Ok, we are enjoying a rare warm spell and you want to be outside. But the rain is returning next week, so you’ll need some ideas of what to do when it does if you are brave enough to enter Olympics-bound London!
Following a West End meeting near Goodge Street tube station, I noticed (on Scala Street) a brightly coloured corner building containing a cornucopia of colourful toys – reminding me of years gone by. Having half an hour before my next meeting I popped in to take a look.
In the tiny crowded reception area (there are no clear surfaces – there are toys and books everywhere) I said hello to Haggis the dog, paid my £6 entry fee (£3 for kids) and was handed an A5 flier which tells you what is on display in each of the six tiny rooms off of the narrow rickity stair case. This isn’t a suitable place for buggies or very small kids!
On entering a tiny vestibule at the foot of the staircase, there are a number of glass cases on the walls – which will not be easy viewing for very short people. There were dolls, some saucy brooches, those cellophane fish which curl in your hand, plastic boats that work on surface tension propulsion, Mexican jumping beans and those frogs which jump when you squeeze the puffer (delighted to report that these were on sale in the shop).
As I climbed the stairs my eyes were drawn to a selection of parlour games on the walls – and some of them were very old. Many reminded me of when I was a kid. I learned that Ludo is based on the Indian game of parchesi. There was an ancient set of Happy Families cards too. And a range of wooden and plastic swords and bows and arrows – safely behind glass.
In the first room was a huge rocking horse as well as a number of smaller equine efforts. In the cases were steam trains, tin toys, stereoscopic viewers, magic lanterns and some Action Men and “Tommy Gunns”. There’s lots of Dinky toy cars and trucks as well as robots and Meccano sets. There’s a small, glass locked room with some even older items – Blow Football, Faraday Game and Pegity.
More stairs with beautiful prints on the walls and in the second room there are lots of puppets and theatre sets. Of course I found some authentic Punch and Judy figures. As well as Sooty, Sweep and Sue! More stairs and then a room full of dolls and teddies. In the adjacent attic room (you could really imagine a child’s playroom being here) I found cut out dolls and many dolls houses as well as a separate area where a nursery had been recreated. There were farm animals, gollies, lead and aluminium figures, rattles, Russian dolls and the dearest old threadbare teddy.
Further on there were more dolls, tea sets, puppets, Noah’s arks and then things took an international turn with toys, dolls and games from around the world – Africa and China included – as well as a wall of Japanese shadow puppets. There were war themed toys and games (Did you know there was a board game based on the Falklands?). And here I found one of my personal favourites – The Magic Robot! I spent hours as a child trying to figure out how he always knew the right answer!
My speedy trip around really doesn’t do justice to the amazing range of exhibits which will probably be more exciting to adults than kids. But the extensive shop was also worth a visit – there’s a huge central table with an incredible number of pocket money priced items, and the walls are covered in toys for the really little kids, lots of fluffies and cuddlies as well as board games, books and activities (e.g. giant magnets) for older children. You can even buy a Robbie the Robot model!
http://www.pollockstoymuseum.com/
