A Game of 'Pooh Sticks' in the Hundred Acre Wood

Marking 100 years since the first Winnie-the-Pooh book was published, The Queen has visited ‘Poohsticks Bridge’, where Winnie-the-Pooh author, A. A. Milne, played ‘pooh sticks’ with his son, Christopher Robin. 

Between 1925 and 1940, Milne lived near Ashdown Forest with his son, providing the inspiration for the Hundred Acre Wood.

At the bridge, The Queen played a game of ‘pooh sticks’ with three children who recently won a Winnie-the-Pooh-themed poetry competition organised by Ashdown Forest, in partnership with the Royal Literary Fund.

The Royal Literary Fund (RLF) is the world’s oldest literary charity dedicated to supporting professional writers in financial difficulty.

Each year, the RLF distributes over £7 million through grants and a range of education, community and workplace programmes and the Fellowship scheme has created earning opportunities for over 750 professional writers at more than 100 universities and institutions across the UK.

During her time at Poohsticks Bridge, The Queen also Edward Kemp, Chief Executive of the charity, and children’s authors, Dame Julia Donaldson; Axel Scheffler; Jane Riordan; Sita Brahmachari and Cerrie Burnell to hear about the work of the Royal Literary Fund. 

Later at ‘The Enchanted Place’, where Christopher Robin said goodbye to Pooh at the end of the stories, The Queen spent time at The A. A. Milne & E. H. Shepard Memorial, where she met staff and volunteers from Ashdown Forest and local school children. 

Her Majesty unveiled an all-weather trail named ‘Queen’s Walk’ that will enable easier access to the forest for future generations.