What Happened at the Meeting on Friday 21st September

AL HIRSCHEL who was hosting the magic, with the theme “Paper Magic and Everyday Objects”, started with Newspaper Tear.  This is a spectacular item, but some of us don’t have the courage to tackle it, because it can go wrong.  To visually tear up something as large as a newspaper and then restore it, is close to a miracle!  Al continued with one of his favourite items in  which he cut a business card in such a way that one can put one’s head through it!   The next item he did was the vanishing salt cellar – a salt cellar is covered with a serviette, then the magician slaps his hand down on top of the salt cellar and it is not there.

JOHN FERGUSON did some “challenges” (also known as “bar betchas”).  He set up a line of three glasses with water in them and three glasses without water – the challenge was to achieve a glass-with-water next to a glass without, right down the line by moving only one glass.  Next, he balanced a credit card on the edge of a glass.  You had to add a coin to the outer side of the credit card without it falling.  He set up a tower of coins with a copper coin on top, and a spare coin.  You had to make the copper coin go to second place without touching the tower, only using the coins in the tower. (You flick the spare coin at the tower to knock out the bottom coin, then place that on top.) Finally with some difficulty, he managed to balance a coin on the edge of a glass using two forks splayed outside the glass.

MICHAEL BLAKEMAN did a card trick – he loves doing them! He had a card chosen, and showed his prediction, that had been in full view.  The prediction was wrong!  He took a cigarette lighter and heated the words of the prediction, and they changed to be the correct card…. a very clever outcome.

DAVID WHITSON took some paper, scrunched it into a ball and placed it in a box.  He drew from the box not torn paper, but a rainbow streamer.  Next, he wrapped a tie around his neck, made a magical gesture, and pulled the tie right through his neck.  David then did his prediction of a famous person – this time the spectator chose “Frank Sinatra” and David showed a picture of him – as a baby!   Another item was a picture of a black cat on a dark night – a black square.  When “the lights were turned on” the cat was shown in vivid colour – (which was a useful road safety effect).

STEVE IRWIN showed an eerie matchbox.   As he gestured at it, the tray of the box opened by itself, then closed by itself.   It was sitting there on his hand, working by itself!   Next, the matchbox turned around in a circle on his hand.  A mysterious effect.

JEFFREY CLARK, a visitor, said he had been to Macdonalds, and showed us a bag from there.  He produced a red D’lite from the bag, and proceeded to eat it, again and again.  He had written his final message in Invisible Ink, which he developed for us to see.