Mechanical Memories Magazine

PRESENTING TIM HUNKIN & HIS UNDER THE PIER SHOW
Last year we had the privilege of taking a small part in the inaugural GEEK (Gaming
Expo East Kent). We were delighted to be asked to join in again this year with what
has become the biggest gaming event in Kent!
Social media, the internet and gaming has, for a generation, created a culture of
home-based entertainment. It's difficult for some people to imagine (or indeed,
remember!) a world where the only way to pursue your gaming interests was to don
your hat and coat, get out of the house and head for an amusement arcade. So for
GEEK2013 , we set out on a quest to find out more about our amusement arcade
heritage.
We soon discovered that, outside of MMM and a very small number of books,
very little has been written about the history of amusement arcades despite their far-
flung success, but we did find a man who knows an awful lot of stuff. So much, in
fact, that his interest in amusement arcades has led to a ten-year-long obsession with
creating his own amusement arcade of home-made machines on Southwold Pier in
Suffolk.
Tim Hunkin, engineer, cartoonist, writer and artist is probably best known for
creating the Channel 4 television series, The Secret Life of Machines, which revealed
the mysterious mechanics of anything in the home from the washing machine to your
gaming console. For 15 years Tim produced the cartoon strip, The Rudiments of
Wisdom - a visual encyclopaedia for the Observer newspaper, which explains
everything from the workings of an albatross through to the functions of zoos.
Tim's work extends beyond TV and media and includes curating exhibitions and
building interactive museum exhibits for the likes of the Eden Project, the ICA, the
Science Museum and the Cabaret Mechanical Theatre, as well as designing numerous
public engineering works, chiefly for entertainment. So with his blend of museums,
engineering and entertainment expertise, we were thrilled to bits when Tim agreed to
come down to Margate to give a visual talk about the history of the amusement arcade
and the building of his own arcade and the machines and games within it - the Under
the Pier Show.
The Dreamland Trust is proud to present for one day only, Tim Hunkin, at Turner
Contemporary on Thursday 21 s t February 2013 at 3pm. Tickets are £6 (£5 cones)
including a cuppa - proceeds will be split between the gallery and The Dreamland
Trust.
Nick Laister
Nick Laister (Chairman, The Dreamland Trust)
www.dreamlandmargate.com
WW\V. savedreamland.co. uk
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