Circus Toys, updated

A closeup of part of the new "Circus" cabinet

The "circus toys" display has been expanded, moved, reorganised and given the honour of its very own stand-alone glass cabinet.

The extra room means that more little circus folk and animals have been able to come out of storage to play!

Edwardian Wooden Shop

Edwardian wooden shop set

One of our favourite new exhibits is an inlaid wooden Edwardian shop counter dating from around ~1910.

It includes a fixed wooden base with tile-effect flooring, the wooden counter and the surrounding wall of cubbyholes, drawers and cabinets, and it comes with a huge range of of little accessory items and shop fittings. There's foil-packed tea and grocery items in paper parcels, and glass and ceramic jars, cloth-covered pots, and bottles and tins and cardboard packs. There's even a wooden barrel and a range of assorted meats and a shop clock. Just about anything you can think of that might have been in a general store is there.

It's a very nice piece. Many of the shop's accessories seem to come from other sources and date a little later than the main shop body, as the owner collected more items to go with their shop. But in a way that's authentic, as real shops tend to be older than the items that they sell.

Triang Minic Ships display

Triang (Minic) ships display, Brighton Toy and Model Museum

After being "rested" for about a year, the display of Triang Minic ships has now been lovingly cleaned and reassembled, and put back on display.

Triang (Minic) ships, retail box