With thanks to Ben and Tom for contributing this exciting day out and their tour of Devon museums to my general sphere of knowledge.

Ben and Tom's big strange museum report
Case # 1: House of Marbles

Having left Exeter, we got slightly lost and ended up driving to
Moretonhampstead, where this is a garage that has ran out of petrol.
>From there we followed signs to Bovey Tracey and were directed to the
house of Marbles by an overly friendly tourist information guy (He was
probably Gay). He forced us to take a copy of Dartmoor Visitor, which is
great, thougth we didn't think to use it to find Yelverton later on.
The House of Marbles was great, definitely the best museum of the day.
Entrance was free, carparking was free and plentiful. There was more
parking everywhere you looked. The museum itself had a nice restaurant,
displays of marbles and glass making and some guys actually making glass
into various weird shapes. The marble runs were well worth the visit,
the larger of the two being simply incredible and having this little
jump type whirly throw type catch thing. Wik.
In the museum shop Ben purchased a marble shooter, which later turned
out to be crap, though it could come in handy in any future games of
marbles I choose to play. (House of marbles have a marble ring. Ben's
comment, "Nice marbles" was ignored as childish and petty by the till
girl.
Future visitors should note that there are _no_ marbles to be found in
the left of the museum, avoid it at all cost.
Ratings:
Parking:	*****
Leaflet:	*****  (mentions both plentiful parking AND masses of parking)
Exhibits:	*****
Value for money:*****
Staff:		***
Overall:	*****

Case # 2 : Cardews Tea Pottery
Cardews tea pottery is within walking distance of the House of Marbles,
but it does also have paring, though not to the same high standard. 
There is no major museum to speak of - you can watch women painting pots
- rather boring.  The rest of the tea pottery is a very overpriced shop
- one teapot cost £2000. The shop goes on and on, the only sign that you
have reached the end is that you hit a tea shop.  Ben bought a postcard,
which was overpriced, when he said "nice teapots" he was completely
ignored.
Ratings:
Parking:	***	(did not use, however)
Leaflet:	****	(bit tacky)
Exhibits:	*	(nothing there)
Value for money:***	(entrance free, shop poor)
Staff:		*
Overall:	***

Case # 3 : Pixieland at Dartmeet
A surprise stop, prompted by its sign by the roadside.  Bens highly
illegal manouver got us into the free parking, which is not abundant,
though probably adequate for its needs.  There is a plesant garden with
lots of gnomes and a giant gnome.  Gnome style hats were avalible free
for photographic purposes (which we of course utilised) but the hats
must be returned before you leave.  There is, of course a shop, selling
a large number of gnomes, as well as gnomes to order.  Ben bought a
pencil at a reasonable price and his comment "nice gnomes" was greeted
with a smile.  A notewothy feature of pixieland is that clotted cream
can be ordered and sent by post.
Ratings:
Parking:	**
Leaflet:	major failure - no leaflet was avalible
Exhibits:	****	(gnomes dont come better than this)
Value for Money:****	(free entrance, and inexpensive gnomes)
Staff:		*****	(friendly, seemed surprised that there were 4 people there
at one time (we werent the only ones))
Overall:	****

Case # 4 : Yelverton Paperweight Centre
Oh Dear!  Its just a shop, and an expensive one at that.
Ratings:
Parking:	***	(plentiful, but not its own car park)
Leaflet:	**	(only one fold, very boring)
Exhibits:	*	(its a shop, the exhibits are what you cant buy)
Value for Money:*	(paperweights overpriced, and do not come in yelverton
paperweight centre box)
Staff:		c**ts	(very old, been there since it opened in 1968, totally
unimpressed by bens "nice paperweights" comment)
Overall:	*

Case # 5 : Barometer World
Merton is too small a place to be signed anywhere other than in Merton.
We found it by falling off the map. barometer World can only be entered
by ringing the doorbell. Once inside we were welcomed pleasantly and
shown into the museum, the only one we paid to go into. The museum is
basically a cabinet full of barometers, which is pretty exciting. The
shop only sold Barometers, the cheapest of which was out of Ben's feeble
price range. His comment "Nice Barometers" was smiled at in vague "Piss
off" kind of way. Oh, the museum is owned by a guy called Phill
Collins...
Ratings:
Parking:	****	(only reasonable, gravel, not tarmac)
Leaflet:	*****	(ultimate leaflet, features micheal fish)
Exhibits:	**	(large collection but poorly presented - could be so much
more, needs a small steam train)
Value for Money:*	(charged an entrance fee, barometers were expensive)
Staff:		*****	(very welcoming)
Overall:	**

Other important comments

If nothing else this report has shown the importance of a good quality
leaflet, petrol stations keeping a stock of petrol.  notable things we
passed on the road included...
Hookways Greenslades Meathe Depot - shame they have no museum or guided
tour.
Clotted Cream Tanker Lorry - heading off for its contents to be put in
an envelope and sent away.
The Ultimate Sloane School - complete with gatehouse, huge grounds, and
very old building.
A Driver definately not taking "Moor Care"