It had been a while since I last visited Bradford’s Science + Media Museum. When my boys were younger, it was a fairly regular haunt thanks to its “vintage” gaming machines and interactive exhibitions, which were a fantastic, closer alternative to London’s brilliant Science and Natural History Museums.

But Covid, followed by the temporary closure of the museum, plus the fact that the boys became young men who didn’t want to do what mum wanted to in the holidays (especially if it involved “museums”), meant that the Bradford attraction slipped off my radar.

So, I was quick to sign up when I was invited to visit the refreshed Sound + Vision galleries, which re-opened in the summer, with a small group of media professionals. And I’m so glad I did!

A Whizz Through Time

Our hour-long visit was a wonderful, albeit brief, whizz around the newest galleries with Associate Curator of Film, Toni Booth. Her passion for the exhibits was infectious, and her knowledge was impressive – there are over 500 exhibits spanning 200 years of media technologies across the two galleries.

It’s clear Toni and her team of curators have worked incredibly hard to curate and select exhibits from the staggering 3.2million items in the collection. It was almost like a trip down my own timeline, with every corner revealing another treasured memory. From ‘80s Sony Walkmans and mix tapes, to public service broadcasting films (who remembers Charley Says?) to the terrifying Daleks.

What’s truly inspired is the way they’ve woven a distinctive Yorkshire thread through all the media milestones along the timeline. This ranges from the earliest moving pictures captured by Louis Le Prince in Leeds, to the famous story of the Cottingley Fairies (and a really fabulous selfie opportunity for fairy-lovers!).

Get Hands-On

There’s so much to see and do. Make sure you visit when it’s quiet so you can immerse yourself in all the interactive exhibits. You can try reading the news (on the radio now) or even driving The Prodigy’s mixing desk (yes, really!).
Now the days are shorter and wetter, I will definitely be heading back to while away the winter months in the Sound + Vision galleries (and all the other floors and Pictureville cinema!).

So, next time someone remarks, “Did they even have colour TV when you were young?”, you can hot-foot it with them to the Science + Media Museum. You’ll be able to show them exactly what you used to watch when you were their age!

Visitor Information
The National Science and Media Museum BD1 1NQ is a fantastic day out for all ages, especially as admission is free.
Address BD1 1NQ
Website https://www.scienceandmediamuseum.org.uk/
Open daily, 10-5pm

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