Tuesday, April 30, 2019

What Happened at the Meeting on Friday 26th April 2019


DAVID WHITSON commenced the Silk and Handkerchief Magic with a performance of the Devil's Handkerchief.  Next he used the Silver Sceptre, and demonstrated how a silk wrapped around the Sceptre could assist the illusion.   Finally, he produced a magnificent Dragon Silk for us.   Elegant !

A red silk in the hand of STEVE IRWIN turned white when he drew it out of his hand, and then the white silk vanished.  Next he showed us a framework that held red green and yellow silks, and at Steve's command to a mouse, each of the colours could be released at will.  Very puzzling.

ANDREW PICKARD had beautifully refurbished a Square Circle, decorating it with real gold paint, and the contrast with the dark interior was strong.  He displayed the dark emptiness of the square circle, and then produced masses of colourful silks from the inside.  This was a real surprise!

NOEL CLAIR enjoys manipulation, and he pulled silks from everywhere.  Having vanished a silk, he then plucked it out of the knee of his trousers, out of his chest – anywhere !    He took an ordinary handkerchief and cleverly folded it into the shape of a mouse, which he then animated in a very lifelike fashion.  He did Cut and Restored Rope, and this led on to Knots Off Rope. (It was wonderful how he threw in Restored Rope almost as an afterthought.)  He finished off with Professor's Nightmare.

Our host for the evening was JOHN FERGUSON, who started by pouring red water into a plastic tumbler, and turning it upside down and plucking out a red silk of the same colour (together with an unintentional minor snowstorm!).  Next, he vanished a green silk by pushing it into a wooden box, and then showing the box empty. Then he displayed an empty transparent box, tapped it with his wand, and the green silk reappeared inside. Taking a third box, he pushed into it red, white and blue silks, and pulled from the other side the Australian flag. He opened the sides of the box to show the red, white and blue silks had vanished.  A fourth box had a drawer inside it, which he showed empty, and he closed it.  When he opened it, he drew from the box a massive 2 metre by 2 metre scarlet silk.