Detour Pit Stop #105: The 1950s Museum, Denbigh, North Wales, UK
FAN OF A NICHE-MUSEUM? THIS LESSER-KNOWN ATTRACTION DEDICATED TO THE POST-WAR DECADE IS WELL-WORTH A VISIT, ESPECIALLY WHEN ITS OWNER IS IN RESIDENCE.
Founder of The 1950s Museum, Sparrow Harrison, is a seasoned and enthusiastic story-teller. These qualities, coupled with a fascination with social history, have lent him the wherewithal to create the most ambitious tribute to The Fifties you’re likely to ever see in one place. “It’s quite magical,” promises the octogenarian MBE.
Tucked away in a Welsh valley with no phone signal, the wonderfully tactile and immersive museum – many things can be held or touched – is as close to time travel as it gets. Cavernous and crammed with memorabilia that has been thoughtfully curated into themed areas to introduce visitors to different aspects of 1950s life, including rooms within a typical family home, it’s a hidden gem that gets top marks for the sheer scale and quirkiness of its exhibits. Turn up in a pair of straight stovepipe trousers or some tailored slacks and you’ll fit right in.
From classic cars to a collection of cigarette cartons (some of the designs are so beautiful and chic it's no wonder people used to think smoking was impossibly cool), the artefacts, which must amass to tens of thousands, range from the curious and compelling, to the controversial. Seeking advice on how to be the perfect housewife, or tips on how best to measure your wife for an ironing board? You’ll find all the answers (and more) within the museum’s expansive assortment of pamphlets, magazines and advertorials. Published in-period, they are a snapshot of the propaganda that misguided a generation.
“The museum is a trip down memory lane that makes you realise how much things have changed for the better,” says Sparrow, whose colourful life is worthy of its own exhibition. A former amateur boxer who co-owned a London club with the infamous East End gangsters the Kray twins, he’s a fascinating candidate to lead a private tour. On a quiet day, he’ll happily oblige.
Packed with petroliana and automobilia, Sparrow’s recommended must-see is the Austin Loadstar that was used as a getaway vehicle during the Great Train Robbery in 1963. Slightly adrift from the museum’s catchment era, it’s one of a few treasures that survived an arson attack which devastated the museum in 2010. Since then, thanks to donations and Sparrow’s personal acquisitions, the nostalgic fifties focal point has been resurrected from the ashes.
A visit won’t break the bank, it’s £7.50 for adults, with concessions for children and groups, and the museum is open every day during the summer months from 11am to 4pm. Set aside two to three hours, but bring snacks or a packed lunch because the tea room is exactly as advertised; a room where you can acquire a cup of tea.
ROADBOOK
CLASS: marvellous museum
NAME: THE 1950s museum
ROUTE: LAWNT, DENBIGH, LL16 4SU
COUNTRY: wales
Need a hit of caffeine and car culture? Check out Detour’s recommended top spots…