Exhibition: Terrific Toys: made and played in Enfield

Terrific Toys: made and played in Enfield celebrates the golden era of toys and games, made in the borough by famous names such as Spears Games and Lesney Matchbox and played with by generations of local children.

The exhibition, curated by Museum Officer Jan Metcalfe, look at how toys developed and explain how some children’s lives changed dramatically from working and doing chores to having time to play with toys and games.

Some of the world’s best-selling toys were once manufactured in Enfield and this nostalgic exhibition will also explore the borough’s rich history of toy manufacture dating back to the turn of the last century.

Nostalgic adults and inquisitive children will marvel over a wide selection of toys from the museum collection, including; Lotto board games, model steam engines, Top Trumps card games, toy soldiers, alphabet bricks, Tiddlywinks, Yo Yos, dolls and picture books.

The company that produced them - British manufacturer Lesney Products & Co. Ltd - was founded in 1947 by Palmers Green school friends Les and Rodney Smith who started their business in the cellar of The Rifleman Pub in Edmonton.

All the board games exhibited were manufactured by J. W. Spear and Sons who set up a factory in Green Street Brimsdown in 1932 and remained there for over 60 years.

The sets exhibited as part of Terrific Toys were manufactured by the company Elgin, who were once based in Bush Hill Park and made dolls house furniture in the 1920’s and thirties.

Terrific Toys will bring to life the history of toys for new generations, while adults take a trip down memory lane.

Enfield Life features objects used or manufactured in Enfield from ancient times to the present day and is open daily.