Lecturing in London and other bits

Hi folks

Regular readers (hi there!) may know that I am a huge REM fan and since their only Scottish concert of the current tour was at T In The Park (which I refuse to go to due to the high "Ned factor"), I had to choose one of their concerts elsewhere. Since I like visiting London, I chose the concert scheduled for Twickenham on August 30th (I'll be blogging about this nearer the time).

Well, since booking the tickets, I have been asked if I would present my magic lecture for International Magic. The lecture will be taking place on Thursday 28th August at their usual venue - 'Casa Italiana', 136 Clerkenwell Road, London EC1R 5DL (click here for a map). If you are interested in coming along, please e-mail or telephone Martin MacMillan on martin@internationalmagic.com or 020 7405 7324. Times are 7:15pm for a prompt 7:30pm start, and it will be finishing around 9.45pm. The cost is £10 per person.

Staying with International Magic, and a little closer to the present, David Regal is also lecturing for them. This lecture takes place on Friday 1st August at the same venue and times as my own at the end of the month. David is a great magician and one who has really, really clever ideas and effects. Considering his background in writing and performing comedy, it isn't any surprise that his presentations are top-notch, too.

And one last bit of news from International Magic is that they have started announcing names for their Convention in November. OK, so they've announced one name so far (officially!) - that of Richard Turner, The Cheat. He will be presenting a one-man show on the Friday night and lecturing on the Saturday. I saw Mr Turner lecture a good number of years ago in Glasgow and it was amazing. Even when he told you how he was performing the cheating moves that he was using, you still couldn't see him do the move! Utterly amazing and someone I urge anyone with even the sleightest interest in cheating moves with cards to go and see.

And finally, and rounding things off, if your Magic Club or Organisation are interested in getting details about my lecture, you can drop me an e-mail at peter@thecardman.co.uk

I look forward to hopefully seeing some of you at my lecture at the end of August.

Speak soon.

The Cardman :-)

Friends at The Fringe

Hi folks

Regular readers (greetings!) may remember that I love the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and that I try to get through at least once during August to see some of the mayhem that goes on there. Well, this year is going to be no different and I'm going to be going in Edinburgh for a few days - something I am very much looking forward to.

However, before August arrives there is the now annual search of the Edinburgh Fringe programme to find what shows I would like to see. As always there are the shows done by those I have heard of or seen on TV, the shows done by those that I've never heard of and then there are the shows by the people I know. These are the ones that I'd like to point you in the direction of just now.

Before I get into the shows and the descriptions, the links that you will see as the show's title takes you directly to that show's particular page on the Edinburgh Fringe website where you can book tickets for each show.

The first is "Ali Cook - A Touch Of Vegas" at the Gilded Balloon Teviot (13 Bistro Square - 0131 668 1633). This is Ali's first show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Here's what the Fringe programme has to say about the show:-
Award winning magician, Ali Cook Live! Star of Channel 4’s "Dirty Tricks" and Five’s "Monkey Magic". "Immensely Funny" (Daily Telegraph). "Entertains with wit, skill and intelligence" (Evening Standard).
Preview: Jul 30-Aug 2: 21:15 (1hr) £5.00
Aug 3-7,12-14,18-21,25: 21:15 (1hr) £9.00 (£8.00)
Aug 8-10, 15-17,22-24: 21:15 (1hr) £10.00 (£9.00)

Next up comes Ian Kendall's "The Golden Age of Magic" (www.goldenageofmagic.com) which will be at The Zoo (140 The Pleasance – 0131 662 6892). I'm not allowed to tell you how long Ian has been performing at the Fringe for (apparently it is covered by the Official Secrets Act!), but I can tell you what it says in the Fringe programme:-
Ian Kendall returns with a brand-new magic show. Be astonished by classic effects and stories from a time before camera tricks and creative editing took away the wonder. Sell-out show 2006 and 2007.
Aug 1-16: 21:00 (1hr) £8.00

After Ian finishes his run, Magic To Get Girls By with Kevin McMahon and Alan Hudson will be entering the fray at The Zoo (140 The Pleasance – 0131 662 6892). Here's what the Fringe programme says about the show, which sounds like a lot of fun.
Magician geeks Kevin and Alan try, but ultimately fail, to impress the ladies with magic. Magic is cool, and there’s nothing sexier than a card trick. “Funny and, at the same time, baffling.” (Paul Daniels)
Aug 17-25: 21:00 (1hr) £8.00 (£7.00)

And last, but in no means least, is The Expert At The Card Table by Guy Hollingworth, being performed at Assembly @ George Street (Assembly Rooms, 54 George Street – 0131 623 3030). I wrote about this show after seeing it at last year's International Magic Convention in London (you can find what I said in the paragraph under the last of the pictures of the Apollo space capsule). Here's what the Fringe programme says:-
Contains deception, betrayal and cheating at cards. Renowned conjurer Guy Hollingworth performs dazzling exhibitions of card chicanery and incomparable legerdemain whist unravelling the mystery of its enigmatic author. “Extraordinary talent! I love this show!” (David Blaine)
Preview: Jul 31-Aug 2: 15:35 (1hr) £5.00
Aug 3,5-7,12-14,19-20,25: 15:35 (1hr) £11.00 (£10.00)
Aug 8-10,15-17,21-24: 15:35 (1hr) £12.00 (£11.00)

Some excellent performers doing what I am certain will be excellent shows. Sure, there are a bunch of other magicians on at the Fringe (and don't forget the Street Performers!) but I wanted to make a point of highlighting these shows in particular.

Whether you go to any of these shows or not, if you can get to Edinburgh in August, go! You won't regret it - even if it's raining!

Speak soon.

The Cardman :-)

Dad

Hi folks

Two years ago today, right about the time that I am writing this, my Dad, Alexander Campbell McLanachan, died. He'd taken seriously ill a few days previously and never regained consciousness.

I was trying to think of a funny story about Dad to put on this post but couldn't think of any. Blogger's block? I don't know. I'll probably think of one as soon as I click "publish post"! All I really wanted to do was post a little something to mark the time.

Dad, we all love you and miss you as much now as then. There's not a day that goes by where we don't think of you - even if just to say "can you imagine what Dad would say if he was here?" That's one of the most common thoughts I have these days! Wherever you are, Dad, take care of yourself. We'll see you somewhere, sometime, down the road.

Possibly the last picture taken of Dad
in front of the Para Handy's Vital Spark

Folks, as ever at this time, I ask that you all let those that you love know exactly how they feel before its too late. Take care.

Speak soon.

The Cardman :-(