November 20 - Shirley Watts Trophy
What a huge success this was! Held on Wednesday, November 20 at Ferriby Methodist Hall the ten competitors performed good magic - but that’s what you expect from HMC members - but the real stars were members of the audience. There were about fifty highly enthusiastic ladies and a few gentlemen present who clearly enjoyed the performers’ skills and patter and showed it with their sustained applause.
Michael Harrop, as competition organiser, had arranged for the performers to work at two tables at opposite corners of a hall and the whole evening ran like clockwork. Rex Stott and Brian Wilson looked after the two tables and introduced the performers whilst Sylvia Harrop and Bernard Reuben acted as timekeepers. Alan Johnston’s Gypsy Thread, Dice-through-Mirror and Gilli Gilli Propeller drew appreciative comments as he started on one table while Ray Burrell opened on the other. Ray did an eye-catching Ring on Rope routine, a new, and very clever, version of Unequal Ropes and finished with Cups and Balls using two cups. Richard Morrell had good gags and good magic in his act and amazed the audience with the appearance of a signed card and the disappearance of the whole deck of cards.
Gordon Stow performed in character as a drunk, using clever patter and sight gags. He finished his set with the Barrie Richardson/Pat Page Glass of Beer Production from his sleeve as he took his jacket off. A difficult move, well executed. Peter Smales soon had the audience on his side with his very amusing patter and some clever magic involving nuts and a bolt. Newcomer Domanic Li showed little signs of nerves as his card-handling skills caught the eye. Three jacks became four jokers and finally, four threes in the twinkling of an eye. Roger Hindson did a couple of very clever effects with a gambler/magician theme and finished with a smart version of Peter Kane’s Variant.
Malcolm Bromwich amused the audience with his pet white rabbit, his gags including one with Dame Edna’s glasses and his Rope and Ring Routine. Chris Pawson, also making his first appearance in this competition, did some clever card handling using a gambling theme. The final competitor was Jonathan Gaines who showed a new side to his persona by doing a very impressive Mind Magic set. This included a Lie Detector routine, Roger Curzon’s Coloured Crystals and his version with mouse of Jerry Sadowitz’s Mind Warp.
A potentially nightmare situation of one table finishing four minutes before the other was narrowly averted by the timely intervention of, Daniel Bell, one of the magician members of the audience. With only a few minutes to prepare, he filled the empty table and virtually got a standing ovation. A star was born!
The food was served whilst the four judges – two magical ones, Gary and Sean from Grimsby and two lay judges from the ladies – deliberated. Their papers were carefully scrutinised by Arthur Setterington and soon Brian Wilson in his capacity as HMC’s Vice President announced the results. In first place came Ray Burrell with Richard Morrell second and Peter Smales third. Arthur Setterington made the presentation to Ray.
It was good to see a number of HMC members and some of Humberside Young Magicians in the audience. The success of the evening can be judged by an immediate offer from a neighbouring ladies’ group to host next year’s competition.
What a huge success this was! Held on Wednesday, November 20 at Ferriby Methodist Hall the ten competitors performed good magic - but that’s what you expect from HMC members - but the real stars were members of the audience. There were about fifty highly enthusiastic ladies and a few gentlemen present who clearly enjoyed the performers’ skills and patter and showed it with their sustained applause.
Michael Harrop, as competition organiser, had arranged for the performers to work at two tables at opposite corners of a hall and the whole evening ran like clockwork. Rex Stott and Brian Wilson looked after the two tables and introduced the performers whilst Sylvia Harrop and Bernard Reuben acted as timekeepers. Alan Johnston’s Gypsy Thread, Dice-through-Mirror and Gilli Gilli Propeller drew appreciative comments as he started on one table while Ray Burrell opened on the other. Ray did an eye-catching Ring on Rope routine, a new, and very clever, version of Unequal Ropes and finished with Cups and Balls using two cups. Richard Morrell had good gags and good magic in his act and amazed the audience with the appearance of a signed card and the disappearance of the whole deck of cards.
Gordon Stow performed in character as a drunk, using clever patter and sight gags. He finished his set with the Barrie Richardson/Pat Page Glass of Beer Production from his sleeve as he took his jacket off. A difficult move, well executed. Peter Smales soon had the audience on his side with his very amusing patter and some clever magic involving nuts and a bolt. Newcomer Domanic Li showed little signs of nerves as his card-handling skills caught the eye. Three jacks became four jokers and finally, four threes in the twinkling of an eye. Roger Hindson did a couple of very clever effects with a gambler/magician theme and finished with a smart version of Peter Kane’s Variant.
Malcolm Bromwich amused the audience with his pet white rabbit, his gags including one with Dame Edna’s glasses and his Rope and Ring Routine. Chris Pawson, also making his first appearance in this competition, did some clever card handling using a gambling theme. The final competitor was Jonathan Gaines who showed a new side to his persona by doing a very impressive Mind Magic set. This included a Lie Detector routine, Roger Curzon’s Coloured Crystals and his version with mouse of Jerry Sadowitz’s Mind Warp.
A potentially nightmare situation of one table finishing four minutes before the other was narrowly averted by the timely intervention of, Daniel Bell, one of the magician members of the audience. With only a few minutes to prepare, he filled the empty table and virtually got a standing ovation. A star was born!
The food was served whilst the four judges – two magical ones, Gary and Sean from Grimsby and two lay judges from the ladies – deliberated. Their papers were carefully scrutinised by Arthur Setterington and soon Brian Wilson in his capacity as HMC’s Vice President announced the results. In first place came Ray Burrell with Richard Morrell second and Peter Smales third. Arthur Setterington made the presentation to Ray.
It was good to see a number of HMC members and some of Humberside Young Magicians in the audience. The success of the evening can be judged by an immediate offer from a neighbouring ladies’ group to host next year’s competition.
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