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Jon Allen Lecture report by Peter Everett At our May meeting members, together with several very welcome visitors, enjoyed a lecture given by the award winning Jon Allen. Jon's lecture was entitled 'Who Cares About Magic' and in his opening remarks he stressed the importance of getting our audiences to care about the magic that we perform.The lecture included something for everyone and Jon opened with a prediction of a card chosen from a deck that had been thoroughly shuffled by a spectator. Other card items included 'Double Back' which was a variation on Dr Daley's Last Trick with a quite startling ending; 'The Silent Treatment' was a card in mouth effect and Adlibitious Card' an Ambitious Card routine in which the selected card had any chosen word written on its back and that word then used to produce some funny adlibs each time the card returned to the top of the deck. The 'Wedding Trick' was an effect which used cards with various first names written on their backs and which were dealt and stopped at by two spectators (usually the bride and groom at a wedding). The names on the two cards stopped at proved to be those of the assisting spectators.The curiously titled 'Freddy's Dead' had some interestingly different handlings for the Professor's Nightmare'. ' Unique Coin Bend' was a routine for Coin Unique in which the smaller coin finished up bent in a helper's hand. In 'Ghost' a crumpled, borrowed currency note was first annimated in a wine glass before jumping across to the other hand.Jon also showed us his variations on The Crazy Man's Handcuffs and the Broken and Restored Rubber Band, the difference for the latter being that the band finished up restored around a spectator's wrist. The 'Grabbit Production' was a very clean method of producing a bottle of champagne from a balloon.Throughout Jon's very entertaining lecture he explained in detail the thinking and reasoning behind each of his routines and everyone present must have gone away with something that they could use.Many of the effects in the lecture are explained in the recent book 'Experience: The Magic of Jon Allen' by John Lovick which, together with some of his packaged effects, Jon had for sale at the end of the evening. PETER EVERETT Message from Guild member Carl Wynn
Message from Guild member John Turner
Mersey Dee Cup The Guild are looking for members to represent the club at the resurrected Mersey Dee Cup competition on Tuesday 29th June. Please contact Steven if you're intersested in taking part. Order of the Magi The Chester Guild of Magicians will be guests at the Order of the Magi onTuesday 25th May. Please contact Steven or bring it up at the meeting if you'd like to attend so we may be able to organise car sharing etc! Details of Jon Allen Lecture - Monday 10th May Jon Allen is a full-time professional magician. He is well-known for effects such as ‘Double Back’, ‘The Pain Game’ and the universally acclaimed ‘The Silent Treatment’. His new book “Experience: The Magic of Jon Allen” has been given rave reviews around the world. While he is a winner of both World & British IBM close-up competitions and a previous winner of The Magic Circle Close-Up Magician of the Year, Jon is an exceptional performer in the real world of corporate and private events. April 2010 See the Links page! Added web links for Keith Bennet who did a dealer dem for the society a couple of years ago - now selling the tango range of coins. Also our very own Steven Cooil has his own website. Check it out! If any other members have their own websites or news, please contact Carl, the site administrator so we can add them in. Also any news regarding Guild members is welcome. It's the Society's page so let's make the most of it to highlight our members!
