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Come on then, what was it like? Any pictures?

I was busy and couldn't go

Shhhhh - I shtill have a hangover........

Well, get some black coffee and painkillers down you and tell all...

I really wanted to go this year, but as you know, a certain project has taken up all my time, chiz, chiz.

Tomo wrote:Well, get some black coffee and painkillers down you and tell all...

I really wanted to go this year, but as you know, a certain project has taken up all my time, chiz, chiz.

But don't take Nurofen... I just read that they are now a contributing factor to strokes, high blood pressure and heart attacks.

so are fry ups but I just can't help myself!

Blackpool was excellent. The Saturday evening show was a contest of several invited acts competing for prizes in several categories and using an X-Factor style of four judges offering criticism after each act had done their bit. I'm not sure it worked very well at all and disagreed with some comments offered whilst fully endorsing other comments they made. It just slowed things down a bit but gave a breathing space while the backstage boys set up the next act. There were far too many Substitution Trunk/Metamorphosis routines, all using different props and procedures but basically the same thing. Also far too much prancing around by some performers and their lovely assistants. As one judge remarked, 'This is a magic competition, not Come Dancing'! There were several boring acts which were slow, pedantic and achieved no sense of wonder other than 'I wonder who told him this was entertainment'. One guy doing a comic vent act using a live duck had the problem that although he was doing the duck's voice OK, the real duck kept quacking which tended to spoil the illusion somewhat. The judges picked up on that and I heard afterwards that recipes for Duck a la Orange were being eagerly sought! Fortunately most of the acts were good and most refreshingly there were some up and coming youngsters with lots of energy and great futures ahead if they can get the work and keep their enthusiasm going. That show went on until well after 12.30am so it was a long slog for many.

The Sunday show was better structured as a proper stage show, again superb acts were involved. The second half provided the best bit of comedy I've seen for years but it wasn't intentional. Ken Dodd was doing his bit and presenting the prizes, the Chairman of the Blackpool Club had the list and the microphone but he, Ken Dodd and the table of trophies were not in proper alignment so that when one guy came to collect his trophy there was about 5 minutes of putting microphones down picking up clip boards of things to say, shaking hands all accompanied by the MC doing impromptu comic sign language and in the end Ken Dodd had to grab the trophy and insist on presenting it properly but all done in great comic mime. One of those things you had to see to fully appreciate. The after show Party was good although by that time most people had seen more than enough magic but we had some old fashioned mind reading of objects held up by spectators and co-presented by a guy in a huge purple hat. No idea why but he must have thought it a good idea.

During the day, there were many lectures from the great and famous, including Jay Sankey, Michael Roth, Aldo Columbini and others. As usual it wasn't possible to do everything as some events took place at the same time so choices had to be made. There were lots of demos of classic and latest effects, mostly with explanations, and then such items were on sale. There were several ideas presented which were simplicity itself and required just a few sheets of paper so were well worth taking note of. The dealer section was selling furiously and many items were sold out by the end of Friday afternoon.

Significant problems over the weekend were that one performers' props had been damaged in transit by airline personnel so the act had to be scrubbed, another had failed to show for some reason and the guy doing a Dove act couldn't bring doves into the UK due to the bird flu situation. Rather bravely he borrowed doves and although everything worked OK, it was obvious, that the birds weren't fully used to the act and tended to misbehave a little.

In addition the after hours boozing and socialising were excellent. I missed the Friday night sessions but made it to the Saturday one (I left early at 4.30am Sunday morning) and the Sunday one finally wound up at about 5.30am Monday morning. It was good to meet the TM members there and it forged an even stronger bond of mutual interest in our collective art. We saw lots of magic, we shared and enjoyed favourite effects, several people just started doing their street or stage act for the sheer hell of it, lots of alcohol was consumed and, as the time honoured phrase would have it, 'A good time was had by all'.

As always, the Blackpool Club tried new ideas and even if they didn't all work out as planned, at least they need serious congratulations for trying. Nest year will see more ideas and innovations and it will be here sooner than we think - a year in magic is not a long time!

Mandrake wrote:One guy doing a comic vent act using a live duck had the problem that although he was doing the duck's voice OK, the real duck kept quacking which tended to spoil the illusion somewhat.

I nearly had to spit me tea out again laughing at that line! I really wish I'd gone now, just to see that.

Was a Mr D Brown of Bristol there, by any chance?

PS: Famous people I saw there and spoke to
Wayne Dobson
Joe Pasquale
Frank Carson
Ken Dodd
Kerry Scorah (oooo-err!)
Ali Bongo
Dynamo (who came and introduced himself in the hotel on Sunday night showing himself to be a most polite and charming guy!)

Possibly best of all for me as a one time drummer of little talent and big ambitions, I had dinner on Sunday evening with Eric Delaney. For those who don’t know that name, Eric was the legend of big band drummers - see http://www.mikedolbear.co.uk/story.asp?StoryID=705 for a bit of detail. When I say 'had dinner with' what I actually mean is that he and I were at the same table eating our after show Hot Pot !

There were many more and I've excluded those who were there to perform/lecture.

Tomo wrote:I nearly had to spit me tea out again laughing at that line! I really wish I'd gone now, just to see that.

Was a Mr D Brown of Bristol there, by any chance?

Domino the Duck and his twin a la Prestige [ooo, exposure alert] proved the old saying of never work with animals and children (or aged Chairmen of Magic Clubs with manual dexterity difficulties)! I didn't see Mr.Brown but I know there were many other famous names mingling with the crowds so other visitors may have more names to add.

sounds like a brilliant few days, I'll have to make sure I get there next year

It was excellent!

People i met/saw/shook hands with/watched do magic from across the pub were:

Ian Rowland
Greg Wilson
James Brown
Dave Forrest
David Roth
Marc Oberon
Dirk Losenger
Wayne Dobson
Jon Armstrong
Dynamo
Mark Leverage
Jay Sankey
Nathan Kranzo
A young guy Lawrence and I were told was Derren Browns younger brother who looked and talked just like him, but called himself Mikey G.

As well as Bananafish, Mandrake, Lawrence, GunnarKr, Tony Hyams, Lozey, Flash, Jericbilo and others who's names escape me currently.

Anyone thinking of going next year, it is highly reccommended, I'm sure it will exceed your expectations, as it did mine!!

And i also hit Mandrake on the head with a card whilst throwing them at Lawrence. Sorry about that

I'd like to meet Ian Rowland (only spoken to him via email) and I might pass out with pleasure at being in the same room as Ali Bongo. I think I'm meeting Dave Forrest next week, oddly enough.

Sounds like a great weekend of magic! I hope I can make it there one year!

so many good times were had, and later nights (read: morning) too.

I'm thinking of changing my signiture on here to "I taught Mark Oberon contact juggling", he's such a nice guy; although i did lend him one of my balls for the convention then really got the impression i wasn't getting it back. but it's not too expensive so no worries, i got a trick from him so i guess all is fair.

think i've made a good friend in Mr Major, Tom. same thing next year buddy? possibly without the club though. although having known what we knew saturday night we could've gone clubbing then to the ruskin

a memorable quotation: majortom: "so... is John Thompson... John Thompson?"
turns out he's not