So What’s Up With Those Dogs All Round Brighton?

If you’ve walked anywhere in Brighton and Hove recently, you can’t have helped but notice the decorated dogs that are dotted all around town. But what’s the story?

So, if you’re like me you’ll have seen The Snowman, and had a little sob at the end. Well, the story didn’t actually stop there. Oh no. There was a snow dog, and that’s what these little fellas are all about.

More than 40 Snowdog and 20 pup sculptures were produced, all blank, and sent out to artists and schools to be decorated. So each one is unique and painted to represent a different theme.
The event is in aid of Martlets, a charity that cares for people living through terminal illnesses in the Brighton and Hove area. As well as a Snowdog trail (you can pick up a map from Brighton Toy and Model Museum) there are any number of other fundraising events based on the dogs and pups including a fun run, a Snowdogs trail open top bus tour and, at the event, each one of the Snowdogs will be auctioned off to raise money for the Martlets charity work.

If you love the Snowdogs but you can’t wait to buy your own, or don’t have space for one in your home (come on, they are massive!) then get down to one of the Martlets charity shops where they will be selling Snowdog merchandise, souvenirs and gifts.
You can read more about Martlets and Snowdogs by liking their Facebook page, following on Twitter or visiting the Snowdog website.

Is It A Bird? Is It A 'Plane? No! It's A Playday!

Will you be coming to the next Brighton Toy and Model Museum playday? The theme is "In The Sky". Could mean anything, couldn't it?

It could mean Aeroplanes, the Flying Trapeze at the circus, birds, tightrope walkers, balloons, the birds, even the stars and astronauts!

Make up your own mind and then come along to see if you were right (nothing is ever wrong when you make it up yourself!). We'll be having the usual mix of stories, facepainting, arts and crafts and an assortment of toys to play with too.

Looking forward to seeing you and having a brilliant playday.

The Trains And Railways Of India: A Lecture From Lawrence Marshall

We're proud, and yes, a little bit excited to be welcoming Lawrence Marshall to Brighton Toy and Model Museum as he will be here to deliver a speech on the memories he has of his experience working and travelling on the trains and railways of India.

The railways play a huge part in the history of India which is often overlooked. They made the movement of goods, people and information much easier and faster which in turn enabled agricultural, economic and political growth. Before the railways people would shun travelling long distances because of the heat and discomfort involved in traversing the roads, goods made in one region would remain in that area as moving them was difficult, expensive and often dangerous while it could be said that Gandhi would have had far less impact in political and social reform had he had to travel the subcontinent by road instead of rail. Indeed, his first act of civil disobedience was to be thrown from the First Class compartment of a train when he was in South Africa. This was first of many non-violent acts that he brought to India which eventually led to Indian independence.