Our new Solo Gallery

The centrepiece of our brand new displays in Solo Gallery is Roald Dahl’s Writing Hut, complete with all its original contents and furnishings. Visitors can see the “little nest” as Roald Dahl called it, exactly as he had it set up, with all the extraordinary and fascinating objects he kept at hand for contemplation and inspiration. Fantabulous new interactive exhibits and displays surrounding the Writing Hut aim to throw light on the creative process: how Roald Dahl became a writer, what real-life experiences inspired him – the ‘stories behind the stories’ – and where his ideas stemmed from.

Amongst the new exhibits is a World War II Gladiator cockpit to explore, like the one Roald Dahl flew in his RAF days; a writing and drawing activity, where visitors can play the parts of Roald Dahl and Quentin Blake; and an interactive ‘Ideas Aviary’ which requires visitors’ help to turn Roald Dahl’s story idea seeds into ripe fruit.

Previewing period
10 January to 20 March

The previewing period for the newly refurbished gallery runs from Tuesday 10 January until Tuesday 20 March 2012. Over this period, you will be amongst the first to see and experience Roald Dahl’s original Writing Hut and all the new interactive exhibits.

Throughout the previewing period we will give you a temporary printed Visitor’s Guide to help you get the most out of your visit and we may ask you to complete a short questionnaire to give us feedback on your experience of the gallery. Your feedback is important, as it helps us to tailor everything better to our visitors’ needs and expectations.

Please bear with us while we get things just right in the new gallery; the exhibits are new for both staff and visitors. If you need any help whilst in the Museum, please ask a member of staff who will do all they can to assist.