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A Tangent Perspective -The British Ring 25 - 2011 Convention Review
By: Anthony Darkstone Brook
I like tangent lines. They balance well outside circles and give them a certain depth that adds to the radii and the diameter. Of necessity, my perspective has to be on a tangent. On reflection, there is no other view I can take as I was part of some of the events before, during and after the Convention.
Nothing would be easier to dash off a report based on mere observances. However, they would be merely superficial and serve no purpose than a surfeit of information that would be of little value or use. Therefore, any thoughts and subsequent words can only fully be valid from a tangent perspective – a kind of objective view with subjective information.
As I had some commitments in England soon after September 26th, and during a conversation with Former British Ring 25 President, Shirley Ray several months prior she asked if I could fly in a few days before & invited me to be a Judge on the Stage Contest Panel. Subsequent conversations with John Pye, British Ring Executive Secretary & IBM International President Elect, led to discussions on Producing & Hosting a Live TV Style Talk Show & MCing the International Close-Up Gala. I was delighted when the discussions came to fruition.
Although I had been a Member of Ring 25 in the past, I had never had the time-slot or availability to attend a British Ring Convention. This was the perfect opportunity. Once John also told me who would be on the bill and that I could pick my own Guests for my Talk Show it was irresistible. This seems like a good point to publicly congratulate John Pye on the outstanding line-up of Talent. To use the vernacular. Every show rocked!!!
I flew into Manchester and was expertly driven to the Hotel in Southport. The driver was well versed in Parapsychology & Esoteric topics. The journey was all the more pleasant because our conversation. I have to admit I had a few reservations about provincial Hotels but that was soon dispelled with minutes of my arrival. I have, over many decades stayed at several hotels in several places on this planet but I must publicly sing the praises of The Ramada and its excellent staff.
Soon after I had checked in and got to my room I called John Pye. I proceeded to his room where a welcome cocktail party had already begun. It was a delight to meet up with dear Bob Hayden (who was for many years the wonderful PRO for the British Ring) and several other friends I had not seen in a while and indeed meet new ones whose names I knew but had never met.
The party finished around 7 PM. Neil Roberts, Pat Fallon , Michael & Lori Finney and I took a short leisurely walk and settled on a nice Chinese Restaurant for dinner. After dinner, we hung out in the friendly lobby bar with other Conventioneers. Personally, I love these moments at Conventions.
Breakfast next morning was an opportunity for more socializing and my time was spent in the delightful company of my good friend Jason Andrews and a new friend, the charming Simone Maroon. Equally delightful was meeting Rob Cox & Mandy Davis.
Registration opened at 10:30 AM all expertly managed by John Palfreyman and crew. The opening ceremony took place in the Southport Theatre at 2 PM. John Pye – Executive Secretary of The British Ring & International President Elect, Keith Cooper President IBM Ring 25, IBM International President Vanni Pulé & their respective ladies plus His Worship The Mayor of Sefton and other dignitaries were on stage to officially open the convention and extend a welcome to all.
This was followed by The Opening Show featuring Mandy Fletcher, Chris De Rosa & Mark James. All expertly MC’d by the sartorially elegant and very experienced Master Entertainer from Ireland - Pat Fallon. A real joy to watch a Pro in action.
I had met Mandy when I was performing In Scotland, some years ago when she was just a child. She is now a stunning young woman and a great credit to her DNA. Outstanding performance.
After the show, I went over to the lobby to meet up with Shawn Farquhar, Michael Finney, Jason Andrews and Joe M. Turner to have an informal conversation about my Live TV Style Talk Show. As both The Producer & Host of the Show I had to wear two hats simultaneously and needed to run thru some of the fine-tuning. In particular we discussed the nuances of Operation Smile.
As a side note, I had suggested to John Pye, several months prior that I organize an event within the context of the Talk Show. It was to be a fundraiser and the proceeds to go to a charity. He graciously agreed and Operation Smile was chosen. This is part of work done by The Michael Finney Foundation. It’s sole purpose is to provide funding for children all over the world that are born with Cleft lips to have the surgery that resolves the problem.
