<body topmargin="0" leftmargin="0"> <p>This site uses frames.</p> The aim of the museum is to provide images and facts about the history of toy forts and castles, known as chateau forts in France and burgen or schlosser in Germany. In it there is a museum shop, run by Allen Hickling Toy Forts, for old, vintage and antique, toyforts, toycastles, toy fortresses, toy figures and related products, which is the commercial arm of the museum trading widely on the internet and at international toy fairs. It is aimed at anyone interested in the world of children's play and toys from the past. Before 1925 most of these forts and castles were made in Germany, but then France, Britain and the USA, among others, started making them. There were wood toys (wooden toys and woodtoys), but you also find metal toys, tin toys (tintoys), plastic toys, cardboard toys and composition toys. Some of the best known manufacturers were Hausser, Elastolin, Gottschalk, MoritzGottschalk, Tri-ang, Triang, Starlux, Marx, Britains and Rich. Well-known distributors, wholesale and retail, were Gamages, Hamleys, Bon Marche and F A O Schwarz. There are five departments: the exhibition galleries; the museum shop; the entrance (and members' lounge); the library; and the curator's office. Also the museum offers six facilities: a guidebook; the latest news; a review of museum activities; contact with the museum; interaction with the curator and others; a network of links to websites of interest. This museum has been set up by the curator, Allen Hickling, on the basis of his on-going research which started about fifteen years ago. He wrote his first published article in 1992, since when he has become a regular contributor to several specialist publications. He is currently engaged in writing two books on the subject, one of which will be published soon. Before this he collected toy soldiers. He started his collection when he was 14 years old, and it continued for nearly forty years. Subsequently he sold his toy soldiers, but still collects smaller sizes in support of his collection of toy forts and castles. The museum will always provide a stimulating experience that can be both challenging and fun, enabling interaction between members, visitors and staff. </body>