February 2010 - Craig Petty Lecture
December 2009 - Christmas Social Our December meeting was our annual Christmas Social Evening when members and their guests enjoyed a tasty Hot Pot Supper in our new club room at the Bull and Stirrup public house in Chester. The evening commenced with a TV adverts quiz that had been compiled by our treasurer Phil Fairclough. The main magical performance was by our own member John McDonald who specialises in Magic of the Mind. His very entertaining act included a Lottery Prediction, a Book Test, an Out of this World variation involving two spectators and a very quick Magic Square. John concluded his performance with a very nice combination of Mental Epic and the Tossed Out Deck. Close up magic at the tables performed by various Guild members brought a very entertaining and enjoyable evening to a close. Peter Everett July 2009 - Roy Zaltsman Lecture Roy Zaltsman from Israel was the visiting lecturer at our July meeting. Roy specialises in mental magic and is known in his home country as the second Uri Geller. Roy's lecture included an amusing Ambitious Card type routine; an effect using the forty-nine lottery numbers along the lines of the Tossed Out Deck; a double Billet Reading sequence; a prediction using several objects borrowed from the audience and a Triple Book Test. Roy concluded with a general discussion on the use of blindfolds. This was an interesting evening with a number of useable ideas, especially for those whose main interest is mental magic, and Roy received a good round of applause at the end. PETER EVERETT June 2009 - Willows Magic Dealer Dem
May 2009 - Dave Moylan Lecture Dave Moylan was a name new to most of us. He has been seen by one of our members performing his Medieval Magic, which I am told is a riot, concentrating more on comedy. He is the resident magician at Warwick Castle with his Medieval act. He also does a lot of close up work. Check out his website. Tonight though, he was presenting some of his Bizarre magic work. He said the most important thing was presentation. (I think this is important in any form of entertainment but with bizarre magic you could easily make or break an act). The presentation has to have the correct atmosphere ie., lighting, music, people’s anticipation and words. The words were a main part of Dave’s demonstrations, building up pictures by using relevant story lines.
March 09 David Forrest came to lecture for us at our March meeting. Every effect he performed involved playing cards. They were not, however, finger breaking card tricks designed to baffle other magicians but effects designed to entertain lay audiences.The effects shown included a named card to pocket routine,a pseudo memorised deck effect, a very clever signed card to card box, a selected card in a Jack sandwich, a four Jacks assembly which involved a previously selected card and a colour changing deck routine.David also performed two Cameron Francis effects, the first being Out of Order, a baffling packet trick, and Loop Hole which is an Ambitious Card effect.The whole evening was very enjoyable and entertaining and demonstrated the clever thought that goes into David's magic and also his mastery in handling a pack of playing cards.At the end of the lecture David opened shop to sell, at bargain prices,the effects he has marketed under his Full 52 Productions business. PETER EVERETT February 09 The theme at our February meeting was Magic with Rope, Thread, String or Ribbon and seven of our members participated in the evening. We saw variations on the Cut and Restored Rope, Equally Unequal Ropes and The 3 to 1 Ropes. Moves with a Ring and Rope were demonstrated and discussed and a nice Colour Changing Knot was performed. A nut was removed from a rope whose ends were held by two spectators and three Chinese coins were removed, one at a time, from a ribbon. Histed's Pom Pom Prayer Stick was performed, a treasury note was made to fold itself into eigths and tricks with shoelaces were discussed. Altogether a very varied and instructive evening that was thoroughly enjoyed by our members. PETER EVERETT January 09 Our secretary, Stephen Cooil, provided us with a very enjoyable evening at our January meeting. He commenced by outlining how he got started in magic when he was nine years of age. As time progressed he performed in school productions and, later at secondary school, he joined the school magic club. As a member of that club and also as a member of the Scouts, he gained valuable performing experience in the many shows they put on. Stephen then went on to discuss aspects of his many years performing to children and adults. He included good advice on dress, tables, sound systems and showed us a portable back-drop that was inspired by an Ian Adair lecture. During the second half of the evening Stephen performed, and discussed, his commercial table-hopping act. A snappy Sponge Balls