By Anna Scott
If you’re anything like me, the effort required to venture outside the city of a weekend is sometimes too much to muster. I mean, it’s not like we have nothing to amuse ourselves with here, right? But one such attraction, the Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre, is well worth that effort, and that’s got nothing to do with the fact that it’s only 45 minutes’ drive away (although this does help). It feels like the works of the much-loved children’s author have undergone something of a resurgence in recent years—whether this is down to the success of various film and stage adaptations or not, there’s never been a better time to further explore his books and background.
As mentioned before, if you’re with car, the Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre is relatively easy to get to, being a short jaunt down the M4 and M25 towards the Buckinghamshire village of Great Missenden, and even if you don’t have access to wheels, it is served by train from London Marylebone, with the museum only a short walk from the station. As you’ll discover, the outside of the attraction is unlike any other you might have visited—it has a very Dahl-esque, other-worldly quality to it, decorated in bright colours and whimsical designs much like a set straight out of one of his film adaptations—but I suppose you would expect nothing less from the man himself. The location is no accident, with Great Missenden being the village where Roald lived for a large portion of his life and as perfect a place as you can imagine for such a magical experience.
The Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre isn’t the largest visitor attraction in the world, but they’ve managed to cram as much fun and information in as possible—there are three interactive rooms where you and your family can explore the author’s early years, through photos, exhibits and interactive displays. There are writing activities, dressing up stations, clips from the famous movie adaptations and, my own personal favourite, an amazing recreation of Roald Dahl’s famous writing shed where he wrote all of his books, right down to every single ornament and writing aid. It’s not possible to relax in the famous writing chair, but children can sit in the replica and get inspiration to create their own stories. There are drop-in craft sessions every day of the week as well as storytelling and workshops at the weekend, and at £21 for a family ticket (two adults and up to three children), the experience is particularly good value. Once you’ve finished at the museum, you can visit the shop and café, or perhaps pick up a leaflet that will guide you through a walk around the local area.
My absolutely favourite thing about this place is that in the shop you can buy the same imported pencils and legal pads Roald Dahl used to write his stories on. This attention to detail meant that although the Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre has been designed for children aged 6 to 12, this particular 35-year-old was also pleased as punch after a visit.
For further details, please see the Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre website.
About the author:
Anna Scott is a freelance writer, parent, procrastinator and Hammersmith resident. When she’s not attempting to write her first young adult fiction novel, in between reading and reviewing the odd book or two, she can be found chasing after her two little girls. In a previous life she was a politics graduate and wine trade lackey. Head over to Anna Scott Jots to find out more…
