In the midst of all the preparations to make Christmas 2016 special it can be easy to lose sight of how much pleasure our efforts can bring, particularly to our children.
Toy Stories, an exhibition just opened at North Down Museum, is a timely reminder of how much joy the toys we received as children brought us, whether or not for Christmas, and often long after the gift was given.
Prepare to take a walk down memory lane with this exhibition which features toys from the past decades, including cuddly toys, board games, action figures – and everything from Star War figures to Cabbage Patch Dolls!
But this is no off-the-shelf exhibition and the exhibits featured here are not collectors’ items. The toys here have been pre-loved and have played a role in the life and happy memories of their owners.
Earlier in the year the Museum issued a call for people across Ards and North Down to lend them their beloved old toys and to share the stories of how they got them and the fun they have had with them.
There was a wonderful response to the call out and visitors are enjoying recognising the toys they played with as children and introducing them to their own children.
Two very special toys in this exhibition are teddy’s ‘Bruno’ and ‘Goldie’. Both are incredibly precious to their owner Sheila Seymour who has minded and loved them for over sixty years. Best of friends through the years, ‘Goldie’ is a Merrythought Bear (British version of Steiff Bears) purchased in Harrods as a very unexpected post-war Christmas present which Sheila’s relatives had clubbed together to buy her, and beloved ‘Bruno’ who is made of surplus army blankets, parachute ‘silk’ and stuffed with straw.
Heather McGuicken, North Down Museum Manager said: “This is one of the nicest exhibitions I have curated. We had so much fun putting it together. There is such an amazing range of toys that span the decades. We hope everyone will enjoy as much as we do, and our thanks to those who have loaned us their precious toys.
Call in and see how many toys you remember, and share the memories with your own children. Children are invited to play with traditional toys, dress up and to write a letter to Santa which they can post from the Museum post box!
The exhibition is open until the 21 January during Museum opening hours. Admission is free. More information is available on:
