The Museum of Childhood

My average Sunday is spent sleeping in until 12:30pm and then getting up only to sit myself back down again on the sofa in front of Big Brother repeats and then perhaps leaving the house to stock up on Monster Munch and chocolate teacakes. So this Sunday I made sure I did something different and took advantage of my local sites by paying a visit to The Victoria and Albert Museum of Childhood and it was definitely worth the effort. In terms of London museums I feel this one is considerably underrated; don't get me wrong, The Science Museum is excellent and I can't get enough of London Dungeons but nothing provided me with as much joy as this place. Admittedly this wasn't the first time I've visited, I've been coming to this museum since I was 5 but it always has something new to excite me with every time. Above you can see just some of the toys I wish I owned including a Chopper bike (anyone got one they can sell me?) and a shoe polishing panda with a pipe. All the best museums are interactive and the toy museum certainly isn't short of activities (and photo opportunities of course). You can mimic being a police officer as my pals Holly and Rosie did so well and there is a dressing up box full of clothes from all eras - I opted for a Tudor number. Also check out the amazing bell rings in the shop for a mere £2. The museum is also highly educational; I have now discovered the wonder of the Playsack; does anyone else know anymore information about these because I really want one?! The highlight of the trip was the current exhibition Snozzcumbers and Frobscottle which included a beautiful collection of Quentin Blake's illustrations from our favourite Roald Dahl classics. Unfortunately my photos don't do it justice so it is worth going along just to see them up close in all their glory. And the best thing about the museum is that it is TOTALLY FREE! They also have a good cafe with fully loaded sarnis, chocolate treats and kettle crisps. So next time you're in the city and at a loose end, head on down to Bethnal Green and have a fun-filled couple of hours. Check out the website for more details: www.vam.ac.uk/moc Jerry x