The fundraiser was simple. Attendees placed a British banknote in an envelope along with their business card into a box. During the Talk Show names would be drawn and prizes awarded. Prizes were as follows:-
Two decks of Bicycles from each of the above named guests. Each card in the deck was individually signed. Three other good friends also contributed. George Schindler, PNP & current Dean of The Society of American Magicians not only mailed two signed decks but also two of his in –demand DVD’s entitled” Entertainment First” . Jon Racherbaumer send a signed copy of The Linking Ring with him on the cover, a signed set of lecture notes and two signed cards. Victoria Skye from Atlanta who apart from being a Talented Entertainer is also a master craftswoman and sent via Joe M.Turner several of her Impossible Arrows.
I cannot hope to do these excellent hand-made pieces justice with mere words. These arrows measure about 2.5 inches and are made of wood and reside thru Chinese coins or glass beads. Photographs can be seen on her site or facebook page.
Back to Thursday night. A wonderful social evening was held in The Floral Hall. This was followed by a full gala stage show. I was a guest at British Ring Executive Secretary, TVP & International President Elect John Pye and his Lady, Carol’s table. Others at our table were FISM President Eric Eswin, International President Vanni Pulé & his Lady, Mary Anne, British Ring President Keith Cooper & his Lady, Pam,
Billed as Cabaret Night, the Festivities comprised a wonderful idea entitled “ The Ali Bongo Micro Magic Marathon + Tombola” . I had never experienced anything like this before and found it enormously original & entertaining. Briefly, over drinks and whilst the Tombola was in progress, several Magicians came round to each table and performed a set. Each person at each table was given a form to evaluate the performance & the performer with the most points/votes won a prestigious Trophy. The winner, was Bharat Patel who collected his award at the Awards’ Ceremony. Having bent & twisted metal in my time and being friends with some of the best in that field, I must publicly state that Bharat Patel’s technical skill and Presentation were excellent. I was greatly impressed & Entertained.
The show that followed was excellent. As stated previously, John Pye did an outstanding job of assembling some great performers. I would need reams to fully do it justice but I must congratulate the very talented Vittorio Marino from Italy who MC’d the Show. Each time he introduced an act he “assumed” a slightly different character of varying height! His command of the English idiom was superb! A very creative, highly original & very Entertaining MC.
One act that stood out was Canadian Wes Zahruk. I am truly at a loss of words to describe this outstanding magical entertainer. He is one of those acts that has to be seen & experienced to be appreciated. Whenever, you see his name on the Bill …don’t think twice - go see him. His original comedy & entertainment will astound you and you will laugh so hard you will amaze yourself.
Also on the bill was the talented Sonny Pennington. Closing the show was Safire (Jayne & Stuart Loughland) who performed a thrilling Illusion act that merited a Standing O.
Earlier on I had mentioned we were on a table near the stage and Eric Eswin was at our table. He got “volunteered” by Wes Zahruk. At one stage he was and indeed so was Mary Anne Pulé covered in toilet paper. Nothing gross, but very good natured comedy from Wes. After the show, I congratulated Wes and during our conversation I asked him if he knew who Eric Eswin was – he said “no”. When I told him, he was blown away and said he now understood why he had got such a great crowd reaction. A showbiz story for the future history books!!!!
Friday was a full day and I could not attend everything but did spend a good deal of time in the Dealers Room. Met up with lots of pals and had a few pics taken.. Spent quality time with Mark Raffles, Bobby Bernard, Domenico Danté & many others.
A wonderful time spent with Clive of The Card Collection who kindly donated a £20 note and a Giant deck as a prize for Operation Smile. The Dealers’ Room had a good number of stands and there were a fine number of items displayed including one or two highly original items. Several were very tempting that even I managed to spend some money!!! One of most inviting stands was that of The Budget Editor Stephen Tucker. I managed to contribute to his Pension Fund by purchasing a few items. One of which was a very intriguing item that allowed for a very visual coin thru inverted drinking glass penetration.
Later that evening was the Black Tie Gala Dinner attended by The Mayor, His Lady and several aforementioned IBM British Ring dignitaries. As Dave Cass was the Live Musical Entertainment for the evening, I was honored to escort 2010 IBM British Ring President Shirley Ray and her mother. At our table was Mark Raffles, Tom Owen, Robert –The Balloon Man from Malta and several Maltese IBM members. Tom Owen & Mark Raffles amongst others received Presidential Citations from International President Vanni Pulé.
