If you are even slightly interested in that noble animal, the horse (as Jill would say), then the place to go is the wonderful Museum of the Horse at Tuxford in Nottinghamshire, just off the A1 (aka The Great North Road). Until 26th April there is also the added bookish-bonus of an exhibition on the pony book curated by Jane Badger.
I met Jane nearly 20 years ago as we were both in the secondhand book trade and members of the now defunct trade organisation Ibooknet. She has been both an enormous help and an inspiration to me ever since. Her website is the ultimate compendium of pony book information covering both writers and illustrators about which Jane knows just about everything. To add to all this Jane has also moved into publishing and has now around 100 pony books available both as ebooks and in paperback on the Jane Badger Books Shop including the wonderful Jill series and Jinny at Finmory. Plus lashings of Pullein-Thompson books and much more!
But back to the museum...
The Museum of the Horse is the one woman-collecting passion of Sally Mitchell. Housed in the splendid surroundings of what was clearly a Great North Road coaching inn (The Newcastle Arms) this idiosyncratic collection has been very professionally presented and has everything from horse-bits from the 6th century through man's continuing relationship with the horse including war, hunting, horse racing, riding for women and children, farming and heavy horses ... everything you can think of - even a mail coach. There's ladies' riding habits and a coachman's many-caped great coat and even Richard Dunwoody's saddle from his record breaking winner. The museum also has the Pullein-Thompson archive.
The exhibition curated by Jane has all the pony favourites in their original editions on display with informative notes on the writers and illustrators as you go round. The books include first edition hardbacks in dust jackets of Jill and Jinny, of course, as well as Flambards titles with the vibrant Victor Ambrus covers and Monica Dickens' Follyfoot series with their TV tie-in images of Dora and Steve, and much more besides. A real trip down memory lane.
If you can't get to the pony book exhibition then Jane's book Heroines on Horseback will tell you all you need to know and the ebook is on sale at the moment.
As well as the exhibition and the museum the ground floor holds an exhibition of equine art work and a small bookshop focusing on the horse, the countryside and farming.
You can read more about the exhibition and see a small video of the museum here. The exhibition has been extended to the 26th April. If you're making a long journey to the museum, especially over the bank holidays then it is as well to check in advance that it is open.
And if you're interested in pony books in their original form we always have a small range in stock which you can browse here.
Comments