Yesterday was one of those days that I'd been looking forward to for what seemed a long long time. The reason was Paul Gordon's Card Capers day in Leamington Spa and I'd seen Paul in action earlier in the year when he gave his mini lecture of only 90 minutes at the SEMC.
90 minutes is an age for some lectures but I wrote in my SEMC review that his lecture flew by and was one of the highlights of the SEMC in my opinion.
Anyway, back to Leamington - there were eleven of us packed into the function room at the Cubbington Sports and Social club - a nice and cozy number although a couple who had booked did fail to show. Their loss but our gain.
The day started informally at around 09:30 whith a general chat at we sat around waiting to see who turned up before we got into the formal start of the lecture a few minutes before 10 o'clock.
I'm not going to list each trick, mainly because there were SO MANY and I don't stand a chance of remembering them all
The format was the standard performance / explanation type of lecture and this suited very well in my opinion. This allowed everyone to guage the material that suited their skill level or just pick what they liked and as I said, there was plenty to choose from. There was definately something for everyone although a good number did stand out for me.
I particularly liked Twin Peaks, an ace estimation and some very devilishly sleights that Paul spent time explaining in detail.
What I also liked was the frequent breaks from the cards where we just sat and listened as Paul shared stories of his performing experience and the tips that he has used over the years. This type of material in my opinion is invaluable and can only be gained by going out and working, which is the message that Paul got across.
There were also plenty of questions being fired at Paul about a range of different subjects from sleights to what inspires him. He answered everyting in his stride.
We broke for lunch at 1 o'clock for just over an hours and then headed into the afternoon from 2pm until 5pm.
I have to admit to feeling drained at the end of the day. It's a long long session but I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend to everyone. It's hard to beat the value of this day as without doubt you get your money's worth for £25. There was also some great discounts on Paul's books and DVD for those interested and most were.
This is a fantastic day out, spent with one of the nicest blokes in magic.
