talkmagic.co.uk

Slightly different question, but pretty much the same answer!

http://www.talkmagic.co.uk/sutra194742.php#194742

Had a magic set in the 70's.. and never looked back, but only been making an effort the last few years.

1976 a guy called Dick Tilly was responsible. He had I understand been taught by Paul Diamond in the USA but Dick was running a hotel in Somerset , I worked for him for about 3 years . I was 21 at the time . He introduced me to the possiblities and to Supreme magic ( some may remember them) .

The first trick was a Kings to Aces effect which I still have and still do,only a couple on days ago actually. I also had as part of the mailing a Stripper deck and a prediction effect built around 4 queens . I still have all of them complete with instructions . I remember receiving the Kings to aces effect because in took me 4 hours to get it to work being the complete novice that I was.

This guy opened up a whole new world for me and I will always be grateful.

I remember watchng David Nixon on the TV but the guy who really got me hooked off the TV was Doug Henning. Thank god for Video , I can still enjoy his work .

I'm now 52 and have met some really amazing people through the years , some not famous others who were. Two that have always stood out were the late Harry Blackstone Jnr and Wayne Dobson whose career I still follow. Most of the people have been really nice and helpful , but then I think thats what this art form brings with it.

I hope the younger ones of you get as much out of magic as I have done and continue to do .

My late father (a MIMC) started me off around 40 years ago. I remember my first Supreme Magic catalogue which in those early days was just a single fold printed sheet. It advertised items from just sixpence (that's two and a half pence in new fangled money) and most of my pocket money was saved up to spend with Supreme. A little later, my father got me "Harry Stanley's Unique Magic" catalogue which I credit with teaching me to read (everyone else was on 'Janet & John')!

My eldest son has now taken on the family tradition too so that's three generations of us now... so far!

Interesting that you mention Harry Stanleys Company. Supreme eventually bought the rights to the efeects put out by the man . Harry himself eventually became a contributor to the in-house mag. as well .

You kown when one is asked about how you got the magic bug it makes you look back . You then realise how inportant some of these mags were. Lewis Ganson is another name from those days writing for Supreme and in doing so producing the "teach in" series of articles and accompanying books . I would suggest that he may have been an important influence for a lot of us starting out on this road "way back in the 70s" . His work with Dai Vernon and Slydini to name two, has certainly given me "food for thought" over the years .

I wonder if leaning by DVD has made it too easy