Clive Goddard writes:

Spread over two nights last week, so that the maximum number of people could turn up, London’s new Cartoon Museum opened its doors and let a few highly important guests have a good gawp around. The glamorous Cartoonerati turned out in force to see the newly renovated (if not quite finished) museum which has moved to a large basement in Wells Street, Fitzrovia. 

It was one of those rare hot and humid days in the city which tested the air-conditioning to its limits and reduced most of the attendant humans to sweaty, ink-stained wrecks. However, there was cold wine provided as well as unidentified little things on plates and a communal defibrillator to keep everyone conscious. Speeches were made by Oliver Preston, new director Becky Jeffcoate, our own Steve Bell who had selected and hung the artwork for the show, and Baron (Kenneth) Baker of Dorking (the 84 year old politician not the bloke who used to trundle around inside R2-D2).

The new museum has the same floor area as the old one but is now all on one level and has a safer, cheaper lease so it should be safe for a while yet.

Gerard Whyman, the PCO’s trusty lens-man (©The Sun 1974), came all the way from Newport and took these photos. Which was nice.

Nick Newman perusing the comics gallery.

Museum director Becky Jeffcoate being very amused by Mr Goddard’s colonoscopy anecdote.

A sun-bronzed Glenn Marshall pretending he drew the Hogarths. (Ed: What do you mean pretend? Hogarth’s and my work are virtually indistinguishable!)

A cut-out Kate Charlesworth enjoys a glass of fizz.

All photos © Ger Whyman

NB If anyone has any good pictures of Opening Part II let us know and we’ll add them.