Family's new Forres museum shows off UK's top automata collection at old Stuart's Cycles shop
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
A FAMILY firm with a difference has opened a museum, open workshop and gift shop in the old Stuart’s Cycles shop.
Specialising in automata, ornate clockwork-driven moving sculptures, the House of Automata has invited Forres to view the UK’s largest collection of the unusual artefacts.
Michael Start started his career as a London clockmaker and built up a thriving business, but his family encouraged him to abandon the “very boring and dull career” in favour of working on automata – which “dance and drink and sing.”
Setting up a specialist shop alongside wife, sculptor and painter Maria Start, the family and business later relocated to Moray but retained their customers, spread across the globe.
He was later joined by son Hector Start, a Fine Art graduate, retained Forres firefighter and ex-Forres Academy pupil, completing the three-strong team behind the new High Street venture.
“It’s wonderful,” Michael said.
“The reception has been just fantastic.
“We’re the only place in the UK where you can see automata like this and it’s the UK’s biggest collection in the UK, so it’s pretty unique.”
Open Monday to Wednesday, from 10am to 4pm, the exhibition costs £7 for adults and £5 for children – with gift shop entry free.
Since opening on July 10, folk from as far afield as Texas have journeyed to see the clockwork curiosities – although visitors were asked to check the website before travelling.
Dozens of antique automatons are on show in cabinets, with QR codes alongside to show videos of them operating.
Converted push-button exhibits also mean visitors can directly interact with automata, including lifesize Nancy – the “manageress of the museum” who breathes, crosses her legs, turns her head, and sews.
However, Maria said, she has not made much progress on her fabric.
The House of Automata, which has over 45,000 followers on Instagram, are also the UK's top specialists in restoring the bellows and feathers of delicate mechanical singing birds, often housed in the small snuff boxes or cages.
Michael and his family have provided automata knowhow and restored pieces for TV shows and films.
One six-month stretch saw Michael work alongside legendary director Martin Scorsese on 2011’s automata-featuring Hugo.
The Moray family’s exhibits have featured in everything from The Woman in Black to Midsomer Murders, Victoria and Sherlock Holmes.
Museum visitors can also see automata from TV show Salvage Hunters, James Bond author Iain Fleming’s automaton, and The Who singer Roger Daltrey’s Moon automaton.
In the 1950s, one exhibit – a bear automata – “saved the world”, Michael said, during the Cuban Missile Crisis
"It was played with by the Russian foreign minister Andrei Gromyko during a UN cocktail party, before an important meeting," he said.
"And that one is quite interesting, because it softened the atmosphere in the room and actually prevented a disaster."
Michael, who has written a book named Secrets of Automata which will be out at Christmas, explained his reasoning to base the family firm in Forres.
He highlighted how top craftsmen, including watchmakers, have honed their work tucked away from the stresses and frustrations of busy areas.
Michael said: "Several people have asked us: 'What on Earth are you doing in Forres?'
"And we have to say: 'Well, we live here!'
"The world's finest precision mechanics, and the best technical watchmaking centers in the world, are tucked away in Neuchâtel and Sainte-Croix – in the clear mountain air of Switzerland – where all the Rolexes and similar kind of things are being made.
"They use that clear mountain air and freedom to good effect.
"And we're doing the same thing: with the wonderful light; the freshness; and the freedom from mental clutter you get from living in Moray.
"Being in the hustle and bustle of the city, doesn't lend itself to concentration."
Hector said he felt "honoured" to have the chance to keep the family business alive,
He had spent the museum's opening day working on a 19th century Magic Theater that had been converted to push-button for the exhibition.
When the button is pressed, a lady taps the top of the theater and a curtain rises up to reveal a different dancing figure each time.
“It is an incredibly unique business and an exceptionally hard one to get involved in.” Hector said.
“I feel quite honoured to be part of it and to keep the family business alive for future generations.
"It comes with a huge range of skills - such a massive pool of skills that it's actually impossible to learn all of them from one school or university."
"You have got to be very prepared to research every object we restore, because each is different," Maria said.
"We have to read the how-to books as well, if we can find those."
"There's not many how to books – and there are absolutely no instructional YouTube videos," Hector said.
"So you have to do a lot of problem solving."
"You were always good at airfix kits," Michael said.
"So I always knew your fine motor skills were superb."
Also a key part of the new offering is the gift shop area, which features push button automata which can be operated for free and stocks a selection of make-your-own timber automata kits, priced between £14.50 and £33.
The goodies on offer include magic tricks, House of Automata mugs and fridge magnets, scientific kits, music boxes, jewellery boxes and Christmas ballerinas.
For the "true enthusiasts", however, an hour-long guided tour named The House of Automata Experience is available outside normal opening hours, where antique automata come out of the cases to operate for real.
A tour spot costs £16 pounds per person, with a minimum of two and maximum of eight.
Places can be booked by emailing: magic@thehouseofautomata.com and special group rates are available.
One highlight of the museum is the chance to see where the specialised restoration work takes place and the tools involved – possibly catching some work in progress.
In the lineage of alchemists, metalworkers and apothecaries of old, the House of Automata has a crocodile hung above the workbench.
Michael explained that sticking to the reptilian tradition was key to ensuring a high quality of work.
"Do you know about the crocodile on the ceiling?," he said.
"All good workshops for hundreds of years have had a crocodile, going right back to the alchemists.
"Anybody that works in metal and fire can greatly improve the quality of their work by hanging a crocodile over the workbench.
"Few people notice, but it's actually a great big crocodile hanging up there.
"And for some reason people don't seem to see it, but he is sneakily overseeing our work."
After pausing, in response to commotion behind him, Michael said: "Hector, are you laughing at my crocodile?"
"It's not: 'great big'," Maria said.
"It is big - that's about five feet long," Michael said.
"What?," Maria said, laughing.
"Well, if you uncurled its tail-," Michael said.
"It's about two feet long," Hector said.
"It's four feet at least," Michael said.
"Well, it's more over my side than yours anyway."
"Oh what fun - we have such a laugh in the workshop," Maria said.
"All fun and games."