After a splendid dinner and toasts we were treated to a Stage Magic Gala. On the bill were Jordan Gomez, Mel Mellers, Mat Ricardo and Amethyst. A truly wonderful show MC’d by Michael Carr. As a member of the audience I was wonderfully Entertained. As a Producer and Director I was greatly impressed by Mel Mellers and Amethyst. I did make a point of talking with them afterwards to express my appreciation & admiration.
Mel Mellers was the consummate professional and delivered one of the finest acts I’ve seen in a long while. To categorize him as a Comedy Magician would truly not do him justice. He is, to those who know how to observe, a very erudite man who understands Audience control. Sadly, due to other commitments I missed his lecture. However, I heard great praise from those who attended.
I am not usually a great fan of duo Illusion acts as so many of them tend to be pretty much the same. I’ve seen some great “box-jumpers” along the years and a few years ago at The TAOM in Dallas, Texas, my pal Scott Wells invited me to join him, Simon Lovell, Mark Wilson & Nani Darnell for lunch. Enlightening conversation with Nani on female assistants. This preamble is to offer high praise to Danny Hunt & Annette Claire. Their act was captivating; not just because of their technical skill but also because they actually looked like they were enjoying what they were doing. Danny’s smile held the audience throughout the entire act and all of Annette’s movements were precise and subtle. Obviously a lady who understands Kinesics. A wonderful duo who not only understand the nature of Magical Entertainment but also understand all the necessary nuances of how to effectively use a stage.
The Anthony Darkstone In Conversation Talk Show was at 11:30 AM on Saturday. For all kinds of reasons the stage set that we had arranged at the tech rehearsal the day before had to be altered literally 45 mins before show-time. Fortunately, I had my backdrop on a DVD that I had brought for a gig after The Convention. That was hastily projected, lighting changed and we were good to go. Murphy’s Law tends to be alive and well in Magic Conventions than any other place I know of….. however, empirical experience has taught many of us to go with the flow and be prepared …just in case!!!
Naturally, I cannot comment on the show but despite the unfortunate acoustics of The Floral Hall, as Producer & Host I was very pleased with the results.
Apart from spending around 10 mins with each guest we had a 20 min conversation on Performance & Presentation. Many thanks to my Superstar guests - Jason Andrews, Joe M. Turner, Shawn Farquhar & Michael Finney. We had a great time and judging by the applause and indeed all the kind comments I received from several people it must have played well.
At the end of the show, British Ring President Keith Cooper brought the Operation Smile box on stage and each guest drew winner’s names. Michael graciously thanked me on stage for my work in making this fundraiser possible. I thanked all those who kindly donated the prizes. I could not attend Michael Finney’s lecture on Sunday but the full amount raised was presented to him at the end of his lecture on Sunday.
I would also like to take a moment to publicly thank Neil Roberts and to the two great Stage guys Chris & Howard! A very real pleasure to work with such Pros.
That evening, together with Don Beattie, Keith Cooper, ( British Ring President) Brian Lead, Stuart & Jayne Loughland ( Safire) and Vanni Pulé ( IBM International President) I was a Judge at The Stage Competition For The British Ring Shield Awards. The Competition Organizer was Shirley Ray and the Compeer was the very able Steve Evans who expertly fulfilled the role of Master of Ceremonies with flair and highly Entertaining Presentation skills.
The competition acts were a very interesting mix and the show flowed very well. Results are available on the Ring 25 site. The competition was followed by the Awards ceremony & the Installation of the new British Ring President Brian Miller.
Sunday was a fun day and my last duty was to Compeer the International Close -Up Gala at 2:30 Pm. Taking part were Mark James & Shaun McCree from the UK and two of the guests from my Talk Show - Joe M. Turner from the USA and Shawn Farquhar from Canada. This took place in The Floral Hall and was projected onto an on-stage screen. Personally, I have never been a great fan of projecting Close-Up Magic as I believe it loses some of its intimacy. Having stated that, the four performers took that into account and chose their material accordingly.
