazement it contained shots of Christopher Robin himself.

She said: "I couldn't believe I had discovered actual footage of the real Christopher Robin Milne."

Frank Gray, director of the South East Film and Video Archive said: "If anyone asked me 'would this film still exist?' I would have said 'no' as 80% of the films from the 1920's have been lost.

"This is the only film we have of Ashdown Forest from that period, so for this one film to be the film that also showed Christopher Robin was virtually impossible. It's a wonderful piece of film because it links the world of Winnie the Pooh to Ashdown Forest and Christopher Robin."

The Real World of Winnie the Pooh, will be shown on Tuesday, November 27, 7.30pm, BBC2.