The Billet Article - Librarians Page

This article is taken from The Billet Issue - 430 - Jan 2008, Authored by Peter Wright

Librarians Page

Well here we are – 2008 and I would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year.

I hope that you all had a really good Christmas, lots of bookings and parties both as guest and entertainer. Hopefully you all got lots of magical items as presents that you will bring to the meetings to show other members. I suffered at the hands of the Post Office over Christmas. I ordered a trick from JB Magic in Blackpool on the 14th December and up to now, (its Boxing Day as I write this), it still hasn’t arrived. Still I suppose that I am in good company according to the news. It’s all very well getting things cheap via the Internet but you really can’t beat talking to the dealer face to face. If we don’t support them they will go out of business. They may charge a little more, but if we don’t use them we will lose them.

As I wrote in my article before Christmas, we have been given a box of books by Alex Wright, the Circle’s webmaster. I really haven’t had chance to go through them all yet but they range from ‘The Paul Daniels Magic Annuals’ and ‘The Rainy Days Book of Magic, Card Games and Puzzles’ to a volume of ‘Scarne’s Magic Tricks’ and ‘Professional Magic for Amateurs’. The books will probably be on the table at the Annual General meeting in February. (I am not bringing any books in January as it is the Christmas Party). On behalf of the committee I would like to thank Alex for his generous contribution.

2008 looks to be an exciting year for the Circle. As well as the usual Hey Presto Show it is of course the 60th anniversary year. I think you all know by now that we are putting on a display at the Industrial Museum as well as live performances. I must get down and start some filming on the video that it is intended to show when live performers cannot appear. I have already had one volunteer contact me as he was going to do a Victorian pre-Christmas appearance in Howarth. Performing tricks on the street dressed in Victorian clothes. This is just the sort of thing that we want, but unfortunately I couldn’t go and film it as I was otherwise engaged that day, but also I don’t think the authorities would be too pleased with me erecting a tripod in a crowded pre Christmas street. My sincere thanks go to the volunteer though. The idea is to do the filming in more controlled surroundings. We must get down and start soon as the exhibition begins in March. That may seem months away, but as well as filming there is the post production editing to be done. The time will soon pass. If anyone fancies appearing then let me know and we can arrange a time and place for filming. As I think I have reported I would like the finished DVD to be silent apart from some music, so any magic that you have that can be performed without patter would be suitable.

Well as its New Year, and Christmas is not quite over I thought I would finish with a comical story from the Barry Cryer book Pigs can Fly. The story is about a circus. One day there was a knock on the boss’s door and there is a man there carrying hold all bag and he says “Can you give me five minutes of your time?” “What’s this all about?” says the circus boss. The man says “I am the man whom feels no pain.” “What are you talking about” says the circus boss. Whereupon the man opens the holdall and there is sledgehammer in it and he says “Hit me over the head.” The circus boss says “I can’t hit you over the head that’s ridiculous.” “But I am the man who feels no pain.” So, trying not to overdo it, circus boss taps him gently on the head with the sledgehammer and the man collapses. Panic breaks out, circus boss rings for an ambulance and the man is taken to hospital. He is in a coma for about three months, and nearly every day the circus boss goes in, tortured with guilt and remorse, and sits by the bed. One afternoon three months later he's sitting by the bed and the man suddenly wakes up with a triumphant look on his face and goes 'Tara!' Don’t try this at home.

By the way my trick arrived from JB magic the day after Boxing Day, so at least I have got it. See you next time.

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