small scale

 

Bekonscot is a small suburban idyll. A 1:12 suburban idyll, to be precise, with branch line trains that run on time, independent greengrocers ('Chris P. Lettuce'), picnics and chauffeurs, croquet and cricket, washing lines and vegetable gardens, fox hunters and Morris dancers, coaches and country buses, window cleaners and town criers.

 

It is perfectly preserved in a 1929 time warp into which political correctness has not intruded;  chimps' tea parties, fox-hunting,  and a clear social hierarchy are all part of this unchanged small scale world.

 

Flat caps and overalls for some, smart hats and plus-fours for others. Everyone knows their place and stays in it in Bekonscot.

 

It is one of our favourite end-of-the-holidays treats, and we notice different things on each visit. This time I saw how cleverly spaced everything is; I think with miniature worlds there is a temptation to cram everything into a tiny space, but here each scene is given relatively the same dimensions as a full-scale scene which makes it all the more disconcertingly fascinating.

There are some wonderful architectural details, too. Here's a tiny Lubetkin Penguin Pool,

 

and here's a perfect model of a 1930's bungalow with sunburst motif and Crittall windows - and even the right green colour of that decade.

  

Phoebe wanted to get into a 'minimiser' (her word) so that she could move into Bekonscot for a while, and find out what happens there when it closes for the day. We reckon there's a party there every night. Only on a small-scale, of course, not a rave or anything. The locals wouldn't approve.

Comments

[Jenn]

I love getting lost in these kinds of things. 'Miniature World' in Victoria, British Columbia is a miniature lovers delight and is always included in our vacation plans there.
Thanks for sharing!
Jenn

[lydia]

we visited bekonscot when we came to england for the first time-my oldest was just a wee tyke. one of the neatest things we did. love the photos.

[Rosa-Munda]

I just love that place! When my children were small we used to go often. Thanks for the trip down memory lane. Ros

[Catherine]

Ah, grew up near there, in Seer Green! My mother made me take my sister, who is 10 years younger than me, every weekend. Or at least in our memory it's every weekend! On the bus, no less. What a treat
x x x
Catherine

[trash]

I should imagine they are 'drinks parties' and would involve martinis, white ties, butterfly collars and fabulous gowns.

[Carol Howe]

Magic! - a fly in amber. I'd love to visit.

[Kelly Tucker]

There is a science fiction book called "Bug Park" by James Hogan that she might enjoy.

[Susiebass26]

I also grew up in Seer Green and went there often with my Grandparents. I loved it and must take my children there. What a fabulous day out!

[Mandy]

OH how cool is that. My little one would love it as would us big ones! Thanks for the peek into it!

[Elaine]

Those photos are lovely. We lived a few miles from Bekonscot when my children were small and visited there often, often in the rain, which didn't seem to affect our enjoyment. My children have been talking about it over the holidays so we had a look at their website, which has a great build-your-own-virtual village function!

[Virginia]

That is cool! My husband and I used to live in Southwest Virginia and in Roanoke (the only city down there) there was a person who had built a scale replica of Graceland. We have numerous pictures of ourselves pretending to be monsters about to destroy Elvis. Yes, we were full grown adults when we did this.

[Adriana]

Beautiful post, Jane. Thanks so much for sharing.

[Jennifer]

This village reminds me of the model village in Mary Norton's The Borrowers Aloft....the one Mr. Potter built.

[Lindsay]

Great place Bekonscot - my son loved it when we went there last must go again.

For a slightly surreal version of her minimiser Pheobe should try reading Will Self's collection of short stories 'Grey Area', one of which features a man who shrinks and goes to live in Bekonscot.

[maggie]

I love this place too, in fact anything miniaturised. My husband is building a model railway layout, he does the railways bit, the engineering bit, and I play with the houses and so forth.

[Jane]

I've always loved small things done to scale (- I still have some of my 1:32 scale Britains animals and garden from childhood). If Phoebe finds a minimiser, could she let me have a go too?

[Crossfintan Cottage]

That looks super - my son would love to play with that!

[Barbara Faith]

Hi, I love this blog partically this one, what an amazing feat. We have had a major earthquake here in Christchurch NZ so it was comforting to log on and escape as I always do in the morning. Love you quilting book just picked this up in Auckland. Have you visited NZ.Keep up your lovely articles.

[Emma B]

My girls have become fascinated by model villages this year, and so far we've been to Godshill on the Isle of Wight (for an Easter Egg Hunt, so much fun!), Corfe Castle, and on the last day the summer hols we spent a lovely day at our nearest one in Lydney in the Forest of Dean. I don't remember these cute little worlds featuring in my own childhood, but am making up for that now.

[Bekky]

I loved this place as a child (cue some lovely pictures of my best friend and I in matching 70's towling shorts and vests, peering through tiny windows)

I took my nephew who is now 3 about 2 weeks ago and he was equally impressed, it appears that the 1920's or model villages are always enchanting.

[Blue Penguin]

I thought this was fabulous... and then I got to the penguins and thought it was ever better! Although, on reading about the nightly parties theory - I reckon it's those penguins that have the rave... it's the quiet ones you have to watch!

[Barbara]

So interesting to see that amazing thirties green, such a very intense color ...
When we were stripping back our front door that was one of the many colors we found layered on it and I wasn't sure which era it came from until now. Thank you, Jane!