NOW you’ve seen enough horror movies over the years to know that consulting one of these creepy contraptions rarely leads to a brighter future.

Perhaps that’s why the woman with The Mysterious Hand was consigned to a dark corner of the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, home of the Museum of the Royal Navy.

The naval yard housing the museum also offers Henry VIII’s mighty Mary Rose, risen from her watery grave, Nelson’s HMS Victory and the Victorian HMS Warrior.

But look round the site closely and you’ll find all manner of wonderful memorabilia such as The Mysterious Hand fairground booth automaton pictured at the top of this post.

On our visit in May 2017, she was in the good company of other machines including one which plays out an electric chair execution in the USA for the price of 20p.

Then there was a seriously sinister smirking sailor with a disconcertingly manic laugh…

Laugh with Jolly Jack, read the invitation. Delightful.