Children are a tough act to please nowadays. Bombarded with stimulations, with the attention span of a puppy reared on Red Bull. So in all honesty, my three companions (14, 13 and 9) when we visited Moyse’s Hall in Bury St Edmunds just before Christmas were not exuding enthusiasm at the prospect.
Then, something magical happened. We stepped into the exhibition space and at the sight of the very first exhibit, their jaws dropped and at least one of them said, without any hint of sarcasm, “Wow”. Before us, a helmet, iconic in the literal sense of the world, to my generation as much as theirs. I remember in 1977 being taken to see a film in Leicester Square and seeing the words: “A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…” and then the brass fanfare of the soundtrack, and the words “Star Wars” appearing on screen, and as a ten-year-old being transported into a world entirely alien. Now, nearly 50 years later, in front of me, was Darth Vader’s helmet, and the four of us gazed upon it with the veneration of ancient pilgrims before the Shroud of Turin.
And it just got better from then on.
The other Suffolk Orwell
The second “wow” from my 14-year-old grandson was at a book in the corner of the room. It was a first edition of “1984” and there, the signature of George Orwell, the original (and the best) Blair, and proud this grandfather was to see how much it meant to the lad.
Can you tell that we liked it?
There was a Terminator skull which thankfully didn’t mean as much to the 9-year-old, but it did to me. There were original costumes from Hollywood blockbusters. There were items which you’d expect to be in some tech billionaire’s private collection. But here they were in Bury St Edmunds in front of us.
So we wandered around, slightly stunned at what was on display, in this special “Sci-Fi and Action Exhibition” which is on at the museum until 2 February. On February 1st, they’ll be visited by Michael Whiteley, the prop-maker behind Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Roger Rabbit, Titanic and more. He’ll showcase the animatronic Tauntaun head of the iconic beast that Luke Skywalker rode across the snow in The Empire Strikes Back, and share stories from his iconic career.
Exhibition a credit to the museum
To have such a collection assembled in Suffolk is a credit to the staff and organisers. Once you’ve had your fill of sci-fi, there is then the rest of the museum to sample. With grisly tales of witch-burning, items made from human skin and suchlike which will appeal to the sensitivities of an audience who have grown up with the excellent “Horrible Histories” and are a tough crowd to please. For less than the price of popcorn at the cinema (£5 for adults, £3 for children between 6-16, and free for under 5s) this is a bargain of an outing for your younglings.
If you don’t believe me, here’s the review my eldest grandson, Joshua Bridges, penned afterwards:
“The Museum of Mystery:
Darth Vader, Dystopia and Dark History:
Recently I was fortunate enough to gaze upon the 8th Wonder of the World: Moyse’s Hall Museum’s Action Exhibition. From the get go, it did not take long to see the highlights of this museum. The exhibition started with arguably one of the best pieces of memorabilia from a franchise ever: none other than the helmet worn by David Prowse aka Darth Vader. As soon as I saw the signature on it, a light saber stabbed through my heart. To say it was beautiful would be a sheer understatement. However, another surprise loomed in the midst. Though arguably not science fiction, the greatest novel of all time was encased in a glass box, yet I could still feel its radiance. 1984 – written by Suffolk’s greatest author to roam the planet. It was a first edition copy of the book, and the cherry on the icing: the signature of the king of literature himself.
“Little did I know that more shocking discoveries were to come. Later on in the exhibition, my eyes would grace themselves with the very head of the villain in the sci-fi film that defined the genre forever after its release: the head of the Terminator from Terminator 2-Judgement Day.
“As a sci-fi fan, everything in this museum warmed my heart. It was fantastically curated and crafted and I would recommend it to anyone interested in science fiction who wants to see the magic behind their favourite films and comics. Yet part of the exhibit was related to a subject that many are passionate about: history. There were different artefacts dating back to the Witch Trials, and detailed descriptions of events like the Red Barn Murder and the Bury St Edmunds Witch Trials. It was like an episode of Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History while also having some interactive activities that I won’t spoil. Overall, this museum is one of the many gems of Bury St Edmunds and a good experience for all.”
Go to: https://www.moyseshall.org/ to book, with slots running every day from now until the 2 February.
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