On Saturday afternoon I was booked to do a couple of hours of magic at Claire and Gareth's wedding at Cantley House Hotel in Wokingham. It's always nice to do magic here as it's only a five minute drive from my home! The weather had been very changeable all week, but as the wedding ceremony finished the sun came out and it was lovely and warm in the hotel garden. I thoroughly enjoyed mingling with the guests doing impossible things, including a couple of new routines that I have been working on for a while that went over really well. All of the guests then moved into the Briar Suite for the wedding breakfast and I did some more magic around the tables, including a very special bit of mind-reading that caused someone to almost fall off their chair in amazement! A wonderful afternoon and all the best to Claire and Gareth for your future together.
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A couple of days ago I was booked by ATM Events to do magic at a corporate party for De La Rue. They had really pulled all of the stops out by hiring the whole of St Anne's Manor in Wokingham and arranging all sorts of entertainment. Alongside my magic their was a caricaturist, photo booth, casino tables, Frank Sinatra tribute act, dancing girls ands lots of free food and drink. It was a wonderful evening and a pleasure to have been part of it all. Thanks to Heidi for arranging everything.
Every year I go to Salon Prive. It's described as the "millionaire's motor show" and entry tickets cost £270 each - I go along to see some of my corporate clients and luckily they can get me in for free! The show features some of the most expensive cars in the world (Ferraris are the starting point) and during the day there is unlimited free champagne and lobster, it's a quite extraordinary day. This year, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the show, it was being held in the ground of Blenheim Palace. A marvellous setting and quite in keeping with the rest of the event.
I spent a few hours looking at the amazing cars, tasting the food and chatting with clients. The weather was lovely and it was an absolute pleasure to be there. I did some magic for people, but really it was all about the cars. A wonderful day all round - I'm already looking forward to next year! We are at the height of the wedding season and it certainly keeps me busy. Most weekends I'm performing on Friday evening, twice on Saturday and twice more on Sunday. In 2014 I did magic at 200 events and it looks as if 2015 is going to break that record quite easily!
Last weekend included the hottest day of the year so far. My car thermometer said that it was 32C which isn't ideal when your job involves wearing a jacket! Luckily at the wedding I had that afternoon there was some shade and a nice cool marquee available. I spent a couple of hours doing magic for Christine and Rob's guests at Huntswood Farm and then drove over to Alton to do another two hours for Hiren and Jaina at Froyle Park. The day before I'd done magic for Lynsey and Jonny at Oakley Hall which had also been great fun. You can see some pictures below. Having a magician at your wedding is the ideal way to treat your guests to something special and if you're planning a wedding in 2016 or 2017 then now is the time to get things booked in. As you can see I'm one of the busiest magicians in the UK so if you want some entertainment to amaze your guests get in touch soon! Last weekend was crazily busy with weddings, parties and a whole lot of driving! It started out easily on the Friday with an hour of magic at the wedding of Marina and Larry in my home town of Wokingham. A nice short drive, lovely weather, friendly guests - what more could you want? Then in the evening I headed down to Frensham for the wedding of Sophie and Rich. Great fun!
Saturday was hot and sunny and I was booked to do four hours of magic at the wedding or Anya and Paul. However this one wasn't local, it was in King's Lynn which is a 300 mile round trip! Six hours of motorway driving and luckily no accidents. road closures or major roadworks to contend with. The wedding was a huge event with four magicians, two caricaturists, a string quartet, balloon man, ice cream stall and lots more. It made it all a very special event and I thoroughly enjoyed my time there. I had a chat with the other magicians who were performing at the wedding and they were worried that we might all be doing the same tricks. A lot of magicians just buy tricks from shops and perform them in the obvious way, but all of my magic is done in my own style and a lot of it is unique so there was no problem of duplication. It was a lovely afternoon and an absolute pleasure to be part of Anya and Paul's wedding celebrations. Sunday started with a drive to Cheshunt and a bit of a detour due to a problem on the M25 - I'd allowed plenty of extra time for the journey but still arrived with just one minute to spare! This event was a 60th birthday party for John and Angela and they had pulled out all the stops. There was a caricaturist and balloon man there - and by coincidence they were the same ones that I'd met at the wedding the day before! There was also something very different - a "Fawlty Towers" lookalike due of Basil and Manuel. They performed various entertaining skits during the afternoon and it certainly added some fun into the afternoon. The magic went down really well and it was a pleasure to be part of John and Angela's special day. I then drove back to Berkshire to do two hours of magic in the evening at my regular Sunday venue. So over the weekend I did 12 hours of magic and 500 miles of driving. Nice to be busy! These are two pictures of Mark Booth who I met at a wedding recently. After doing some magic and mind-reading for him I just had to comment on his amazing beard. He said that he is growing it for charity and is currently four months into a one year long marathon of beard growing! It's for a great cause so I've donated some money and if you would like to do the same this is the link - www.justgiving.com/Mark-Booth12
Each year I appear at a number of wedding fairs (or "fayres"). I set up my stand and spend a few hours showing people what I can do and explaining why having a wedding magician is such a good idea.
