Imagine there are no stories. Just us and the prosaic drudgery of life. Washing up without the Cinderella complex. Bedtime without the Three Bears. Car journeys without The Cat In The Hat. Bleak, dark and... impossible in fact. Now, go to your happy place. Where is it? What does it look like? LIZ NICHOLLS’ is on Pembroke Street and it could be yours too.

Let me tell you a story. Once upon a time (2003) the idea for a museum dedicated to stories sprouted like Jack’s beanstalk and, excitingly, no one now seems to quite know how far it’s going to shoot.

A mystery fairy godmother (or godfather) bestowed a gift of £2.5m – enough to secure a 130-year lease on Rochester House.

This neglected, tumbledown building on the literary leylines – hobbits, Hogwarts and the Queen of Hearts all sprang up around here – is The Story Museum.

Right now, it’s a virtual museum (or ‘at the pumpkin stage’ as the organisers call it) running school outreach programmes – since 2005 the charity has worked with 50,000 children in performances, exhibitions and activities, particularly the most disadvantaged in the city to help them fulfil their potential.

It brings joy to the heart that, despite its somewhat stuffy reputation for intellectual snobbery, a chunk of Oxford’s wealth (both cash and creativity) is being dished out in this way.

So, what to do before the builders swoop in to transform this pigeon-riddled labyrinth into a shiny new museum?

Make the most of the atmospheric site by using a bit of creativity, of course.

Despite not officially launching until 2014, The Story Museum is warming up with a few events.

Next up: Other Worlds. Former children’s laureate Michael Rosen, fantasy artist Roger Dean (designer of the iconic Yes albums), prizewinning poet Kate Clanchy and artist Anita Klein are just some of the writers and artists who will create a large-scale installation on-site throughout the whole of May.

Think picking a key to a confession box to find the end of your story... A world of teeny tiny Babatuni taking a giant leap to reach the mysterious door that dominates their landscape... Periscopes disappearing into the loft space offering a teasing glimpse into the mystery life of ex-post office worker Old Bob.

Yeah, you have to squint a bit and, God forbid, actually use some imagination to get your head around these installations but they sound so brilliant and bonkers that they might just work.

Also on right now is the Hand-Printing Workshop, allowing you to set and press your own sonnet, page or bound book using the tactile joy of centuries-old typefaces and presses lent by The Bodleian. The labour-intensive skill is surprisingly entrancing, both for youngsters and adults.

The words spring off the page – indeed, you’ll never think about a Kindle again.

Another tempting cherry on the cake will be Alice’s Day – a series of madcap events over the weekend of July 7 and 8 organised by The Story Museum to mark the 150th anniversary of Lewis Carroll’s creations. This will be my first summer in the city and the combination of crazy Caucus Races around Christ Church, lessons on the lawn for big and little kids, cake-eating and fancy dress parades to rival Mardi Gras sounds like my kinda learning.

“Stories are the most important thing in the world. Without stories, we wouldn’t be human beings at all,” says author Philip Pullman, patron of The Story Museum. He’s right, you know.

As I was reminded on my visit, imagination is not just something that children used before the Xbox came along. So it’s about time we gave kids the credit to take a leap of faith into this quirky, wonderful city steeped in learning and dream up their own endings.

With the spotlight on the underachieving primary schools in the county, The Story Museum’s leftfield approach might be just the answer.

* Liz Nicholls is pictured with a printing poster with senior tutor, Dr Paul Nash. The Story Museum is at Rochester House, 42 Pembroke Street, Oxford, OX1 1BP. Other Worlds, inset left, runs throughout the whole of May and there are some places left on the Hand-Printing Workshop in May and the six-week course – call for details. Alice’s Day events, inset right, are on July 7 and 8. Call 01865 790050.

See storymuseum.org.uk