On Saturday I drove over to Wentworth golf course (a few days prior to the PGA) to perform magic at the wedding of Cassie and Gavin. Wentworth is a fabulous venue and it is always a pleasure to entertain people here. I arrived early and had a look at some of the golfing trophies on display before the guests arrived. Then it was time for the magic to begin and it was one of those days when everything works perfectly and everyone is in a great mood and ready to enjoy themselves.
After a while the photographer asked everyone to assemble outside for a group photo and, just as they were about to take their first shot, a golf cart whizzed into the middle of shot. Everyone looked a bit annoyed until they realised that the cart was being driven by showbiz legend Bruce Forsyth! He had taken a break from his golf to come over and give his congratulations to the happy couple! A moment later he was gone again, but it certainly added a special touch to the afternoon.
I had been booked to entertain by Cassie's father and the day after the wedding he sent me a lovely email saying "The feedback we received was great and everyone was impressed (including me). Thanks for being a part of our celebrations - I would certainly recommend you to anyone".
If you are arranging a wedding and would like to add some magic into the mix then get in touch soon!
On Thursday I was booked to entertain at a corporate party being held in the evening on the 38th floor of the famous "Gherkin" in Central London. I arrived early for an afternoon meeting with a TV celebrity to discuss an exciting new project coming up later in the year (more details soon) and then went for a drink and bite to eat before the party. While getting everything ready the people on the table next to mine noticed what I was doing and jokingly asked "Are you a magician?". They were very surprised to find that the answer was "Yes!" and for the next few minutes I gave them a quick demo of my various magical skills - and will probably now be appearing at one of their staff parties in the near future!
I then headed into the Gherkin and through their "airport style" security - scanners, x-ray machines and all. I think the security man was rather bemused by all of the weird and wonderful objects that I had in my bag and pockets.
To reach the 38th floor you have to take not one but two different lifts and your ears really pop as you go up so high. You can see a few photos of the view below. The party went really well and the magic was very well received - thanks to Andre for arranging everything. If you are booking a corporate event and would like to delight your guests with something amazing then get in touch for some Mike Stoner magic.
Wedding season is starting again and last weekend I performed at two wedding receptions - one in Bracknell and one in Wokingham. In both cases the day started off cold and wet, but by the afternoon the sun was shining and everyone was happy. I spent a few hours mingling with the guests doing amazing things, which is always a lot of fun and adds something special to the day. Thanks to everyone for making it such an enjoyable time!
Over the last week I've been kept busy with a number of different events. It's fun to mix things up and I've performed at two weddings and a children's party and given a two hour magic lesson to a number of young ladies (when they weren't drinking wine!) I was also up in London at Victory TV for an audition for (another!) forthcoming TV show - more info soon...
Often after performing at an event I'll receive a "thank you" email from the organiser, which is always greatly appreciated. However yesterday was extra special as a "thank you" letter arrived, not via email but by Royal Mail (a very rare events these days!). Many thanks to Catherine and Jon for their kind words which you can see below.
I spent Monday up in London doing some TV work. It's all top secret and we had to sign a confidentiality agreement so I can't post any details yet, but it was all very exciting. What I can do is post a couple of pictures that don't give anything away, so here you can see me in the TV studio cafe and in the make-up room, just before the filming. It was a great day and I got to meet several lovely celebs including comedian Marcus Brigstocke, Caroline Quentin and the legend Phillip Schofield - you can see me with Marcus below. More news when I'm allowed!
Two days - two weddings. One in Bagshot (Pennyhill Park - amazing venue) and the other a lovely local hotel (St Anne's Manor just up the road in Wokingham). One thing in common - it rained! Everyone still had a great time...
Having appeared on SKY ("The Devil's Dinner Party") and ITV ("Harry Hill's TV Burp" and "The Alan Titchmarsh Show") I have recently been contacted by Channel 4 about appearing on a couple of exciting shows coming up later in the year. It's all a bit hush-hush at the moment but I'll post more news (and maybe a few pics) soon...
On Thursday I spent a very enjoyable afternoon teaching magic to Brian at his house in Cranleigh. He had got in contact to ask about a magic lesson and was keen to learn some quick, easy (but still amazing) tricks to show family and friends. So we spent a couple of hours going through a number of routines and techniques. Some of the magic that I do takes months to perfect, so we steered clear of those, but others can be achieved in just a few minutes if you have the right know-how! By the end of our time together Brian could do all sorts of impossible things and, with a little practice, will be amazing everyone he meets from now on.
If you are interested in learning how to do magic - cards tricks, mind-reading, Dynamo-style
Another busy weekend and the first hints of Spring weather, which was a nice change. I spent Saturday afternoon entertaining at a wedding in Reading. The sun came out and it was almost warm for a while! There were lots of energetic youngsters in attendance so the balloons were very much in demand, so much so in fact that I've just placed an order for another 400 of various colours to replenish my supply!
My magic was filling the gap between the meal/speeches and the DJ setting up - it's a part of the wedding day that can be a bit of a lull otherwise, but with plenty of magic going on it can become a real highlight.
At 7pm I said by goodbyes and drove over to Longcross to perform at a birthday party. There was a completely different atmosphere to the wedding (no balloons this time!) and the party guests were keen to experience some of my more psychological effects including demonstrations of mind-reading and prediction. Lots of fun and thanks to Olivia for organising everything.
On Sunday I appeared at the Sand Martins Golf Club wedding fair and spent the day demonstrating my wedding magic to engaged couples. Particular thanks go to Helen who loved the magic so much that she booked me on the spot! During the fair I also took a quick video of one of my magical routines, you can see the reaction here...
Last weekend I drove to Watford to perform my close-up magic at an Indian Wedding for Reena and Henal. I have performed at a number of Asian and Indian Weddings and they are always a lot of fun. The men are stylish, the women are glamorous, the food is delicious and the guests are numerous! On this evening there were over 300 people present and that means a lot of guests to entertain and a lot of magic to do. I spent a couple of hours dashing around making sure that as many people as possible got to see something amazing. Very exhausting but a lot of fun! The next day Reena sent me a lovely email - "Thank you so much for entertaining us all last night. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed it! Will definitely recommend you to all our friends and family".
Many congratulations to Reena and Henal on your wedding and all the best for your future together.
If you are planning an Asian or Indian Wedding and would like to amaze your guests then get in touch to book some first class wedding magic!