Once upon a time, I was lucky enough to live in Oxford, a city positively humming with kidlit inspiration on all sides: from the cosy, wood-panelled pubs frequented by Tolkien and CS Lewis, to the gorgeous Bodleian Library immortalised in the Harry Potter films, to the cobbled streets trod by luminaries such as Lewis Carroll and Philip Pullman. And one day, mooching along through this rarified air, I stumbled upon the most extraordinary place: Rochester's Story Supplies.
Yes, it's a fictional shop. HOW COOL IS THAT? Even better, it was to be the front for The Story Museum, a place which celebrates children's literature in all its forms, with readings, performances and inspiration. I was so enamoured by the idea... and then crestfallen to discover it wouldn't open until 2014. But WAIT WHAT - it is now actually 2014?? Time flies faster than a seeker on a Nimbus 2000, I swear. So I thought it might be time to revisit this wonderful, in the strictest sense of the word, establishment.
Are you a little pig in need of wolf repellant? A queen who wants to paint her roses red? Or a spy who needs everlasting batteries for your top-secret gadgets? This is the place for all your fictional needs.
This is my absolute favourite - now if I could just get my hands on an alethiometer…
As GK Chesterton once said, ‘Fairy tales are more than true; not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.’ I hope The Story Museum will continue imparting this wisdom to children for many years to come.
The Story Museum has a website here, and updates can be found on Twitter.
As GK Chesterton once said, ‘Fairy tales are more than true; not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.’ I hope The Story Museum will continue imparting this wisdom to children for many years to come.
The Story Museum has a website here, and updates can be found on Twitter.
