Mr Vacuum Cleaner

There's a museum in Alfreton dedicated entirely to vacuum cleaners. Yes, really. Mr Vacuum Cleaner is exactly what it sounds like - a collection of suction machines spanning decades, from hulking 1920s uprights to modern cordless models. It's the sort of place you'd walk past and think was mad, then find yourself properly absorbed for a solid hour.

The collection tells you more about domestic life than you'd expect. These aren't just dusty old appliances gathering actual dust - they're evidence of how we've cleaned our homes, how technology has changed, and what people collected obsessively before the internet made collecting things properly weird. If you're into industrial design, social history, or just enjoy oddball museums, you'll get something from it.

Families with kids aged eight and up will find it more interesting than younger ones, though it depends how you spin it. A five-year-old might manage twenty minutes before boredom sets in; older kids with a curiosity about how things work will linger. It's the kind of place that works brilliantly as a rainy afternoon diversion when you're based at one of the local caravan parks - Golden Valley or Riddings Wood are both close by, roughly three miles away.

I'd recommend ringing ahead before visiting, as opening hours aren't widely advertised online. It's the sort of independent museum that runs on passion rather than corporate scheduling. Don't expect slick presentation, but do expect genuine enthusiasm from whoever's running it.