“Pleeease can we go to the EastEnders exhibition again?!?”

So nag my six and nine-year-old. They’ve never seen an episode in their life. I’m not even sure if they know what BBC1 is. But they love the tiny Elstree and Borehamwood Museum down the road. It’s one small room hidden at the top of the library, but it always puts on a good, kid-friendly show.

The latest exhibition celebrates 40 years of EastEnders. The soap opera has always been filmed in Borehamwood, just beyond the London boundary in Hertfordshire. Indeed, you can see part of the set from the library windows — it’s less than 200 metres away.

The museum packs a lot into its one room. The centrepiece is a recreation of the Queen Vic. Visitors are welcome to pull a (pretend) pint, perhaps while wearing Barbara Windsor’s face.

You’ll also find a copy of Beale’s market stall. My kids spent ages playing at greengrocer, handing over randomly priced plastic bananas, green beans and real potatoes. All while making relays over to the automaton machine by the entrance, which plays the EastEnders theme at the push of a button.

More sinister objects lurk in the display cabinets. One of these gathers together items used to maim or kill in the show, including a sharp-pronged meat thermometer, a carriage clock and some candlesticks. Meanwhile, a bust of Queen Victoria, used to bludgeon Archie Mitchell to death, is poised on the bar. EastEnders is really quite nasty when you think about it.

Other novelties include Dot Cotton’s coat, Pat Butcher’s earrings and various other props and costume items that proper fans will enjoy. I confess, I’ve hardly ever watched the show myself, but I was still able to enjoy the quirky displays. Best of all is the map of Walford, a very curious cartographic construction.

The central core around Albert Square, with Walford East Tube station, the allotments and a couple of canonical roads are all as might be expected. But further out, the map is nonsensical. Many of roads, like Castle Parade and Rowe Avenue, appear in two places — a nightmare for the postperson. And I’m not convinced it’d be possible to stop a standard London Underground train at Walford East without blocking at least one of those two unfeasibly close junctions. I’m being picky… but not as picky as Diamond Geezer, who really went to town on this map.

This is, at the end of the day, a tiny exhibition and well out of the centre of London. If you’re reasonably local, then it’s worth popping in (especially with young kids) even if you don’t watch the show. If you’re coming from further afield, then it’s probably only for serious EastEnders fans. Either way, another fine effort from a small museum run by volunteers. Oh, and you’ll get a free beer mat, too.

In other local museum news, Borehamwood looks set to get an ‘immersive experience’ that would celebrate the local film industry. As well as EastEnders, the town has produced countless A-list films and TV shows over the years, including Star Wars, Indiana Jones, The Shining, a fair few Hitchcocks, Strictly Come Dancing, Big Brother and many more.

EastEnders at 40 is at Elstree and Borehamwood Museum, top floor, 96 Shenley Road, Borehamwood. Nearest station: Elstree and Borehamwood (about 20 mins from St Pancras on Thameslink). Entrance is free.