A Brief History

Yesterday's World in Battle, formerly known as Buckleys Yesterday's World is widely regarded as one of the best loved attractions in the South East of England and is currently home to one of the largest social history collections in the UK.  

Originally set up by Brian and Annette Buckley in 1986 Yesterdays World came about from a genuine love of collecting nostalgia, antiques, memorabilia and interesting old artefacts.

In 1982, using various items from her 'collection', Annette won first prize in a Good Housekeeping competition to design and arrange a window display.

Having enjoyed the prize, a £10,000 luxury holiday in Thailand, Annette began to dismantle the display which was set in the newsagents they ran, when numerous customers made it known how much they enjoyed bringing people to view it.

A regular customer of the shop suggested that a more permanent display might be possible in the cellar of the newsagents... and so it all began. The 'basement museum' was established using Annette's personal collection of memorabilia, and as more and more items were donated, the collection took on "a life of its own".

The exhibition outgrew its first location and it became obvious that larger premises were needed. To this end, the purchase of a 600 year old Wealden house was secured, and in 1986, a new museum was opened to the public - 'Buckleys Museum of Shops'. Within a few short years the collection reached a point where once again it had outgrown the premises, and following clever negotiation, the adjoining house was purchased. The museum was re-launched as Yesterday's World on the 16th June 1992. 

A new £3 million 5,000 square foot expansion has recently been added to the rear of the original two houses, allowing visitors to wander through the intriguing backstreets of Victorian England or go back to the year of Queen Elizabeth's Coronation and the psychedelic seventies. Upstairs you can meet Queen Victoria herself along with her crown jewels and many family mementos 

From its modest beginnings as a personal collection of historical bygones, this top award winning museum recently celebrated it’s 22nd anniversary, and is now home to over 100,000 nostalgic artefacts, lovingly collected over the past forty years.

The museum provides a unique insight into the past; cleverly created through a series of vividly recreated walk through displays. Experience the look, feel and taste of "how we lived then" at the turn of the century and beyond.

Breathe in the sweet scent of ‘penny twists’ from Mrs. Bumble’s famous Chocolate Shop, where colourful jars of goodies jostle for space on the heavily-laden shelves. As you stroll past the Victorian kitchen, the air is filled with the aroma of spices, where the hard working cook and her maid are preparing dinner. Visit the 1930’s grocers, pharmacy, the Victorian Children’s Play Room, wireless shop and more. 

You could be forgiven for thinking what a delightfully peaceful place, the staff however can tell many a tale of ghostly goings on. There are some places within the building where they will not venture after dark, even with the lights on.

Previous Reported Activity

It could be  very long list from the accounts quoted, but here are a small selection we have been told about for you:

• Someone walking on the stairs when the museum is empty except for staff, who were all in the same place
• Mists seen in the Grocers shop (Psychics have picked up a disturbed presence)
• Someone running along the Chemists corridor by staff after closing
• A baby crying heard in the attic (after the daytime crying recording has been turned off)
• Little Boy seen sitting on one of the stairs stroking his pet (daytime)
• A monk has been seen
• A hooded woman has been seen
• A soldier in uniform has been seen in one of the shops
• A proximity alarm inside a display goes off, a mist has been seen on the security cameras at the same time
• People become very uneasy in one of the shops
• Orbs have been seen with the naked eye in one area
• A lady is seen in a white dress
• Things fall off shelves in the shop and the cafe
• A feeling of being watched or followed in the attic near the fairground

 We regret that we cannot offer a full report on this location at present.

© County Society for Paranormal Investigation and Research - 2008

Last Updated 20/10/2008