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Edinburgh's Royal Mile is steeped in history, with many places of interest for tourists and locals alike. But one of the most rewarding to visit is the Museum of Childhood. This treasure trove has been thrilling children and adults alike since opening in 1955 (the first of its kind in the world).
To enter this remarkable location is to truly step back in time, through centuries of toys, games, train-sets and costumes, sometimes into your own childhood. The tenements surrounding this setting were built at a time when housing was crammed into the available room. But this makes for a compact exhibition area, creating a more intimate feel than some cavernous modern gallery. Everything is catalogued with concise descriptions in index cards. Getting close to the displays you can appreciate how items were relished by former owners. There are also audio records you can listen to 1930s schoolkids reciting maths tables and depictions of traditional street games in the 1950s.
Displays are arranged according to historic periods, so as well as providing an interesting glimpse into how our younger ancestors amused themselves, the museum presents a priceless ongoing social history.
Some of the older dolls do look crudely pinned together but in today's climate of mobile phones and PlayStations, it is humbling to be plunged into a world where children relied on nothing more than imagination. One of my own earliest memories of this museum is particularly vivid. It was a simple slot-machine where you poked in a halfpenny, then witnessed the re-enactment of the demon barber, Sweeney Todd, transforming his customers into meat pies. As a child brought up in the 1960s it is a wonderful experience seeing toys, games, football cards, Airfix kits or soldiers that I can remember spending carefree hours playing with, preserved for generations to come.
After completing your tour there is a well-stocked gift shop, providing ample souvenirs to remind you of this spellbinding exhibition.