The show opened with Shaun McCree who, using two volunteers, performed some highly skilled card magic. A signed card changed places several times and impressively even left the deck and found its way neatly folded under his wrist watch. A subsequent transformation of the 8 of Diamonds was superb. A razor blade slicing thru an entire deck left the audience very perplexed. His closing effect defies explanation. Suffice to say it drew much applause. He made a series of predictions that finalized within a large painting of himself. I am deliberately avoiding any further description as it is a masterpiece that needs to be seen and not described. His mis-direction throughout his performance was outstanding. Shaun has an ease and style of performing that allows him to perform some very interesting Magic that engages the audience. His attention to detail, his performing persona and flawless execution clearly shows him to be a much sought after Entertainer.
He was followed by Mark James who was also the opening act at the Opening Show. Mark performed a series of effects in his style/ personality. He is very much the fun-loving Comedy performer. Playing to a house of Magicians he used that to create some interesting effects and in-jokes. My favorite was giving his hand a drink!!! Yes…you had to see it live to appreciate its zany humor. Using some different colored envelopes he came up with an interesting way to get the audience to chose the final effect he would perform. It was card effect where 8 cards were chosen by audience members and he proceeded to find them in an amusing manner with lots of in-jokes, especially a Mercury card fold from his mouth!!! The final card reveal drew some very appreciative applause.
A few months prior to The Convention I had made a conscious decision not to do any effects between acts. Due to the nature of the show and caliber of Talent it seemed the right thing to do. I spoke to John Pye and to Steve Evans and they agreed.
However, having introduced two Performers from England and having two more from North America - the USA & Canada respectively, I thought it would be interesting to link the geographical locations with an effect involving an Internationally respected well known Magical personality. I approached Sinde Richison, The International Executive Secretary at The IBM Headquarters in St. Charles, MO, USA and asked her to kindly send me, by snail mail, the membership number and year of joining of a particular Internationally famous British Magician.
Having worked with this personality on several occasions & having been on the Bill with him in Scotland a few times, I knew a little more about him than most. I gave the audience various clues regarding his identity and asked them to form a Mental image of this personality. This personality spoke perfect French, was an acknowledged illustrator, although British, he was not born there but was born in India a former British colony; a Master magician, extremely knowledgeable on all aspects of Magic, Consultant and TV Consultant to many famous British & other magicians. He bore the same name as his Scottish ancestor. He was also President of two leading British Magical organizations - The British IBM Ring 25 and The Magic Circle.
Using an audience member and random multiplication, a number was arrived at. I wrote the number down on a large pad and asked the volunteer to open the sealed envelope from the IBM Headquarters. Inside, she found a letter that was addressed to me & signed by Sinde Richison. She then read aloud that it stated that Ali Bongo (William Oliver Wallace) joined the IBM in 1971 and that his Membership number was 24394. It matched the number she had randomly arrived at. I was delighted with the audience response.
The next performer was Joe M.Turner from Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Joe has a Doctorate from the 4F. He is a well known Corporate Entertainer, a much sought after Speaker, an IBM Board Member and a Columnist for The Linking Ring. From the moment he stepped on stage he positively oozed Professionalism and astonished the audience by producing a Deck from thin air. Mutual friends had told me that he was a Master. Indeed he was! In a very dignified & professional manner he went on to a very Entertaining routine whereby 10 signed cards left his hands and appeared in his pockets. He then took a risk that only a very seasoned & skillful Performer would ; playing to a large room that held some 800 people and nothing more than a pair of dice, a camera and a screen. The spots on the dice continually changed. Awesome magic. He then went on to amaze even further by using a borrowed deck from a volunteer, got him to think of card that matched a card at specified number chosen by another volunteer in another deck. He then concluded with saying he didn’t necessarily believe in mind reading but he that liked mind power. He blew me away and indeed the rest of the audience by removing a card from a deck and placing it his jacket/coat pocket. He then invited the volunteer to check his pocket & confirm that it was only one card in his pocket. He then asked that she think of any card from a deck. She did and named the card out loud. She reached into his pocket and withdrew the single card. It matched!!
