We hadn’t even stepped foot over the threshold when closer inspection of the uniformed bear guarding the doorway revealed a giant-sized Rupert-style teddy I remember from my own childhood.

My re-acquaintance with Rupert proved fitting for a place which trades on the phrase “I used to have one of those.”

Ilkley Toy Museum is a place where visitors reminisce from the moment they walk through the front door. Dolls houses depicting life through the eras through bygone decor and costumed characters are among the thought-provoking memorabilia encased in glass cabinets.

There are tin toys, James Bond spy games, teddies and dolls dotted around this compact museum which takes visitors on a journey through toys of yesteryear and fond reminiscences of the characters that charmed us through childhood.

Thoughts of the young recipients ripping off the wrapping paper on Christmas morning, or celebrating their birthday with a special gift come to mind when spotting the porcelain-faced dolls, their dainty features illuminated under spotlights casting a glow over their furry teddy counterparts.

Miss Barwick, a fine English George III wooden doll, is indicative of the figurines bringing enjoyment to young ones of that era. Miss Barwick has a gesso-covered head, black enamelled eyes and a real hair wig. She has her own contemporary sedan chair with brocade curtains, cushions and an embossed with an ornate initial ‘B.’ Miss Barwick has belonged to the Barwick family, who hail from Yeadon, for generations.

Blanche is somewhat of a celebrity bear. The 1910 white mohair teddy hails from the famous teddy makers, Steiff and accompanied her owner on Secret Service assignments before finding her way to Ilkley from the Cotswold Teddy Bear Museum and Brighton Bears Museums.

Blanche was owned by the daughter of a German Jewish family and escaped with her owner to England at the start of the war. Following her owner’s death in 1979, Blanche was on display in the aforementioned museums.

In 1992, she was filmed with Susannah York and Mark Greenstreet in the BBC series Trainer. She also appears in the book The Century Of The Teddy Bear by Constance King.

Situated in Whitton Croft Road, a short walk from the throng of The Grove, a beautiful promenade of shops, Ilkley Toy Museum is a pleasurable place to pop by, particularly with little ones.

Our daughter Katy loved peering into the dolls’ houses. Plate glass prevents visitors touching the decor and delicate items which would once have been played with, but visitors appreciate their preservation is paramount due to their age. Stafford House, dating back to 1830, is an unusual terrace of two London houses with original painted brickwork, fan lights and glazing bars.

Visitors will love spotting the ‘mad’ professor in the attic and the tin plate toilet with working flush in the bathroom.

The museum contains one of the finest private collections of toys in the North of England. English wooden dolls; lead figures and wooden and paper toys are showcased to resurrect the delight visitors felt receiving similar gifts to commemorate special occasions when they were young.

Imaginations are stirred by the colourful English working model fairground dating back to the 1940s. Close your eyes and you can hear the music and smell the candy floss as you gallop around on your steed.

A decade later and you can immerse yourself in the memories of 1950s television characters; James Bond’s action figure and Disney favourites Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and that all time family favourite, Mickey Mouse.

The Zoetrope, a device producing illusions of motion through swiftly-moving static pictures, explores early animation, while the Spot On garage and Newfooty game will remind young lads of the toys and games that occupied their time before computer consoles were introduced.

Older visitors will delight at the sight of TUT TUT. One of Ernst Paul Lehmann’s renowned figures, the first toy mobile with working horn was manufactured in Brandenburg, Germany from 1881 to 1948 More than 100 models were produced during the golden age of toys which ended around 1920.