In Hyndland''s Close on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, which runs between the castle and Holyrood Palace, my wife and I visited the Museum of Childhood. We expected to have a quiet look around but parents were shouting excitedly:
I had one of those!
I used to play with that!
We have one of those in the attic!
Squeals of pleasure and excitement rang around the five galleries--the children were noisy too! The Museum of Childhood is guaranteed to appeal to mums, dads, kids and skinflints - admission is free. It was the first of its kind when it opened in 1955.
It was a pioneering, imaginative and popular idea by an Edinburgh Councillor--surely not? The brainchild of Patrick Murray, it’s dedicated to the preservation, documentation and above all, celebration of childhood culture. It is a profusion of toys, games, comics, "penny arcade" machines, and displays about the health, education, clothing and upbringing of children through the ages. There are reproduction toys available for children to play with in games areas. It is a hugely enjoyable day out for kids of all ages.
The skills and patience needed to build some of the mechanical toys on display is breathtaking. I found it is fun to come across some of the amusements forgotten from my own childhood. I had a Meccano set which allowed me to build complex models. Meccano is a metal construction set consisting of nuts, bolts, strips, girders, brackets, wheels, axles, motors, gears and pulleys. It''s a kid’s toy and an adult hobby allowing construction of complex models like a two-meter tall working dockside crane. The ingenuity needed has given way to the less demanding Lego bricks, which clip together. I also made models of wooden construction from patterns supplied by "Hobbies" using a fretsaw. Boys in my day learned many skills from their toys. Being a big boy now, I have moved on to power tools.
Adults used to discard their childhood possessions. Collectors now prize items like action figures, model trains, and Fonzie dolls--and might take out second mortgage to buy an original "Barbie." This museum has played a role in recognizing the childhood experience as not just a step to adulthood but a significant and potent cultural influence.
Often, and favorably, described, as the noisiest museum in the world the Museum of Childhood is great fun for kids and those who were kids once. Go along and take great pleasure in pointing and saying "I had one of those." Gifts and items about childhood can be bought from a shop in the foyer.