talkmagic.co.uk

Hello all,

I got into magic when I was 14 or so...joined the Scottish Conjurers' Association at 17 (c.1998/9), took part in a young magician competition in Edinburgh and came fourth (of four...), and realised I'm no performer.

Kept my hand in, inasmuch as it's a very casual interest, but I still have countless reference books (that's not true - I COULD count them...) and have had my interest sort-of reignited in recent years thanks to books by Derren Brown (Tricks of the Mind) and Jim Steinmeyer (Hiding The Elephant, The Glorious Deception, The Complete Jarrett)

Can't find a facility to search members on here, but if anyone was in the SCA at that time be good to hear from you...

Jordan.

Hi Jordan,

Welcome to TM, looking forward to getting to know you

Hi Jordan and welcome to TM

Jordan back from the dead?????
I can't believe it!!!!!!

It's Dave here, from Stuart's class!!!

Often wondered what happened to you!!!
You can't possibly be 28 now??!!?!?

What you up to now?

Haha, hows it going?! I'm good thanks, like you I find it hard to believe I'm 28 now too... worried that many of the people I remember from the SCA will be in their seventies now - or worse... You stay in touch with many from Stewart's class? Jeez, even he must be in his late sixties by now....?

I pretty much lost interest in performing round about 20 - the magician is an actor playing the part of a magician, and I ain't no actor... in fact, having spent my formative years working backstage in theatre, I eventually did a degree in Technical and Production Arts at the RSAMD and am now self-(un)employed as a carpenter/propsman in theatre, TV and film... Quite interested in principles and mechanics, love reading about Victorian stage machinery, and would love to get a job building illusions or somesuch, if only one knew where to find such work...! I still perform Card Warp on the odd occasion in the pub - using my business cards as that's about all they're good for... but haven't even picked up a deck of cards in years.

Found this site totally by chance, and don't know how much I can really contribute any more, but have recently read most of Steinmeyer's easily-available books, so there's still that residual interest, though I haven't even been in Roy's shop in years (though he and his wife still seem to remember me...)

What's new with you?

Hi Jordan,
I'm still active but mostly in Edinburgh - member of the Edinburgh Magic Circle, although living in Glasgow.

Stuart is retired now but still doing Magic classes in a couple of colleges.

Rarely see any of the old guys. Saw Ian a few years ago and, funnily enough, asked him what became of you! Ewan, David, Peter... haven't seen for years. Alan D is still around.... still the same.

You should pop along to the SCA. Like most clubs numbers are down, but still many of the old hands there.

Good to see you getting back into magic. You were a better performer than you give yourself credit for...

Peter got in touch with me out the blue maybe five years ago - I was still living in Hamilton - as he wanted a new copy of that packet trick I was touting much of the time back then. Quite flattering, he told me he'd worn the original out and had got 'so much mileage' out it!

Haven't heard from Ian in as long - he's not listed in the SCA committee on their site, but of course he may well still be there as an ordinary member. As for Ewan, he was hugely into magic, had been to Vegas so many times, and then sort of utterly lost interest. He was so enthusiastic too, but then while at the time it seemed a shame I guess I sort of went a similar way...

I've occasionally toyed with the idea of turning up at an informal night, but never gone through with it - so much time has passed, and I've changed a lot since those days, in attitude and personality as much as in age and appearance...

Thanks for your kind words, but I never felt terribly comfortable as a performer - I so much prefer being behind the scenery, not in front of it! One thing to sit around showing each other the latest learned effect in the comfort of Stuart's class, but once I tried entering SCA competitions or working for lay people, it didn't go so well - though maybe my age/lack of experience had something to do with that...!