Mysteries at the Museum

In Great Baby Race, Don Wildman examines the tunnel tiles that were used to raise funds for a wacky competition, revealing their role in the event’s financing. He also inspects a medal tied to a major swindle and a doghouse that was part of a notable journey, linking each artefact to its peculiar backstory.

Great Baby Race is a television programme formatted as an episode within a larger series. Hosted by Don Wildman, the show takes an investigative approach, focusing on unusual objects and the peculiar histories that surround them. Each instalment presents a handful of artefacts for Wildman to unpack. In this particular instalment, Wildman turns his attention to three distinct items. First, he examines a set of tunnel tiles that were used to raise money for an eccentric competition. Next, he scrutinises a medal that appears to be linked to a major swindle. Finally, he investigates a modest doghouse that’s part of a notable journey. The tunnel tiles, originally part of an underground passage, were repurposed as a fundraising tool, their sale or display providing the financial backing needed for the odd contest. Wildman details how the tiles’ modest appearance belied their crucial role in securing the competition’s budget, highlighting the ingenuity of the organisers. The medal, bearing symbols of achievement, is revealed to have connections with a large‑scale fraud, suggesting that its prestige was part of a deceptive scheme. Meanwhile, the unassuming doghouse is traced back to a specific expedition, showing how even a simple shelter can become entwined with a larger narrative of travel and adventure.