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Museum's 'magical' toy worlds in school lockers

Galya Dimitrova
BBC News
The Rumble Museum The lockers at The Rumble Museum displaying a variety of toys such as Russian nesting dolls, a typing machine and a Monopoly set.The Rumble Museum
The Rumble Museum thought two units of 24 unused lockers were "an ideal home" for an exhibition of childhood memorabilia

School students have said converting old school lockers into toy display cabinets felt "kind of magical".

Students from the Cheney School's Rumble Museum in Oxford, Oxfordshire, have used vintage toys such as a marble run and Polly Pocket to design "story lockers" as part of the museum's 100 Years of Toys & Games exhibition.

It is the only UK-accredited museum spread throughout a school and people can book a visit to see the display.

Director Lorna Robinson said the project had been "really special" because the children "designed a whole world inside their locker".

The Rumble Museum A composite of tow pictures showing two different lockers, one with a marble run and the other with a Polly Pocket dollhouse.The Rumble Museum
The collection of items reflects the 80s and 90s when the majority of the student's parents grew up

The toys were donated during a community collection event in December, with organisers also recording stories and experiences of people's childhood.

Over the Easter holidays, two units of 24 unused or broken lockers were transformed into the "ideal home" for an exhibition looking at the memorabilia.

Lu Rahman from Oxford Furniture Makers, who is also a Cheney School alumnus, installed lighting and created "magical-looking" lockable inner doors.

Dr Robinson said the lockers themselves had "a kind of artefact quality" as they had been used in schools for the past 50-60 years.

The Rumble Museum A collage of two pictures showing lockers with a set of Russian nesting dolls, which has a sign in Russian reading "Toy Shop", and a tiny typewriter with a poster of a cat above it.The Rumble Museum
The vintage toys display is part of the museum's 100 Years of Toys & Games exhibition

Much of the collection is from the 80s and 90s - such as Dungeons and Dragons books, a marble run and a Game Boy console - when most of the students' parents grew up.

Year 11 student Rachel said her group had chosen the Fisher Price record player toy because they "all love music and like playing records".

"Our locker looks like someone's bedroom - we chose the posters on the wall as bands we really like," she said, adding that creating it had felt "fun" and "kind of magical".

The Rumble Museum The locker with a record player toy. There are posters on the wall for music groups such as Nirvana. There is a guitar on the bed and record players beside it. The Rumble Museum
Year 11 student Rachel said her group had chosen the record player toy because they "all love music and like playing records"

Dr Robinson added they were working on displaying other related projects in the long corridor, eventually recreating "a little bit of a journey of childhood".

Dr Robinson said they they were still collecting stories and objects for the History of Childhood exhibition.

The Rumble Museum A view of the section of the corridor at the Rumble Museum where the lockers are displayed. There are tables and chairs in front. There are posts on the wall reading "One Hundred Years of Games and Toys"The Rumble Museum
Dr Robinson said the museum would like to create "a little bit of a journey of childhood"

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