Explore, Reminisce, Play!
Explore, Reminisce, Play!
Discover over one hundred years of growing up in Barnsley through toys, games, pictures and treasured memories. You’ll recognise some items on display, but others may be less familiar… We hope you enjoy exploring and we’d love it if you had some fun too!
We have put this exhibition together after searching long and hard through Barnsley's museums and archive collections. To be honest, there isn’t enough room in here for all the stories of childhood we found! It was sometimes tough to choose but many items are on display for the first time and, we hope, give a glimpse into the distinctive world of when we were young.
Objects and archives from Experience Barnsley span many generations and tell different stories of growing up in the borough. Paintings and drawings from the Cooper Gallery and Cannon Hall Museum show images of childhood in art, with some local artists and faces featured. And you can follow a magical trail of special objects from Cannon Hall Museum through the exhibition and make up your own story.
Mr Men Wooden Puzzle, 1970
Emily bought this puzzle from Barnsley Markets. It was donated to the Museum but not before her own children had played with it too.
Can you name all the characters?
Hornby Recorder, c.1970

Who doesn’t remember the sound of the recorder from childhood? This particular instrument was played by a member of the Wood family at Keresforth Road School in the 1970s and 1980s.
Sampler, 1863

Embroidered by Mary Denton, age 8, at Hoylandswaine Primary School. Samplers were made by girls of all backgrounds to gain sewing skills but also to learn lessons such as the alphabet.
Wendy Paper Doll Set, c.1970
Playing with paper dolls has been a popular activity since the early 19th century. The ‘Wendy’ doll came with magnets instead of paper tabs for quick wardrobe changes.
School Football Medal, 1967–68

Donated by Jeremy Wroe from Holy Cross School, who won their 1967–68 and 1968–69 football league.
Sun Jewel Barbie and Sun Sensation Ken, early 1990s
These glamorous dolls were owned by Tracey Collins of Barnsley, who absolutely loved playing with them and their accessories. See if you can find the earlier Sindy and Paul dolls in the exhibition – these belonged to Tracey’s mum Julie! The first Barbie dolls went on sale in the USA in 1959 and Ken followed in 1961. They were named after the children of Barbie inventor, Ruth Handler, who co-founded toy company Mattel with her husband.
Hornby Train Set Parts, 1930s
A toy for people of all ages, train sets can give hours of enjoyment and fascination. This Hornby set was gifted to Cannon Hall Museum in 1983, but we don’t know who played with it.
Minton Figurine, 1863

A ceramic figure of a nude boy (putti) with a stylised dolphin and holding a shell. It is decorated in the majolica colours and is all on a base of blue, yellow and green.
Spencer the Capybara Plush Toy, 2024

Spencer was chosen by Hollie Brown, age 10, as part of our recent Contemporary Collecting Project with Burton Road Primary School. You can see other toys selected by pupils in the exhibition, but Spencer just wouldn’t fit in the same case! So, we gave him a special place here to welcome everyone. Holly likes this toy because her favourite animal is the capybara (the biggest rodent in the world).
Din Grogu, or Baby Yoda, 2023
A character from the Star Wars Disney+ TV series The Mandalorian. This toy was chosen for the Museum by Alexander White when he was 4 and at Holy Rood Primary School
Cinema Membership Card, 1956–57

Membership card to Goldthorpe Young Citizens Matinee – for a special Saturday afternoon.
Coronation Mug, 1911

In Commemoration of the Coronation of King George V Coronation, presented by the Barrow Club Children’s Treat.
Advert for The Juvenile Instructor Magazine, 1888
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Guidance and entertainment for teenagers in the late 19th century.
Return to the virtual exhibition or explore more of the objects from the exhibition below.

Back To School
What do you think of your education? Do you remember one person you learnt from or looked up to? We’ve included a number of objects here from different
schools and clubs across the borough – it’s impossible to fit them all in!

No Place Like Home
The objects on display here made us think of being at home as a child. What object or word brings a memory of home to you?

Toy Treasures and Board Game Battles
Most people can remember a favourite toy and some grown ups have kept at least one for sentimental reasons. Did you have one special toy for most of your childhood? Or did it change every now and then as you grew up?

Toy Treasures and Board Game Battles (Part2)
Most people can remember a favourite toy and some grown ups have kept at least one for sentimental reasons. Did you have one special toy for most of your
childhood? Or did it change every now and then as you grew up?

What Makes a Child's Day Special?
It could be a big celebration, but it doesn’t have to be. In this display, we’ve chosen some objects from festive days and one-off events, and others which marked a special time for just one child.

Kids Today!
We are very grateful to children from Burton Road Primary School for taking part in our Contemporary Collecting Project. The group visited The Entertainer shop in the Alhambra Centre and each pupil chose a toy or game they liked for the Museum collection