talkmagic.co.uk

http://www.stevensmagic.com/personallys ... _2/ps7.asp

he looks well smart in my book (he's about a third of the page down) like a 60s mystical hitman or something...

anyway, have a little look-see...there's derren brown, all the winners, and it's a great site too...

and look at the 'Lovely Debbie McGee' down the page a bit on http://www.stevensmagic.com/personallys ... _2/ps5.asp - it's the first time I've ever heard her referred to as Debbie Daniels!

Wey hey! Ali Bongo is my god!

I used to love his stuff on kids telly in the early 1970s, when he'd have all the eastern shmutter on and those great big glasses.

how many of the credited/mentioned mentalists/magicians that get thanked on the back of 13 steps are still alive now? Its not only Mr. Bongo is it? havent got the book with me...

Bongo was probably the first magician i remember, then Berglas, a vague recollection of Kreskin and Canasta..then it was chimps and Daniels....

aaah a Daniels and chimps on the rocks please barman...

abraxus wrote:Bongo was probably the first magician i remember, then Berglas, a vague recollection of Kreskin and Canasta..then it was chimps and Daniels....

I also used to be fascinated by David Nixon at around the same time Ali was on kid's telly. He had such a gentle style.

I have had the pleasure of meeting Ali on more than one occasion, infact I last met him two weekends ago at the Magic Circle.

Now, David Nixon That bloke got me into magic Always the true pro and a gent also.

Tomo, you should have come to International Magic Convention in Euston 3 weeks ago. It was a lot of fun and you would have met your god... Ali Bongo was there. He was as fab as usual. And he walked amongst us commoners, stopped for a chat and I got a photo taken with him. It was a thrill

gunnarkr wrote:Tomo, you should have come to International Magic Convention in Euston 3 weeks ago. It was a lot of fun and you would have met your god... Ali Bongo was there. He was as fab as usual. And he walked amongst us commoners, stopped for a chat and I got a photo taken with him. It was a thrill

I'm very jealous!

Ali will probably be at Blackpool.

Mandrake wrote:Ali will probably be at Blackpool.

After all this, I'll probably be too nervous to go up to him and thank him for making my childhood a little less grim.

Two years ago he was in the half mile long queue at Blackpool with the rest of us mere mortals waiting to register and he was most charming and chatty. Not just about magic but about many topics and he actually started the conversations as though he'd known us all his life. A true gentleman indeed.

You know, I once saw Stuart Hall coming out of a toilet in a pub. It was a very strange experience. He's one of those people who, just by looking at him, you think you've known him all your life.

I'd booked Ali for a lecture in Nottingham in 2002/3 and went to fetch him from the railway station. The officious ticket collector said " Oh you can't go down onto the platform without a ticket sir!" Security at that time.
" But i have to meet an elderly magician who's coming to lecture for us"." Sorry sir. You'll have to wait up here( and spot him through the 5 o clock crowds???) sir"
The station master appeared and was told of my request. "What magician is this sir". They were polite. "It's Ali Bongo and it's his first visit to Nottingham". The station master's eyes gleamed. A big smile lit up his face. " I used to watch him every week on the telly. He was wonderful. .Let the gentleman through.. Now!" Security was forgotten.
Oh the magic of a name.
Later over a meal at our home, Ali provided the answers & details of a Kalanag illusion I'd researched for over 20 years. And I've never given it away in my Kalanag lecture.
The name is Ali Bongo and That's Magic!!.
Allen Tipton.

I worked for Ali Bongo in the sense that he was the manager of Hamley's magic department which was a concession owned by Corinda.

I used to drive him crazy. Someone in recent years remarked to him that I worked with him and he sighed and said "He worked with me for a short time but it felt like a very long time."

His real name is William Wallace and he told me he was a direct descendant of THE William Wallace the great Scottish hero who got chopped up into little pieces by the wicked English.