page_title: Thursford Collection
section_title: Thursford Museum
hierarchical_section_title: Thursford Collection / Thursford Museum
caption_attribution_description: English: Entrance to the Thursford Collection from carpark The Thursford Collection houses a great variety of mechanical organs, ranging from small street organs to large dance organs, steam showman's and traction engines, steam rollers and static engines, fairground and dancehall organs and a Gondola switchback. It also includes a narrow gauge steam railway and a Wurlitzer theatre organ.
context_page_description: The Thursford Collection is a museum located in Thursford, Norfolk. Founded by local man George Cushing, it is now known for the scale of its collection of steam engines, organs and fairground attractions, and its annual Christmas spectacular show, which draws over 100,000 people to the Norfolk countryside.
  The Thursford Collection is a registered charity under English law.
context_section_description: As Cushing's collection grew, more enthusiasts travelled to Thursford to help restore and then view his collection. Thus, in the 1970s Cushing opened his museum in what was then a series of old farm sheds, and would personally tour the audience between exhibits, most often dressed in a countryman's flat cap, tweed jacket and muffler over baggy jumper, trousers and gumboots. He would then shake each visitor's hand, and ask departing guests with a blunt "Did yer loik it, then?"
  The original museum had limited opening times, but Cushing expanded the attraction to include a gift shop and tea rooms, and opened seven days a week during the summer season. In 1982 he co-wrote, with Ian Starsmore, Steam at Thursford. For the scale of his efforts in saving much of Britain's steam heritage, Cushing was appointed an MBE in 1989.
caption: Entrance to the Thursford Collection (September 2007)
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