Next up was Shawn Farquhar. He also has a Doctorate from the 4F and is a Board member of The IBM & Linking Ring columnist. He is also the current FISM Champion of Magic. I first met Shawn back in 2001 at The Society of American Magicians Convention in New Orleans. He was a competitor and together with my pals Scott Wells and Jon Racherbaumer I was a Judge at The Close-Up Contest. Shawn won joint First Place with a version of Sealed Surprise ( which fooled Penn & Teller on British TV) and a very unique rendering of The Cups & Balls. Since then I had seen him a few times and we had hung out over lunch & dinner earlier this year. Much to my delight he told me he was going to perform versions of these two effects on this show. Shawn excelled himself. He had a card selected and signed. It was found in a sealed deck. One of those effects that truly defies description. You have to see it to believe and even more to appreciate the artistry of a Master & richly deserved FISM champion. The applause wasn’t instant…. in Magic that is a rare accolade especially when that incredulous silence is by Magicians who then burst into perfect appreciative applause of having witnessed the Art as it should be performed.
Shawn concluded with his unique version of the Cups & Balls. Historians and keepers tell us this effect originated in Ancient Egypt. Shawn’s version would have totally perplexed them. I will greatly resist describing it as I don’t wish to spoil the enjoyment of those who have yet to witness Classic Magic performed by a Master. At various times during his performance he would playfully say ” c’mon FISM boy ..you can do better” …and each time he time he did! No surprise to me that he drew a standing O.
I closed the show by bring the Performers back on to more applause and acknowledging Steve Evans the Producer who in turn brought me on for a round of appreciative applause. Thus concluded a very wonderful and very entertaining International Close-Up Gala. Once again, thanks to John Pye for booking such awesome talent. Throughout the afternoon I received some very nice comments & compliments.
Throughout this article I have remarked on the fact that John Pye arranged some amazing talent. Little did I know that even he would supersede himself by the line-up he put together for The International Gala of Magic & Variety. It was a rare opportunity for me to just sit back and enjoy a show just as an audience member. Interestingly, John & his Lady, Carol, were seated literally right behind me and we often nodded & exchanged appreciative glances.
Expertly MC’d by Aonghus McAnally from Ireland, the bill featured from the UK, Romany –Diva of Magic. We had met briefly during the day and it was a real joy for me to watch a lady magician give such a wonderful performance. We have many mutual friends and they all told me she was awesome. I was not disappointed. Her magic and performing persona make her truly deserving of her many International accolades.
Rafael & Jenny from Belgium gave wonderful performances and lent a wonderful playfulness & interesting Magic to the evening.
I confess a certain bias but I have nothing but superlatives to describe Jason Andrews. Jason is from Vegas, we have many mutual friends & I’ve known him for a few years and have watched his star rise. No less than 25 awards at 25 years of age makes him a highly sought after Entertainer. My full article on him can be found on - MAGICAL WORDS www.cbrookmagic.net
Shawn Farquhar performed a remarkable Topsy-Turvy Bottle routine that brought tons of appreciative laughter. In his own style, he went on the wow the audience and fulfilled all the expectations of a World Class Performer. And Yes! ..he did steal her watch!!!
Michael Finney, another World Class Performer and furthermore, in a Class of his own, demonstrated his Entertainment & audience handling skills . Yes ..he did the signature piece of Card On The Forehead and no matter how many times I see it I absolutely love it. He still gets standing O’s for that effect. Not bad for an effect that he has been doing for some 30 years and performed on The World’s Greatest Magic. His skill & timing are lessons for the learning.
Jeton – The Gentleman Juggler from Germany was a Class Act. In every sense of the word. Winner of several accolades he was, in every aspect the epitome of a sartorial & elegant gentleman. Impeccably dressed, he performed , ably assisted by his exquisitely dressed wife Carmen some of the most amazing juggling I have seen anywhere - anytime. He even at one time juggled a 4 x 2 foot mirror!!! The only current active act of this style of juggling it is easy to see why audiences in the Far East, Vegas, cruise ships and Danish Royalty highly rate this skillful duo.
The Gala closed to the fast moving & interesting illusion show of Guy Barrett & company.
A fitting end to an enjoyable Convention. My personal thanks to all those who helped make it a memorable experience.
Anthony Darkstone Brook
Copyright:- October 2011 .
