Today marks Paul Daniels birthday. I was fortunate to meet Paul and Debbie McGee throughout my early years attending various magic shows and conventions. They were always approachable and forever the entertaining professionals. As with many other practitioners in magic, Paul was one of my own idols and the impetus for my pursuits in all things magic. The following routine is possibly one of his most famous, the classic Chop Cup:
I was fortunate to see Paul perform live a number of times on stage, most notably a Christmas TV Special. His presence and persona was always memorable and his legacy continues to inspire. I always recall going to my local toy shop and perusing through the number of Paul Daniels TV magic tricks and the prestigious velvet range. Saving up my paper round money to purchase the Magic Rice Bowls, Magic Domino and Chinese sticks.
Its been some years since I have performed magic and with my recent reading on Creativity and the excellent Nate Staniforths ‘Here Is Real Magic: A Magician’s Search for Wonder in the Modern World’. I’m even more fired up to get back on the stage. This new found goal led me to also read the excellent manual, ‘Building an Act’, from another magic legend, Tommy Wonders,
I’ve also recently joined up with a magicians Facebook group, hosted by the tremendous Luke Dancy of Murphys Magic. The social media landscape has had a big impact on magic over the years and it’s excellent to connect with other magicians to share our passion in all thats magic!
