60 Years of Star Trek

60 Years of Star Trek opens at The Brighton Toy and Model Museum on Tuesday 4 August, and it's on until 31 October. It's a special exhibition that pulls together six decades of Star Trek toys, models and memorabilia, all right here in Brighton.

The main draw is a collection of around 120 Eaglemoss models, along with other Star Trek material, all drawn from a museum donation. It's a good look at how the franchise has been shrunk down into something you can hold in your hand, from the ships to the smaller details.

For context, Star Trek first hit US screens in 1966. Creator Gene Roddenberry was determined to make it look 'real', so the Enterprise's control surfaces and crew interfaces were designed to resemble a working spaceship. The bridge had no flashy touchscreens, only rocker-switches and illuminated push-buttons. The show imagined a world after an atomic World War Three and drew on many of the era's top science-fiction writers. It's also said to have invented the future of small consumer electronics, from the wrist-activated Communicator to PADD tablets and the tricorder. Network executives hated it and cancelled it after two series; UK audiences first saw it in 1969, the same week as the Apollo 11 moon landing.

The museum itself, founded in 1991, is described as an extraordinary attraction full of childhood dreams and memories, and this exhibition fits right into that. You'll find it at The Brighton Toy and Model Museum, 52-55 Trafalgar Street, BN1 4EB. The exhibition is included with museum admission, and a standard ticket is £10.00.