talkmagic.co.uk

I'm still pretty new here, but starting to post more often.

However, anyone have the scoop or background how this community started? Seems like quite a large group from all over the place.

Just curious mostly.. been around for how long? Any original creators still around.. etc.

didn't see any post about it, or info in the FAQ section

I'm no veteran here but check out some of the earliest pages in the forums for posts by "The Old Forum" - I believe they are hangovers from its genesis. They make for some interesting reading I must say!

Mandrake stokes the coals in the fireplace to a rosy glow which illuminates the darkening evening, settles back in his favourite armchair and relaxes as the flickering glow of the flames casts shadows and highlights on his wizened but very friendly old countenance. His watery eyes stare off into the distant past as he recalls once again the days gone by. He clears his throat and begins his tale.......

Thanks for asking! The history is scattered around various posts but the short version is that once upon a time a chap called Laurence Jones had a magic supply shop by the name of emagictricks.co.uk and he started a Discussion Forum to go with it. Although the shop flourished, the Forum became less and less well attended and at one time two or three posts a day would be classed as very busy. Usernames weren't necessary unless access to the Magicians Only Area was involved which is where the various names started.

There came a time in April 2003 when the Old Forum crashed for technical reasons but Laurence salvaged most of it to start again in the current phpBB format. Most of the Old Forum members are long gone but their posts and comments are preserved in all the old files, especially in the Magicians Only Area which is why we tend to be a bit fussy about offering access. In April 2003 we were pruned down to less than 500 members by removing all those who had registered but not posted and the new slim line TM started on April 19th that year. The rest, as they say, is history. As for old members still here well, NickJ was here when I joined so he's certainly an old timer - even though he's still in the first flush of youth! I'm sure the other old timers here will make themselves known in due course.

Laurence is still the owner of TM but he sold emagcitricks a while ago to concentrate on other business activities and, of course, emagictricks continues under new ownership.

well speaking for myself and i think I'm pretty long in the tooth forum wise, i can still remember the bar and the pond overlooking the field were the ardvarks did wander freely and with gay abandon.... oh the nostalga of it all.
then there was the basment were the archives are kept, i still wander thoughs halls when i need soless and comfort there an old friend to me equaly as real as the personas currently on the forum.

anyway i digress to my understanding this forum was created by lawrence who owned magictricks.co.uk to give his customers a place to talk and discounts from the store and was a direct marketing tool for the store hence the rather draconian rules some of which we still have today... please remember that we all new the forum was an extention of the store.

today it is a seperate entity and trys hard to balance the need for new magicians to learn and the need to keep magic as exclusive as possible so it dosn't go the way of some other hobbies.

hope this helps I'm sure someone longer in the tooth than i will be along to fill in any gaps iv'e no doubt left.

Good info, thanks for sharing.

I'll keep an eye out here to see if any other long time posters add to the memories.

talkmagic reunited sounds like a cool forum topic

Mandrake wrote:Mandrake stokes the coals in the fireplace to a rosy glow which illuminates the darkening evening, settles back in his favourite armchair and relaxes as the flickering glow of the flames casts shadows and highlights on his wizened but very friendly old countenance. His watery eyes stare off into the distant past as he recalls once again the days gone by. He clears his throat and begins his tale.......

Oh my old friend, kick the dog out of the other chair, I'll be over with a bit of Mead from last year's mixing and a good bowl or two... we can enjoy that element of mystery together... that's what we old wizards do, isn't it?

Going back a little further, the shop was Abrakazam and I bought my first ID and IT there. Attached to the shop was another website, magictrickshow.co.uk, which played videos of some effects. To gain access to some tutorials you had to be a member of the forum and be granted access.

Then came the Great Crash of '03 and TalkMagic was born. Many of the original members left at that point, and many more left after the Second Great Crash of '03 but fortunately more joined, and I think there are now no more than three or four of us who were around when The Old Forum still existed.

As to the youth bit, I'll be halfway to 50 on Sunday, and, therefore, officially old.

i think i came here just after the first crash when all this was hills and fields etc there were a "hardcore" few regular posters at that time and funnily enough they all ended up being mods!..lol

except for poor little me... then again judging by some ok most of my early posts giving me that power to weild could have been diabolical

I was wondering this too. THis seems to have alot of people. Since I joined up with MVD and Anything Magic I havent come here much at all lately. But still a great site.

Nickj, how old were you when you joined the forum? Oh, and Happy Birthday!