Oi Chelmsford! A Kes Gray takeover launches at the Museum of Chelmsford

The Museum of Chelmsford has opened a new museum-wide exhibition that celebrates the renowned children’s author, Kes Gray.

Across several galleries, Oi Chelmsford! Kes Gray: Chelmsford Born and Read, explores the author’s best-loved stories and characters and how his memories of growing up in Chelmsford inspired his ideas.

Playful content brings beloved characters and stories to life

Oi Chelmsford! has transformed the museum’s temporary exhibition gallery into a playful, colourful and welcoming space, created with children and families in mind. Featuring hands-on activities, toys and illustrations, it’s designed to excite little ones and connect them with their favourite characters from popular books such as the ‘Oi Frog & Friends!’ stories and ‘Daisy and the Trouble With…’ series.

Interactive exhibits include a magnetic fishing game, a life-size play sweet shop and memory matching games. There are also puzzles, word games and a children’s den shed with a secret tunnel entrance.

The exhibition features colourful and imaginative interactives for children.

Weaving through these playful elements are the real-life memories of Kes’s Chelmsford childhood. Through the author’s personal toy collection, archival material and his own recollections, the exhibition shows the tangible link between Kes’s stories and his Chelmsford roots.

Kes Gray says the exhibition has revealed just how much his Chelmsford childhood has influenced his books:

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“It has been so much fun collaborating with the Museum of Chelmsford on Oi Chelmsford! I never realised until now, how many of my childhood memories have worked their way into the stories I have written. And this exhibition will itself, become a memory I will always treasure.”

Kes Gray, Children’s Author

A museum takeover to engage and inspire all ages

Oi Chelmsford! extends beyond the temporary exhibition gallery, with content across the museum creating a full takeover experience for people of all ages to enjoy.

Children enjoy the different elements in the exhibition.

This includes a full refresh of the Toys and Games gallery, where a selection of vintage toys, books and games from Kes’s personal collection are now on display. These range from games Kes played with as a child in the 1960s, through to toys from the early 2000s that were part of his own children’s childhoods. Items on display include the classic Mouse Trap board game, “must have” 1960s dinky car toys, Ladybird books, and 1990s cartoon action figures including Batman and Inspector Gadget.

Over in the Victorian Hall – where the museum’s beautiful Victorian-style Christmas Tree can be found – are more vintage toys, this time inspired by Christmas. Some of Kes’s favourite childhood Christmas presents are on display here, including an impressive Johnny Seven One Man Army toy weapon, which was one of the bestselling toys of 1964.

The exhibition has spread across the museum, with displays in other galleries.

Councillor Jennie Lardge, Cabinet Deputy for Cultural Services, says that, while Oi Chelmsford! has been designed with children in mind, it draws upon themes of childhood for both children and adults to explore:

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“This is the first large-scale exhibition to takeover the Museum of Chelmsford and its core aim is to engage with our very youngest visitors by exploring the charming world of Kes Gray’s popular children’s books. But I think it will also strongly speak to our older audiences who, through Kes’s childhood memories and the displays of vintage toys, are certain to feel a sense of nostalgia as they look back on their own childhoods. It’s an exciting opportunity for families visiting the museum to connect with one another through our universal experiences of childhood, past and present.”

Councillor Jennie Lardge, Cabinet Deputy for Cultural Services, Chelmsford City Council

Communities contribute to exhibition through museum’s outreach programme

As part of its ambitions to improve access to museums and connect with communities, the museum worked with local schools and Special Educational Needs (SEN) families to design and produce Oi Chelmsford!

Through the charity Action for Family Carers, the museum consulted closely with SEN families on the sounds, colours and textures of the exhibition to ensure positive sensory experiences for SEN children. From this collaboration, the museum also committed to hosting ‘SEN Friendly Saturdays’ once a month and created a visual journey on the museum website to help families prepare for their visit in advance.

The museum also collaborated with local schools, Moulsham Infant School and Moulsham Junior School, to produce content for the exhibition. Kes, who attended both schools as a child, visited them earlier this year where he led special assemblies and was interviewed by students about his Chelmsford childhood and creative writing process. Students from both schools were then tasked with creating their own ‘Oi Frog’ and ‘Daisy and the Trouble With…’ illustrations and stories to go on display in the museum’s Our Chelmsford gallery. A short film of his visit also features in the temporary exhibition gallery. 

Exhibition curator, Sarah Harvey, hopes that Oi Chelmsford! will draw in more families to discover their local museum:

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“It’s been a real privilege to work alongside Kes, his publishers and local families on this exhibition, exploring his memories of Chelmsford and finding engaging and imaginative ways to present his well-known stories in a museum setting.

“One of our biggest hopes for Oi Chelmsford! has been to attract and engage families that sometimes struggle to visit attractions because of sensory challenges or other barriers. I hope that, through our work with Action for Family Carers, we’ve managed to create a safe and inviting space for children of all ages, needs and abilities to enjoy; granting families fresh opportunities to explore what museums have to offer.”

Sarah Harvey, Curator and Exhibitions Officer, Museum of Chelmsford

Accompanying programme of events

Oi Chelmsford! Kes Gray: Chelmsford Born and Read is on display at the Museum of Chelmsford until 21 June 2026.

A programme of events, including author talks, storytelling sessions and crafts, provides further opportunities for families to immerse themselves in the world of Kes Gray. Sign up to Museum of Chelmsford enewsletters to hear more.