opener was followed by the passage of four coins through a playing card. A slick presentation of Mark Leveridge's Ring Flight preceded a comedy interlude using the 52 on 1 card and Stephen closed his act with a nice Chop Cup routine. To round off his evening Stephen performed three effects that he sometimes uses in his close-up work. These were Mike Powers' Diminishing Returns, Duvivier's Nervous Breakdown and the Viking Finger Chopper. So ended an informative and extremely entertaining evening and Stephen retired to a nice, warm round of applause. PETER EVERETT November 2008 At our November meeting we were entertained by three new members. The first to perform was Nev Williams who opened by changing a five pound note into a ten pound note. Then two cards were selected and their values revealed by breathing on a wineglass. Next three plastic cups and three large balls were used in an amusing shells and pea type routine.Finally Nev performed a children's card to balloon effect.The second new member to perform was John McDonald. John specialises in magic of the mind and he opened with a prediction of a selected card before performing a two card coincidence effect. John closed his performance with a nice combination routine using a large Mental Epic board and the Tossed Out Deck.John Turner then entertained us with some well executed card routines which included a Three Card Monte variation, transpositions and Oil and Water. Finally John performed a nice sequence in which three Chinese coins were removed, one at a time, from a ribbon.Two of our Life Members entertained us during the second half of the evening. The first, Colin Spencer, amused us by recounting some of his early experiences when working the Liverpool and Manchester clubs. He then performed a Three Cards Across routine before going on to demonstrate the lost art of Chapeaugraphy which he used to illustrate the Sam Pick Up Thy Musket monalogue. Colin closed his offering with an amusing Vent routine in which he used a very nice vent doll that he had made recently.The second Life Member was Dic Jones who performed a clever Miser's Dream-type routine using lighted bulbs each of which appeared lit up in a transparent container. Dic brought a very pleasant evening to a close by selling off, at bargain prices, some of his seemingly endless collection of tricks and apparatus.PETER EVERETT The Order of the Magii are hosting the North West Dealers Day on Saturday 8th November at the Irish World Heritage Centre, Queens Road, Manchester. M8 8UF from 10am-4pm. In addition to the dealers, the day will include lectures from Johnny Oz on Origami for Beginers and David Charles on 'Mini Magic'. Tickets are £5 available through www.orderofthemagi.org.uk October 2008 Neil Plummer of Discount Magic came to give us a Dealer Dem at our October meeting. He commenced by performing a mental card routine in which the name of a selected card was divulged by means of a mobile phone text message.Neil then went on to demonstrate several tricks he had for sale, most of which involved playing cards in one form or another. Non-card tricks tricks demonstrated were a Three Borrowed Objects Monte routine, a Living and Dead Test and a Fire Wallet. He also had for sale a DVD devoted to Mind Reading effects and he told us about a CD Rom he sells which enables Gaf cards to be printed onto Bicycle poker-sized labels which can then be stuck onto actual playing cards.He also had with him a large selection of playing cards, thumbtips and sponge balls of many colours and sizes.After his demonstration, Neil opened shop and appeared to do brisk business. PETER EVERETT August 2008 - An Evening with Peter Everett It's always a treat to see Peter work. I especially enjoyed his compering of the Guild's 50-50 shows a number of years back so was particularly looking forwards to this evening. Peter never disappoints, this evening being no exception. He performed and explained twenty four effects peppered with his trademark delivery, the jokes raising both laughter and some audible groans from the members! The highlight of the evening for many was a cork effect Peter had learnt from a DVD. A cork lying on the table was covered for a moment with a mini fez and when this was removed the cork was seen to be standing on it's end! Amazingly simple but effective! I fooled my wife with it the next morning! Thanks go to Peter for an entertaining and informative night. Report by Carl Wynn July 2008 Our visiting lecturer in July was John Derris who presented his KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) lecture. In his introduction John stressed that it is important to sell yourself, to simplify your magic and to ensure that what you are doing is clearly visible. He commenced by demonstrating four ways he uses to introduce himself in table hopping and strolling situations. He then went on to perform and explain a ring and