Wednesday 13 July 2011

Highs and Low Low Low

The show in the marquee on the village green went VERY well and the responses were all positive and nice. It seems to be ages ago now since we did it but I can remember the reactions and the laughter. The event also raised much needed cash for the RNLI.

The guy who said he would help me on the day didn't turn up and I think I used muscles in my lower back that I hadn't used for years when I loaded the stuff into the back of my Isuzu. Those muscles reminded me constantly for about a week that I really do need help when picking up large boxes with illusions inside.

Actually, during the past month I seem to have been a disaster magnet. At the same time as the back pains I got a bug that was similar to Delhi Belly and Tutankhamun's Revenge rolled into one. I couldn't give in to it because Debbie and I were taking part in one of the highlights of our careers... filming an episode of the Sooty show. It's very strange but when you are on the set they cease to be puppets and you react to them as if they are real and alive.

Another disaster came when at the end of the day (thankfully) I took a serious crack in the eye and finished up in hospital! Debbie drove us home and so had to miss a party for her god-daughter.

A VERY long time ago I did a routine on TV where I threw a pack of cards at a picture on the wall of a pub and the previously chosen card was stuck behind the glass. Thanks to the wonder of the internet social sites a guy got in touch and asked if I would like the picture... he had kept it all these years. I drove over to near Ipswich and got it. I had forgotten what it looked like but once glance brought back the memories.

As well as mixing in a couple of days at the Henley Regatta, which is SO English and SO wonderful, with everyone dressed up for the occasion, I nipped up to Edinburgh to attend a Magifest and receive the Lafayette award for services to magic. That was so nice of them to think of me in that respect. It's a statuette of Lafayette's cherished dog, Beauty.

A good friend, now a resident of France, and formerly the producer of the long running 'Jim'll Fix It', Roger Ordish, stayed over for a couple of days and the house was filled with chat chat chat.

Then came, for me who is totally engrossed by the world of magic, a real 'high'. Thanks to the Portuguese magician Luis de Matos, we flew to Lisbon to take part in an online conference. Luis has the best studio/workshop/design set up I have ever seen and had laid the studio out like a political debate. 33 experts from all facets of magic were assembled and the lectures, Q and A sessions, videos etc were transmitted to magicians in 62 countries. A totally fascinating experience and one in which I was honoured to take part.

I told you in the title, Highs and Lows... today is a low. Last night one of the hutches had a door left open and we have lost one rabbit. I know we have not had them for very long but it is amazing how sad I feel. AND I feel so sorry for Debbie who has been hit very hard by the loss. In the past I have not understood how people could be so upset by the loss of a pet. I do now.

We have scoured the garden, left food and open cages and hutches. It has gone.

1 comment:

Masterless Magician said...

Sorry for the loss of your bunny, and yes I too didn't see how people could be upset when losing a pet until I lost one myself. If it's any consolation your talk and insight at the Essential Magic Conference brought a lot of joy and hope to many people. (we're still talking about it)