This article was written by James Burford, Partner and Head of Property at Scott Bailey LLP and ex-pupil of St Barbe Infant School.
“Not now Burford!” …and as if by magic, another quality exhibition has appeared at St Barbe Museum and Art Gallery. Renowned as I am for terrible Dad jokes, even by my standards these could be considered niche. But, if you are of a certain age, this might have stirred a faint memory.
The current exhibition at St Barbe is “Elmer and Mr Benn: the magic of David McKee”. Mr McKee’s works have a lovely synchronicity about them for me: I vividly remember the animated adventures of Mr Benn on the television when I was small (back in the day when there were only 3 channels), whilst I also vividly remember reading the adventures of Elmer the patchwork elephant to my children when they were small (now aged 16 and 18, and taller than me).
For those who don’t remember; Mr Benn, an ordinary man in a suit and bowler hat, would leave his home (52 Festive Road, based upon Mr McKee’s own home at 54 Festing Road in Putney) and visit a fancy dress shop, where, “as if by magic, the shopkeeper appeared”. The shopkeeper would invite Mr Benn to try on a different fancy dress, and Mr Benn would then have a magical adventure. Costumes such as a red knight, a wizard, spaceman, cowboy, or zoo keeper would be the catalyst for the adventure. Surprisingly there were only 13 original episodes broadcast, which means the stories, the charm, the magic and the adventure remain undiluted and fresh.
The exhibition includes original artwork from the Mr Benn stories, memorabilia and fancy dress costumes for children to dress up in, made by one of the brilliant volunteers (Sheila). In addition to Mr Benn, there is original artwork from the stories of the kind but lonely and unique patchwork elephant, Elmer. I cannot thank the McKee family enough for bringing the artwork to the museum for this exhibition, together with personal effects, and incredible landscapes drawn with a really interesting perspective.
Rarely have I wandered around a gallery with such a smile of joy, as I remembered all the works David McKee had produced over the years, including one that I used to terrify my children with: Not Now, Bernard, where the monster eats Bernard, the annoying child. No, no happy ending. Allegorical, yes, with the boy having actually become the monster, as opposed to being eaten by it, but a five-year-old doesn’t get that. They just think they will actually be eaten by a monster unless they behave.
My own association with St Barbe Museum ironically goes back to me also being aged about 5, and watching Mr Benn on the television. Before becoming a museum, St Barbe was the local infant school, founded in 1835 by Ann St Barbe, and it was my first school upon moving to Lymington as a small child. I still remember my first day, swinging a bag around the cloakroom, crying, not knowing which peg was mine. The infant school building closed down in the early 1990s and moved to the Avenue Road site in the grounds of the Junior School (where I also went). The old school building eventually officially reopened as a museum in 1995. The curved entrance and steps is where the outside toilets were, huge and cold to a small infant.
Because of my deep love for history and the area in which I have grown up and call home, I consider St Barbe Museum a truly beautiful place. It is more than just a local museum. As well as a lovely little café, there is an art gallery built to national gallery level standard, with exhibitions that change every 2 months or so. It has always been really important to me as a local professional that we as a business support St Barbe, and we have been recognised business partners now for nearly 10 years.
I will remain a vocal ambassador for St Barbe, and I am very privileged to be invited to the exclusive previews of the exhibitions. This year we have seen a huge variety in the exhibitions, from Witch:Craft (a photographic and textile based art display focusing on witches, including the local Clan of Ytene who celebrate the natural magic and beauty of the forest), Shorelines/Skylines (an assortment of media exploring the boundaries between the sea and the land) to the ever popular St Barbe Open Exhibition that showcases the talent of local artists of all styles and backgrounds.
I encourage you to visit, if you can. You can find out more about the museum and gallery on the St Barbe website. Do drop me a note and let me know what you think if you do!