A while ago I met Amy and Jamie at one of these fairs and they were keen to hire me, but the date was already booked up in my diary, which was a shame. However I was contacted recently by Sarah and she asked if I had any availability on that date and, due to some other events moving around, I was now free for 90 minutes in the early evening, so she booked me. Little did I know this was a surprise present for Amy! I turned up at the wedding and the look of amazement on Amy's face was brilliant. She had been so keen for me to be there, then so disappointed that I couldn't do it and now so delighted that Sarah had managed to make it happen - what a lovely moment! It was a pleasure to be part of Amy's wedding celebrations and spend some time doing magic and mind-reading for everyone. Many congratulations to Amy and Jamie on their wedding and thank you to Sarah for helping me be part of it! I've spent a lot of time performing at events in London recently. It's a quick and easy journey from my home in Wokingham. Last weekend it was a particular pleasure to do magic at Fiona's wedding which was being held at the National Theatre on the South Bank of the Thames. She had hired their rooftop venue which is called The Deck. It has fantastic views across London and is the ideal spot for a party. I had been booked to provide "mix and mingle" magic during the evening and it was a bit of a dash to get there as I'd spent the afternoon performing at another wedding in Hartley Wintney. Luckily everything worked out OK and I was able to arrive well in time.
Fiona's guests were an interesting mix and I met people from the BBC, comedians and opera singers! The only break from the magic was when everyone stopped to watch a fantastic fireworks display launched from a boat moored just along the Thames - it was an amazing sight! The magic went down really well and I received a lovely "thank you" email from Fiona the following day. I also had the chance to show my magical skills to some of the staff at the National Theatre and it looks as if I will be added onto their "recommended suppliers" list and performing for their clients there soon. If you're planning a special event in London and would like a spectacular venue then I would highly recommend The Deck at the National Theatre. You can find out more here - http://thedeck.nationaltheatre.org.uk/ Over the last few weeks I've done magic at a number of parties - varying from a dinner party for 6 people to a large outdoor corporate family fun day. The magic varies depending on the setting and the audience and I have tricks and routines that work in all settings and for all ages. Sometimes the organisers have told everyone that I'm going to be there and sometimes it's kept as a surprise. it's always a lot of fun to be mingling with people just like one of the guests and then start doing impossible things. Telling people their star sign, their favourite colour, the last book that they read or even the code that unlocks their phone! If you saw it on TV you'd probably think that it had been set up beforehand, but when it happens to YOU then you know it's real (or as real as magic and mind-reading can get!)
Party magic is also on my mind as we are coming into the time of year that people start to plan their Christmas parties. I already have a number of these in the diary and December always ends up being my busiest month, so if you're planning a Christmas event and would like to add some amazing magic into the mix to astonish your guests then get in touch soon! Over the last couple of weeks I've been doing magic at several school proms. When I was at school the nearest equivalent was a Sixth Form Disco, but now these proms have turned into lavish affairs at exclusive venues. When I arrived at the one in Newbury last week the front of the building was awash with people arriving in a parade of amazing vehicles. There were sports cars, stretch limos, a jeep, a massive "Transformers" truck and lots more - an incredible sight! After a while everyone went inside for the meal and that's when I started wandering around doing the magic and mind-reading. Unlocking people's iPhones was definitely the most popular routine and is fast becoming my favourite thing to do. Surely it's impossible?!?!
At a school prom everyone is in a great mood and ready for a party so it's a pleasure to be there and add to the atmosphere. The magic went down really well and in fact I've already been re-booked by one of the schools for next year's prom! |
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