John Robey
John Robey was born in Nottingham and was educated at High Pavement Grammar School. After a BSc in Physics at Leeds University and a PhD in magnetic materials at Sheffield University he was a research physicist in the electrical power industry. A career change led him into publishing non-fiction, especially local history, industrial archaeology and travel guides. A move to an old house and the purchase of a longcase clock kindled an interest in clocks. This brought together his interests in the history of science and technology, especially how things were made in the past, with his skills in woodwork and engineering.
He learned the skills necessary to restore clocks and at the same time made use of his experience as an editor and book designer to establish Mayfield Books in 1995. Since then almost twenty titles have been published and Mayfield Books is now the leading publisher of quality books on horology. He has written numerous articles for Clocks, Antiquarian Horology and the Horological Journal. He has also written The Longcase Clock Reference Book in two volumes, which was soon established as the definitive work on the subject. He is currently working on a fully revised and expanded second edition.
He is particularly concerned with dispelling many of the inaccuracies and myths that exist in the subject of horology. He is particularly interested in early clocks, both English and European. He likes to work in a similar manner to the clockmakers of the past, and despite enjoying working with machine tools, he tries to explain to ex-engineers that 'clockmaking is not engineering'. He is fascinated by the variations in striking and chiming work, but is equally interested in painted dials. In fact, provided there is an opportunity for the discovery of new facts and information he is equally at home investigating the family history of an early clockmaker as an obscure dialmaker.
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