75th British Ring Convention
Southport
PRO-VERVIEW
by
Geoffrey Newton PRO
President Keith Cooper, Sooty & Richard Cadell
The 75th Annual Convention of the IBM British Ring welcomed nearly 500 delegates to the mild and sunny climate of Southport at the end of last month to enjoy 4 days of excellent lectures, shows, competitions and dealers.
The event was one day less than the generally known format and started by a welcome from the Mayor on Thursday afternoon (22nd). His witty speech paved the way for a most enjoyable few days to come. The opening show, compered by Pat Fallon who was jovial as ever. He introduced Mandy Fletcher (who went on to be a prize winner with her team in the stage competition – more later) with the act as known, very well received just as it was at the President’s Dinner earlier this year. Chris De Rosa was a new name to me in the illusion field and had again some effects new to me. Mark James was FUNNY big time as he always is and a welcome addition to the show. This afternoon entertainment is always a short show but puts conventioneers in the mood for what was to come. It was now time for the 25 exhibitors to open in the dealers’ hall and I trust they all had a successful few days trading. Practical Magic won the Dealers’ Trophy for the best display.
I did not see all the lectures due to PRO duties but heard they were all good and British Ring members will be able to read individual reports in forthcoming editions of the Budget. I think this is the fairest way to deal with this at the moment as I would feel uncomfortable reporting some whilst leaving others. I hope you the reader will agree here. The first lecture was by Mark James.
In the evening of Thursday following the Ali Bongo Micro Marathon (won by Bharat Patel) it was Cabaret Night. Italy’s Vittorio Marino  was a most unusual compere and very talented. One moment he was on stilts, then a Toulouse Lautrec style character and even riding a pantomime creation. You wondered what he would appear as next! I hope we see more of his style soon. Wes Zahruk a Canadian magician/zany magician was certainly different. Amongst other things he demonstrated how to vanish a silk up the sleeve - by putting a vacuum cleaner nozzle in at the shoulder end and switching it on! That was only the start. Something we are not so used to over here but you can’t ignore him!
Sonny Pennington a sophisticated young man and took a prize at the recent TMC YMOTY competition was well received for his flawless performance. The act of Safire as known is always a joy to watch and this was another occasion to see an act that tours so much an has been greatly associated with the Chuckle Brothers for many years now.
After the AGM on Friday morning brought the dealers showcase organised by Jim Boyd and introduced by Alec Powell. This event was followed by a lecture by Mel Mellers and then the close up competition. The winner was Matthew Wright, second Michael Neto, third Marcus Taylor.
The Friday evening Gala Dinner held in the Lakeside Suite Where President Keith and his lady Pam welcomed the International President Vanni Pulé  and his lady Mary Anne together with 110 British Ring members and guests. Speeches were by the Mayor, Keith and Vanni. All done with wit and good humour and relatively short in length as is the norm these days. For those not attending the dinner, Bob Hamilton gave a video presentation of clips from previous conventions.
The Late Gala of Magic was compered by Michael Carr (another success story from the President’s Dinner at Tillington Hall). He introduced the hilariously funny Mel Mellers, the almost totally different juggling skills of Mat Ricardo, the young Frenchman Jordan Gomez with brilliant manipulation skills all performed in a very modern manner. Finally, the well known illusions of Amethyst including walking through steel completed the entertainment.
Saturday, for those not attending the Shawn Farquhar lecture there was the children’s show. This also to a degree clashed with the Anthony Darkstone Talk Show which I also missed due to reporting the Sooty and friends as below.
Clowns, Clivo and Jeani (Clive Moore and Jean Ellison) are clearly very much at home producing this  annual event, always with a good variety of acts. Let’s therefore recall what we saw. Opening was Paul Joyce who I have seen twice before and he clearly is certainly going places. His opening with a noise meter which the children ‘broke’ certainly established him with the youngsters. It was then on with Sucker Beaker Vanish, Do As I do Balloon Penetration with a child (very funny routine) who then enjoyed a ride on the flying carpet. All good stuff and I look forward to following his career as a children’s entertainer.
