New display celebrating Lollipop People encourages young visitors to stop, look and listen at the Riverside Museum

Toucans and Lollipops, a major new display at Riverside Museum, Glasgow will open on Thursday 19th May!

Article Source: Glasgow Museums
Last Updated: 18 May 2016 16:19

It tells the story of road safety and how our approach to learning about this deadly serious issue has changed since the 1950s, through one element that hasn’t changed – the Lollipop Person.

Road safety is a vast subject. Museum curators opted to celebrate the role of these often unsung heroes, officially known as School Crossing Patrol workers, because they are crucial to the safety of children and embedding road safety awareness into their everyday lives. They can also testify to the many different dangers on our roads and are easily identifiable and well-liked in the communities they serve. By speaking with a number of serving lollipop people and presenting their stories alongside iconic objects, including their uniform and stick, the display will instantly appeal to the primary school children it has predominantly been designed for.

Lollipop lady Betty Martin and children from Elmvale Primary, Glasgow who feature in the new display, were the first people to try out Toucans and Lollipops at Riverside Museum, Glasgow.

Glasgow lollipop lady Betty Martin said: “Working in all weathers was a bit scary at first, but I love the job, I’ve been doing it for 17 years. I love seeing the children grow up. I took some of them across the road in Primary 1, they’re up in the academy now, some are even at college, but they still come and cross with me. It’s always nice to see them, even if I have to look up at them now given how tall they’ve grown. And the mothers are so, so kind, they appreciate what we do. You meet lots of friends, from all different cultures. We’re too busy to stop and blether but you’ll get a quick word in.

“Every Lollipop person has got a responsibility to the children we cross, I think of us as the guardians of the road. I’m delighted to see this new display celebrate the work we do and I think children will love it to. And if it helps them take care while crossing the road, well it’s done its job.”

Research has shown young people prefer to learn through physical activity and social interaction. In a unique move for Riverside Museum, the display structure has been adapted to create a miniature roadway, complete with a fully functional Toucan Traffic Light Crossing System courtesy of Siemens Plc, which visitors can cross. Adding to the atmosphere is an audio soundscape between a Glasgow Lollipop lady and some local schoolchildren, accompanied by the sounds of busy traffic and car horns to remind visitors that the road is a dangerous place. It is hoped that by adding this hands-on, interactive interpretation pupils can engage in and enjoy group-based, task-orientated learning on an incredibly important topic.

Glasgow has some 360 lollipop people. Betty Martin generously donated her uniform to Glasgow Museums. It features in the display alongside road safety education objects, including a poster from the 1930s, a Teddy Tells You How to Be Safe booklet (1952), together with a much-loved How Tufty Crosses the Road leaflet (1974) and a Road Sense Early Learning Ladybird book (1977). The display is complemented by contemporary road safety objects popular with today’s schoolchildren, including a Go Safe With Ziggy soft toy and artist’s sketchbook.

A children’s road safety activity pack has been specially produced by Riverside Museum in partnership with Go Safe Glasgow to complement the display. The new exhibition will also feature in the museum’s Learning and Access programme, together with a formal workshop programme.

Chair of Glasgow Life and depute leader of Glasgow City Council, Councillor Archie Graham, said: “Road safety is a deadly serious issue, especially for our children. Despite the welcome reduction in child road casualties in recent years we know it is vital this important part of a child’s learning remains at the top of our agenda to ensure key road safety messages are instilled in all our young people.

“I think this engaging, hands-on display is an innovative way to tackle a very important subject. I want to thank all the lollipop people and children who assisted in creating Toucans and Lollipops and hope young people visiting the display enjoy looking back with their parents and grandparents at how things have changed over the years.

“This major display change highlights Glasgow Museums’ commitment to keeping visitors engaged, enhancing the city’s reputation and stimulating cultural tourism.”

The display is situated upstairs in Riverside Museum beside the No. 9 Tank locomotive. For more information visit www.glasgowmuseums.com