World's oldest model village celebrates 80 years

[John Ashworth]

Model village celebrates 80 years

10:49am Wednesday 5th August 2009
This is Local London
By Lawrence Dunhill


BEKONSCOT, the oldest model village in the world, celebrated its 80th anniversary on Wednesday with a special gala day of activities.

The miniature wonderland hosted a typical English fete with a 100-year-old carousel, entertainers and a falconry display among the activities.

Bekonscot also gave its name to a steam train, the Bekoning Bard, which travelled through Beaconsfield and on to Stratford upon Avon on Saturday.

Managing Director of Bekonscot, Brian Newman-Smith, presented a cheque for £1,000 to Helen & Douglas House, a children's hospice in Oxford.

He said: "It's a unique attraction and people love it here.

"I sometimes find myself wishing I lived in the village. Life would be a lot simpler and slower!"

It was the summer of 1929 when wealthy London accountant, Roland Callingham, egged on by his enthusiastic friends, first invited the public into the back garden of his Beaconsfield home on a Sunday afternoon.

He had built the largest outdoor train set in England and created a Lilliputian world around his swimming pool. His hope was to raise some money to donate to charity.

The event was a huge success and a charity bowl by the garden gate overflowed with pennies. The village which Roland Callingham named Bekonscot was on its way to becoming an attraction known all over the world.

Mark Callingham, whose great uncle was Roland Callingham, was a special guest at the event. He said: “I came here many times as a child and I was fascinated by the place, it's really magical.”

During the past 80 years the village has grown to one-and-a-half acres with 3,000 model inhabitants and 300 different animals.

Trains run along 400 metres of track and there are hundreds of buildings. It has its own harbour, cricket pitch, canal and bus station.

Staff said: "It's a small piece of England that will forever remain unspoilt.

"Neighbours all know each other, trains are never late, passers-by aren't in too much of a rush and the milkman still delivers gold top direct from the churn."

More than 14 million visitors have entered the time warp of Bekonscot and £5m has been donated to charity from the proceeds of the entrance fee.

Sarah-Jane Holloway, 8, from Denham, enjoyed testing her Bekonscot knowledge with the village quiz on Wednesday. She said: "We had to go round the village and answer lots of different questions - it was great fun.

"I've been here before and it's definitely my favourite place."

The village became famous beyond Buckinghamshire in the 1930s when pictures and stories of the model railway and village were splashed across the pages of the British and foreign press.

Early newsreels recorded a succession of royal visits, including a visit by Queen Mary with her grand daughters, Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret during the 1930s.

Popular ITV mystery series Midsomer Murders filmed at Bekonscot last year while Enid Blyton was one of the village's biggest fans.

Mayor of Beaconsfield, Ken Brown, said: “I love how all the little shops mirror shops in the area, I think that's a nice touch. Lets hope Bekonscot stays for another 80 years at least.”