Starting to think about gift ideas for friends and relatives has me recollecting the August Open House at Pollock's Toy Museum and what lovely gift-worthy items they had there in the shop. From classic wooden toys to the fairytale stages out of sturdy card paper, the unique playtime favourites a world away from today's digital devices. The museum itself is an absolute delight: so many familiar playthings that opened the floodgates of childhood memories; but unfamiliar things from faraway lands as well, occupying every last nook and cranny in two Georgian houses in Fitzrovia. Navigating from room to room is a structure where no wall is straight and the stairs are much less so is an adventure in itself!
It's the oldest toy museum in the United Kingdom, going back some 200 years. You can read about their extensive history here: https://www.pollockstoymuseum.co.uk/our-history and the website also contains details about some art workshops and other events coming up! But going back to the original concern, can the all-time toy classics compete with the digital devices in the gift-giving extravaganza that is Christmas? Well, only time will tell as I've purchased some of the fairytale toy theatres and they will be making their way to their new owners soon, so we'll know soon enough if an unplugged classic can compete in today's electronic environment.
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