First published 2010
Hunter Davies embarks on a peculiar journey across Britain in search of the country's most unusual museums. While grand art galleries and national institutions receive attention, Davies focuses on the overlooked collections devoted to single subjects. His quest takes him to the Keswick Pencil Museum, the Museum of Baked Beans in Port Talbot, the Lawnmower Museum in Southport, and the Sheep Centre in Cockermouth. Davies meets the passionate collectors who created these quirky institutions and explores what drives people to gather and display the most unexpected objects. The book examines the human compulsion to collect, revealing how these specialized museums reflect local history and individual obsessions. Davies presents both the absurd and fascinating aspects of these collections, offering readers insight into Britain's strangest cultural corners and the dedicated people who preserve them.
Genres: humor, non-fiction, 21st-century, museums
Vibes: thought-provoking, whimsical
Tropes: fish-out-of-water
Setting: Britain, Cockermouth, Keswick, Port Talbot, Southport
Period: 21st-century
304 pages · Paperback · Virgin Books