talkmagic.co.uk

Hi:

I just bought a lovely set of stainless steel cups that are no bigger than a shot glass from the UK shop PastTimes. Thought of doing a nice miniture cups and balls routine, or an upside down 'chink a chink'. Was wondering if any of you wizards had any other brilliant ideas. They come in a nice leather case and say they were from the RAF (WWII era).

*cough* chop cup

Unsure as to the effect to use them for old bean (I do like the idea of cups and balls) however I think that you definately need to use their "heritage" (when I say "use" obviously I mean embellish)

Maybe they came from a famous magician who was drafted into the second world war and they were part of his escape kit, used to distract the guards while some enterprising young airmen escaped?

I found an interesting link full of WWII RAF jargon that might add flavour to a routine:

www.associations.rafinfo.org.uk/code_names.htm

Maybe some of the TM base-wallahs may have ideas (incidently I hope your cups aren't desert lilys)!
So Toddy remember not to prang your kite and watch out for bandits and ack acks!

Could you somehow tie in with Maskelyne's WWII work on camouflage?

What is the camoflauge stuff?

I do like the provenance of an RAF officer captured behind lines, etc. They come in their own little leather case as well.

Maskelyne was the guy in WWII who created dummy tanks out of lorries and constructed a decoy site to protect Alexandria from aerial attack - he also did the 'vanishing' of the Suez Canal. He was known as The War Magician but I seem to recall that a lot of the stories surrounding his Camouflage Unit are now being questioned as they may have been 'over enhanced' each time they were told!

Mandrake wrote:Maskelyne was the guy in WWII who created dummy tanks out of lorries and constructed a decoy site to protect Alexandria from aerial attack - he also did the 'vanishing' of the Suez Canal. He was known as The War Magician but I seem to recall that a lot of the stories surrounding his Camouflage Unit are now being questioned as they may have been 'over enhanced' each time they were told!

Wow, that sounds like a winner to me!

Bravo Mandrake, splendid idea (why didn't I think of it)?

For a brief history on the great man Dr T check out this url:

http://www.channel4.com/history/microsi ... asper.html

And for a more in depth site devoted to him check

http://www.maskelynemagic.com/

Chocks away old bean!!

Cool...in the film The Eye of the Needle (or better yet the Ken Follett novel) there is a whole story line about making fake airplanes to fool the Nazis that there was an airbase and imminent invasion coming from one part of Britain, when the real attack was coming from somewhere else. Donald Sutherland is the Nazi spy with the film of the fake airbase who has to meet his U-boat, but gets marooned on an Island that happens to have a beautiful farmer's wife that is unhappy....hmmm....

PS> great links Flash....looks like there is a book in this!