The Secret Life Of... Tim Hunkin
Posted from: Suffolk County IP18, UK
Secret_Life_Of_Machines.mp3 Listen on Posterous
Today, I spent a fun afternoon in the posh seaside town of Southwold,
Suffolk. It has all the requisites for the British seaside archetype -
sand, sea, sun (a little), fish and chips, amusement arcades and... a
pier.
I love piers. They provide a walk, a view, interesting people and
amusements. Usually the amusements are of the 'Penny Falls' variety
but Southwold Pier has something altogether different. The 'Under The
Pier Show' attraction comprises a collection of coin-operated machines
that provide entertainment of a more genteel, and at the same time
more witty nature.
See the full gallery on Posterous
Part mechanical, part electronic, all fun, the exhibits recall the
British ingenuity of the late 19th/early 20th Centuries. The automatic
dog-walker provides a mechanical dog on a treadmill, so that the user
can get exercise and doggy companionship in one. Another booth is a
medical take on the animatronic fortune teller with a model doctor
within a glass cubicle, his stethescope extending beyond to allow the
user to place it to his chest. Diagnosis made (for 2x20p coins) his
mechanical hand signs a prescription which drops into the slot below
for collection. The Autofrisk machine inflates two rubber gloves which aggresively run themselves up and down the victim before delivering a diasbling coup-de-grace 'down below'.
See the full gallery on Posterous
The jewel in the crown of these marvellous machines is the Bathyscape - a simulated submarine ride. Crowd into the 'airtight' capsule, shut the door and the water level
appears to rise up the portholes as you 'dive' below the Southwold
sea. The monitor in front of you shows the local aquatic wildlife as a
fishy drama plays out involving shark attacks, underwater cities,
nuclear waste and being swallowed whole by a mutated leviathan.
All of these wonderful attractions were created by Tim Hunkin, a
typically British artist and inventor. Dressed in a tweed jacket and wiry specs,
he looks every inch a boffin. I remember him fondly from one of my
favourite Channel 4 shows ever 'The Secret Life Of Machines' in which
Tim and his counterpart Rex Garrod explained the workings of everyday machines such as video recorders, the fax machine and the washingmachine using a mixture of wacky contraptions, animation and comedy. Most of my adult knowledge of 'how things work' is taken from this show. Those who watched TSOLM could also not fail to be captivated by the ska version of Dave Brubeck's 'Take Five' that formed the theme tune. Tim
made all of the machines that I saw in Southwold with the help of
various collaborators, including Rex.
After TSLOM, Rex went on to compete in 'Robot Wars' (he invented the
pneumatic flipper/self-righter) and it was when searching the internet
for news of Rex's latest exploits that I came across Tim's Under The
Pier Show. My trip to Southwold was without the knowledge that Tim's
show was there so it was with sheer delight that I discovered it.
So, for nostalgic education on everyday mechanics, see 'The Secret
Life Of Machines', for a robot that can right itself when flipped onto
its back, see Rex Garrod, and for a fun-filled seaside collection of
witty and ingenious machines, see 'The Under The Pier Show' in
Southwold. Well done, Tim and Rex.
