The Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising is a fairly small but fascinating museum in Notting Hill. Formed from some of Robert Opie’s collection it’s jam packed with over 12,000 branded items; packs, posters, adverts etc and runs from the Victorian era up to the present day.
I found it fascinating seeing how some brands had hardly changed their packaging in 100 years; particularly Colman’s Mustard, Brasso, Bovril and Lyle’s Golden Syrup. Discovering abandoned items from the past was entertaining too; WWII (s)Hitler’s ‘bum paper’ being particularly memorable. And did you know that along with their mock turtle soup Heinz also sold a real turtle variety? Walking around the museum there was a lot of pointing and “ooh, I remember that” going on… although it was quite odd looking at things from the 90s and realising they were 20 years old… eek! Where does the time go?
If you go on a Saturday you can combine it with a walk round Portobello Market too; it’s a very pretty area and all the different coloured houses remind me of Brighton’s. If you’re peckish, Tom’s Deli just round the corner is a quirky place to grab a nibble or a (huge!) slice of cake.