lace routine, a penetration of a mirror with a pen, a sequence in which four kings changed to four spot cards, a Boston/Okito box turnover move, a four coins across routine and two Brainwave- type effects. The whole splendidly entertaining evening was full of very sound advice on the handling and presentation of, not just the effects demonstrated by John, but also the performance and presentation of magic in general. After secretary Stephen Cooil's words of thanks at the end, our members showed their appreciation of a wonderful evening by giving John a well deserved and extremely warm round of applause. PETER EVERETT June 2008 This month's theme was 'A Trick from a Book' and first up was Colin Spencer with a trick from his own book 'The Midas Touch' - a variaion on the 'Passe Passe Bottles' with a snowman theme. Carl Wynn performed Fred Kapps' 'Coins to Glass' routine from 'Routined Manipulations' and Steven Cooil performed a 'Do as I Do' routine. Paul Shanley followed with a 'Ring on Rope' routine and Ben performed a growing sponge ball, a 'cut the rings' routine, chop cup and 'Snowstorm in China' to end. Congratulations to Andrew Clarkson and his partner Beth on the birth of Freddie Michael Clarkson born 32st May (after a 19hour labour) and weighing in at 8lbs 4ozs! May 2008 At the May meeting of the Chester Guild our members were joined by several visitors from other magic societies to enjoy a superb evening of very entertaining magic provided by the MAGIC magazine columist Joshua Jay. Before his lecture Joshua invited us all to gather round his table so that he could entertain us with about twenty minutes of amazing card routines.After this very enjoyable session of card magic, Joshua commenced his lecture which he said would focus on method. During the lecture Joshua used a tape measure to predict a spectator's height, three Chinese coins and a ribbon in a routine in which the coins were released in turn from the ribbon, a special set of cards for a six card repeat variation performed to an amusing Las Vegas story and playing cards for a two card revelation and an Any Card at Any Number routine in which the card was found at a chosen page in a book. Joshua then held a workshop to teach an unusual method of controlling or forcing a card. He then demonstrated the vanish of three coins, one at a time, which used a flipper coin and an expanded shell and a final vanish of the coin in the watch strap. This vanish of the coin was also taught by means of a workshop. As Joshua said, he wanted everyone to go away with something they could use.The whole evening was very instructive and entertaining and clearly demonstrated the clever thinking that Joshua applies to his routines. He retired to a very warm and well deserved round of applause and afterwards opened shop to sell the various items he had for sale. Report by Peter Everett 50/50 Show, 18th April 2008 Nice to post something apart from the usual brief metting write-ups for a change! Friday 18th April saw the Guild return to St Werburgh and St Columbus School, Chester for it's first 50/50 show in quite a while. The audience ready and willing Andrew Clarkson kicked off proceedings with Mouse House, Die Box and a 'good old Knock about' Punch & Judy show which was thoroughly enjoyed by both the audience and Guild members standing 'in the wings'! A younger member (sorry Andrew) Ben followed with colour changing handkerchiefs, multiplying wands and tear-no tear paper as a competition between teacher and pupil. Carl Wynn followed up with his 'Wizard' manipulation act with canes, thimbles, silks and Zombie routine before a flash ending! Stephen Cooil rounded off the evening - a tough order considering by this time the children and parents had been sitting for an hour with no break. He performed for an hour, trooper that he is, with items such as Lovey Duck and Rabbit production with puppet monkey. All without back pain! All in all a very enjoyable evening and the Guild added some much needed money to it's funds, making Phil a very happy man! April 2008 At our AGM on 14th April, the following officers were elected: Stephen Cooil (secretary), Peter Everett (assistant secretary), Phil Fairclough (treasurer), Frank Rowlands (welfare officer), Peter Axworthy (video librarian), Bryn Hughes (magazine editor), Carl Wynn (publicity and web manager), Colin Spencer (magazine publisher) and Andrew Clarkson (ex-officio). March 2008 - Magic Books By Post Paul Cooke and Steve Short were with us at our March meeting and put on an amusing and entertaining Dealer Dem which was their first since taking over the business last year. They brought with them a good selection of their vast stock but had decided that, instead of just talking about the books, they would perform one or more tricks from books. Paul also told us briefly about his earlier days as one half of Labyrinth, discussed his present work as a magic advisor and prop and illusion builder and gave advice on the selection of books for anyone wanting to build illusions. A very enjoyable evening. February 2008 Magic with borrowed items January 2008 Due to the indisposition of the programmed lecturer for our January meeting, Chester Guild member Carl Wynn stepped in at the very last minute and gave us a most interesting and informative talk on Escapeology. December 2007
