Festival of Britain exhibition and a stroll down the prom, The Southbank’s celebration is worth the visit.

I paid a visit to the 60th Anniversary of the Festival of Britain celebration on the Southbank  having heard that the exhibition in the Festival Hall was pretty good and I can say for all lovers of the vintage it is well worth the visit.

Free to enter which is always a plus point, for me the stand out pieces were the amazing quilt made for the original exhibition with a square designed and crafted by hand to celebrate a major event in a certain year, the 50’s retro room sets and the selection of original festival souveniers.

Created by Wayne Hemingway who loves this era there are also some great vintage graphics and the original sketches of the festival emblem in various stages. His own site The Land of Lost Content contains a wonderful archive for students and academics of 20th Century popular culture.

As well there are different attractions on the Southbank Pier itself with a beach hut line up and bunting that makes it feel like a day at the seaside, a sandy beach pit strip full of toddlers digging away and the famous Mobile Seagull Appreciation Society van from the Folkestone Triennial Art Exhibition of 2008.

Overlooking Waterloo Bridge is a huge straw Fox perched on top of the BFI building which is worth the visit to see alone!

Jolly beach huts line up along the Southbank for Festival of Britain celebration

Amazing hand crafted patchwork from the original Festival of Britain fair in 1951

Detail from Festival of Britain quilt from the original fair in 1951

Original souveniers from The Festival of Britain celebration in 1951

Room set from the Festival of Britain exhibition at The Royal Festival Hall

Original Festival of Britain souvenir scarves

The original Mobile Seagull Appreciation Society trailer on the Thames Southbank

The huge straw fox sculpture on the Southbank

The start of the sandy beach area at the Southbank celebration for the Festival of Britain

Artists have filled some of the interiors of the beach huts on The Southbank

A traditional beach hut interior by artist Phill Jupitus created for the Festival of Britain celebration

All photos by Smudgetikka – all rights reserved