There were two good signs at half past seven. The hall at Croxby Primary School was full and the show started on time. Jon Marshall compered the show and, as you’d expect from such an experienced and professional entertainer, he soon had the audience in a good mood. He then told them to sit back, relax and believe! They needed no further encouragement and the warmth of the welcome which greeted Malcolm Bromwich, the first competitor, was sustained throughout the evening.


The curtain opened to reveal a very colourful setting with Malcolm as Toulouse-Lautrec, flanked by Roxanne Broadbent and Fiona. Malcolm performed some clever moves with silks followed by a rice can routine and his two glamorous assistants demonstrated a synchronised silks and hair routine. Malcolm finished with his head-twister illusion. The evening was off to a flying start and this momentum was maintained when Stuart Richardson began his act. This was Stuart’s first appearance in the Connolly Shield but by no means his first appearance on stage. He opened confidently with some good gags and his cheerful and relaxed style went down well. The act featured a tribute to Tommy Cooper, a popular Dippy Duck routine and a Just Chance routine. All in all some good magic with entertaining patter.

Kerry Scorah hit the ground running, so to speak, and never lost this sense of momentum. The audience clearly liked her style and were impressed by her version of Tossed-out Deck. She performed Cut and Restored Rope using Alan Johnston as a willing and helpful volunteer and then involved him in an entertaining rope escape which ended with Kerry still tied up but wearing Alan’s jacket! The audience were impressed. Her choice of music for this sequence – “Alexander’s Rag Time Band” – was excellent as its bouncy feel matched the mood and pace of the act.

After the interval Kevin Ward and Beau took to the stage. Kevin soon had the audience, particularly the children, responding to his every request. He always involves a good number of volunteers and his expert handling of them clearly comes from his being a busy working magician. Kevin relied on his tried and tested routines and once again they served him well. Sawing Through, Chair Suspension and Head Chopper followed in quick succession all in an atmosphere of magical mayhem, showing his high level of audience management skills. Beau played her part and kept things moving in the unobtrusive way which is the mark of a good assistant.

Peter Smales was the final competitor and again we saw an experienced performer at work using a volunteer. The act was built around Linking Rings, featuring a “do-as-I-do” routine with a young boy. The gags were good and the timing spot on.

The judges, under the chairmanship of our President, Eddie Dawes, then retired to complete the paper work. It was a pleasure to see Rick Martyn and Joanna in this role and the lay judge who was provided by the school was Mark Bishop. Amy Dawes and Sylvia Harrop kept their eyes on the timing arrangements and I think all the competitors worked within their own agreed time limits, for a change.



The show was closed by Mark Shortland, who on the previous evening had been admitted as a member into Hull Magicians’ Circle. Mark soon showed why he had won so many national awards. The audience loved him. His spelling routine which we saw at the Annual Supper a couple of years ago brought the house down and Beau Ward who was watching in the wings was in absolute fits of laughter. “Fizz Across”, his version of Cards Across, using cans of fizzy drinks was hilarious. His young volunteer played the part perfectly and seemed a very fortunate choice on Mark’s part. It’s strange, isn’t it, that magicians like Mark and Jon Marshall have the knack of picking the perfect volunteer from a previously unknown audience. It must be down to the highly developed sixth sense of a working professional.

The presentations followed and Kevin Ward and Beau were announced as the winners with Peter Smales in second place. Jon compered the show in his delightfully relaxed but firm manner and included a version of Colombini’s Knotty Knots which the audience particularly enjoyed. He paid fulsome tribute to the back stage crew of Alan Hudson, Michael Harrop, Matthew Bentley and Tim Cockerill, all under the expert control of Brian Wilson. Everything ran like clockwork and a large audience went home happy. It was good to see a considerable number of HMC members, not only helping backstage but also in the audience encouraging their colleagues. Tim Cockerill should have got a special prize – The Brasso Award – for transforming the trophy into the shining and gleaming state in which it was presented on the stage.