October 2007 Welcome to the two new members who performed on the night - Ben Kadel and Niall Kenyon. September 2007
The second half of the lecture consisted of a demonstration and explanation of Mark's own 'resturant/table hopping' act complete with his thinking behind the structure and approach to performing in a real world situation. September's meeting also saw the welcome return of long time member Peter Everett following his recent quadruple by-pass operation. | ||
Hi all! I'll be at Caerwys Country Show again this year June 12th with both Punch and Judy and the magic show. It was glorious weather last year with lots to see and do so if you're free it's worth a visit! Carl
I will be working on the Cheshire Fire & Rescue Service stand at the Cheshire Show 22nd & 23rd June performing close up walk about magic promoting a Road Safety message. The Cheshire Show is one of the largest agricultural shows in the country with over 80,000 visitors, if anyone is at the show then please stop by the Cheshire Fire & Rescue stand and say hello.Many ThanksJohn Turner
At our February meeting, secretary Stephen Cooil introduced Craig Petty who presented his Accessible Coin Magic lecture. Craig commenced by talking generally about the benefits of performing coin magic in close up situations. He then went on to perform two routines using the Gravity Flipper Coin. These were a very clean Four Coins Through Table and a Four Coin Hand to Hand transposition. Craig then went on to discuss the Coin Bag and demonstrated its use in a novel Chop Bag sequence with a jumbo coin finish. He then performed a Three Coins Through Table routine using the bag. The advantages of the Split Coin over the Expanded Shell were then discussed.A split coin was then used in a clever production of three coins and their subquent vanish. Its use was then demonstrated in a nice Hopping Halves type two coin routine. By request, Craig performed his very clever and clean Mirage matrix effect which uses four entirely different coins. Craig abandoned coins to close his lecture and performed Essence Deal from his cards DVD. This used a Flash Card in a sequence in which the ink was blown off the face of a selected card and put back on again. This informative, entertaining and highly recommended lecture demonstrated Craig's prolific output of ideas and routines and the clever thinking that he applies to his magic. It was much appreciated by everyone present. Afterwards Craig's DVDs and effects were on sale at very favourable prices. Peter Everett
Guild member Nev Williams who runs Willows Magic in Wrexham put on a Dealer Dem at our June meeting. Nev was assisted by Carl Wynn and together they demonstrated card, close up, coin and money, children's and stage magic in fact, too many effects to describe in detail.Thanks go to Nev and Carl for providing us with a full and entertaining evening of magic.If you missed the meeting Nev's website, where all the effects are fully described, is 
Life member Colin Spencer produced the first edition of his third book last year. Entitled 'A Cavalcade of Ventriloquists', it's a lovingly written A-Z of British and Irish ventriloquists of the 20th Century, both past and present. This edition sold out rapidly. Now in it's second printing this absorbing book contains 74 pages with over 100 detailed items, more than 100 illustrations and over 50 coloured photographs, ranging from the early working head of Archie Andrews to seaside postcards and theatre playbills. It is a delightful book whether you read it from cover to cover or just dip into again and again to find new interesting performers and their partners. It has received many glowing reviews from publications such as 'Distant Voices' and 'The Callboy'. Whether you have an interest in Ventriloquism or not, this book is sure to give you many hours of pleasure. It's currently available from Christine Stringer, 11 Litchfield Park, Somerset, Colraine, Londonderry, N Ireland BT51 3TN 
The Guild's social evening was well attended and enjoyed by all. It included performances by Dic Jones and Steven Cooil who, despite being in considerable pain due to a bad back, gave a very enjoyable performance.
The Mark Shortland Lecture was well attended and all who attended were rewarded with an enjoyable evening of varied magic suitable for a 'table hopping' situation. Mark demonstarted and explained a number of his effects, holding the whole room in silence at one point with nothing but two daisies!