David Tomkins is very well known to the magical fraternity especially to tho se who follow his articles in The Magic Circular. He had a new twist with the Die Box using a Rubic Cube and the box had six doors – now work that one out! On then with Bongo’s Hat and Loopy Loops. There was the stiff rope with an Indian Rope Trick Story accompanied by a very striking vent dragon. Adding that extra something to your magic is always well received. Well done David.
Safire’s Black Light Puppets stand alone on any stage. They are amazingly colourful, fast, funny, exciting and expertly operated. You could not ask for anything more, other time to catch your breath so it was a good time for an ice cream.
A welcome return to the IBM British Ring Convention was  Richard Cadell and all the mayhem Sooty and Co bring to the stage. The interaction, slapstick and speed of operation are just as good as I remember it 60 years ago (not with Richard though!). This timeless creation is, I am sure worthy of at least another 60 years of life. Thank you Richard and all your team – and the water pistol, Sooty!
The illusions of Safire are always a delight to watch and Stuart’s zany approach to presentation does, I feel set them apart from other illusionists. That coupledwith Jayne’s vibrant action adds to this most successful magical duo. There was Head Off, Legs Off and an  amazingly fast Sub Trunk.
A good show greatly enjoyed by young and old alike and I look forward to the magical mixture Clive and Jean come up with for Yarmouth next year.
Saturday afternoon brought Eddie Dawes introducing More History of Mystery. This was a fascinating insight into three completely different topics 1) The Tragic Deaths of Lafayette: The most hated magician who ever lived presented by Brian Lead 2) A glimpse of the David Devant collection of photographs from The Magic Circle  Archive presented by David Hibberd. 3) Secrets of the Side Shows presented by Jon Marshall (photo). All these presentations were via Powerpoint with excellent commentaries.
There was also a lecture from Joe M. Turner later on in the afternoon.
 Saturday evening brought the British Ring Shield Competition where 10 entrants battled it out for this most coveted prize. The winner was Ta Na Manga of Portugal with a most unusual narrative act. Runner up was in the hands of Elemental from North Wales who also took the prize for manipulation Third prize went to Ianthe of Glasgow featuring Mandy Fletcher and assistants presenting mainly fast moving illusions set to high energy dance. The originality trophy went to Tim Shoesmith of Hertfordshire.
 On Sunday morning there was the Jeffrey Atkins Memorial Lecture this year presented by Michael Finney.
Later on the International Close Up featured Shawn Farquhar, Shaun McCree, Joe M. Turner and Mark James.
The Gala Show on Saturday night played to a nearly packed house and compered by the most versatile entertainer Aonghus McAnally from Ireland. Rafael and Jenny from Belgium presented two spots, one as the show opener and later in a protean entertainer, very fast changes ending with them both as a wedding day couple.
 Romany presented her burlesque magic as known coupled with the rope tie recently aired on the Penn and Teller Fool Us TV show.
Jason Andrews was slick, smart and a perfect example of presenting classical magic at its’ very best.
Shawn Farquhar (another from the Fool Us TV Show) was highly entertaining including Topsy Turvey Bottle with a number of interesting twists. A great act to watch from a man who is as welcoming both on and off stage.
 Michael Finney was as brilliant as ever with his one liners, so whatever you do never even think of heckling him. He has an answer for everything. All he needs is a piece of rope and a pack of cards and you are always in for a real magical treat
Guy Barrett presented illusions as known, filling the stage with excellent props enhanced by his own lighting panels and his team of female assistants turning the tables on him as they put him in one of the illusions much to the amusement of the audience.
 Another convention over and it’s time to start planning the next one from  26th to 30th September 2012 in Great Yarmouth. Our newly installed president Brian Miller looks forward to seeing many of you there. President elect is now John ‘Sly’ Smith, Secretary John Pye, and Treasurer Keith Cooper.
Finally, on behalf of all conventioneers I would like to express a vote of thanks to  John Pye who has organised this event for the last 8 years. John is stepping down from the role as next year he takes office as the International President of The International Brotherhood of Magicians following in the footsteps of current President Vanni Pulé of Malta. The 2012 British Ring Convention is being organised jointly by David Ball and Peter Scarlett.
Acknowledgements:
Photos courtesy of:
Mandy Davis
Carol Tynan
Rick Bamman
Individual artists
Photo Editors
Peter Moran
Peter Scarlett
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