Museum celebrates Mr Men's 45th birthday with new exhibition

They have been greedy, silly, messy, clumsy and bossy, while tickling, sneezing, worrying and bumping: now the Mr Men and Little Miss are celebrating their 45th birthday with a “Mini Museum” curated by their biggest fans.

An exhibition dedicated to the characters created by writer and illustrator Roger Hargreaves will be held at the gallery beneath the Oxo Tower on the South Bank. Enthusiasts are lending items from their collections and the public can upload pictures of their favourite characters, which will be shown on rolling screens at the show.

Michelle Harrop, of Waterlooville in Hampshire, is delving into her £35,000 collection. The mother of two, who has Mr Men rugs, mirrors, tea sets and a kitchen roll holder, said: “I fell in love as a child reading the books, and know many adults feel the same. This is a great opportunity to help a new generation of children discover these characters and for fans to share memories.”

Hargreaves published his first story, Mr Tickle — whose unfeasibly long arms are useful for a host of everyday tasks — in 1971. Dozens of books followed with the first female character, Little Miss Bossy, introduced in 1981. They have sold more than 100 million copies worldwide and been televised.

The Mr Men Little Miss Mini Museum runs from August 24 to 29 at Gallery@OXO. Upload memorabilia at