While working in Covent Garden in the late 1980s, Peter Lennertz discovered the Cabaret Mechanical Theatre. A plumber by trade, he has always had a passion for woodworking. In the 1990s, Lennertz crafted wooden automata, including the one featured on this page, which was part of the Modern Automata Museum's "Circus" exhibition. In 2007, the British Toymakers Guild named Lennertz Toymaker of the Year.