CHILDREN this summer are being encouraged to visit a story exhibition in Hendon featuring classic tales and modern day adventures.

Stepping into the The Eye of Childhood display at the Church Farmhouse Museum, in Greyhound Hill, is like following in Alice's footsteps as visitors are confronted with a wonderland of strange, playful creatures, school-age rogues and daring heroes.

All have been created by writers and authors who have connections with the borough, and the museum's curator Gerrard Roots said it is a wonderful opportunity to learn more about the area'srich literary history.

He said: “Areas like Hampstead and Highgate are very literary areas and people associate a lot of writers from around there.

“But I think it is a shame people don't realise that Barnet has got not only historic connections with children's writers, but with everyone from Oliver Goldsmith to Evelyn Waugh.

“Children's writers are so diverse and people perhaps don't recognise this area has made quite a contribution to it.

“Learning to read is the most important and exciting experience a child can have and the fact this area has produced and still produces people who contribute to that is something that should be marked.”

The exhibition includes sections on classic children's writers such as Bagpuss and The Clangers creator Oliver Postgate, Anthony Buckeridgem, who wrote the Jennings books, Toytown author Sidney Hulme Beaman and Lewis Carroll.

And despite the fact some of the earlier writers may not be as well known to a younger audience, Mr Roots said children still get sucked in to the world of make-believe.

He said: “So far the children have reacted very well.

“There are obviously things that are more relevant to the older generation and might not be so familiar to them, but it is important for them to know about it all.”

The display reveals interesting anecdotes about how stories and pictures grew up from connections in the borough, including the fact that Kate, the daughter of former Punch editor and Church Farmhouse resident Mark Lemon, was the model for cartoonist John Tennial's famous illustrations of Alice from Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass.

And Mr Roots pointed out that modern writers from the borough such as Helen Craig and Katharine Holabird, who produced the Angelina Ballerina series, and Joe Craig, who wrote the Jimmy Coates adventures, help children associate with the area's wider history.

“These are very familiar things and hopefully having something so current and so popular is a way of leading children perhaps into looking at things that are less familiar and before their time,” said Mr Roots.

“Why should we as the London borough of Barnet's museum just do an exhibition on children's literature? There is no shortage of material.

“But we are the museum for the borough and all our exhibitions attempt to have some sort local angle or a local hook.

“Because we have so many well known children's writers from the past and present I think it actually works.

“We're not saying these are more important, but we are saying they are important writers and they have a connection with us and evidence of the locality feed into their work.”

The free exhibition, runs throughout the summer holidays until September 27. Opening hours for the museum are Mondays to Thursdays, 10am to 1pm, and 2pm to 5pm; Saturdays 10am until 1pm and 2pm to 5.30pm; and Sundays 2pm to 5.30pm.