74th British Ring IBM Convention
22nd - 26th September 2010, Eastbourne
Update 16, July 2010
Bob Hayden, British Ring PRO

Attention all Balloon Modellers! Can you make a wrist flower, a balloon model suitable for little girls or a model of a monkey on a stick something which delights the little boys? You can’t? You will be able to do so after attending the Balloon Modelling Workshop being conducted by Mike Stokes of Playtime Balloons on Friday afternoon. This is the latest in a series of Balloon Workshops that have given by Mike over the years at our Convention and which have proved to be most popular among you Modellers.

Mike’s instructions on how to achieve any model are always clearly and precisely explained and with an ample supply of balloons generously supplied by Qualatex balloons for hands on use, these models should easily be within your grasp. As always Mike will be assisted by his wife Marjorie and Gerry Luff as mentors. With bookers continuing to ask for a session of balloon modelling to be included in your programme you cannot afford to miss this opportunity to increase your repertoire of models.

The arrangements and production of this year’s Children’s Showtime on Saturday morning have once again been entrusted to Clive Moore. And what a varied and star studded show he has put together with Sooty and Richard Cadell, Jimbo, Amethyst, Stuart Brown and Philip Partridge with those half crazy clowns Clivo and Jeani making the introductions. With the IBM Clowns on hand there is going to be a riot of fun in and around the Devonshire Park Theatre.

Sooty will of course be accompanied by Sweep and Soo and no doubt will be giving Richard a hard time with his mischievous tricks. Amethyst (Danny Hunt and Annette Claire) will not be doing their escapology in this show but will be performing some of their breath-taking illusions combined with smaller magical effects. The audience and especially the children cannot but be completely dazzled by the spectacle they will be seeing. Jimbo (Jimmy Carlo) will be performing some of the items from his show that earned him the title of KIDabra International Family Entertainer of the Year, the first time it had been awarded. It is an opportunity to see that Jimmy practices what he preached in his lecture. All of these three have been profiled in previous Convention News so here are character sketches on Stuart Brown and Philip Partridge.

Stuart Brown’s prowess as a manipulator cannot be disputed. On many occasions he has been the winner of the Derby Magic Society’s, his local magic club, stage competition as he has of the Northern Magic Circle’s annual stage competition. At the pinnacle of his magical awards must be crowned Champion of Manipulation at the 2007 Blackpool Convention.

Stuart is an unassuming magician but one who constantly looks to improve his performance. He always welcomes and carefully listens to any constructive criticism that may be offered on any show he gives. In this way he has built up an act which not only shows off his considerable technical skills but is graceful in its construction.

Stuart has a great asset, his enquiring mind. He is not just content to own an object such as a video recorder; he wants to know how it works. He finds this out by dismantling and successfully reassembling it. This appetite for wanting to know how everything works equally applies to the effects he performs. By doing so he is able to make improvements to the presentation to many of the manipulators favourite effects. One in particular is his routine of the Dancing Handkerchief which has become one of the highlights of his act.

Having obtained a degree in Pharmacy from Manchester University, Philip Partridge’s career did not start in magic but in dispensing pills and potions. However magic had been a part of Philip’s life since the age of 8, when, you’ve guessed it he was given a magic set for Christmas. It was at University that his interest became more than just a hobby and in 1992 he was co-founder of the Merseyside Junior Magic Club. He had joined Liverpool’s Mahatma Magic Circle the year previous and within six years he was to become its President. He went on to gain a Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Pharmacy and took up a position at the Royal Liverpool Hospital where he remained until 1997. But the lure to perform magic full time overtook his pharmaceutical interests and in December of that year he started his magical business.

Philip is a ‘general practitioner’ of magic his work covering Close-up, Cabaret and Children’s entertainment and always strives to personalise his show to his client’s wants. He moved to East Didsbury Manchester in 2000 and almost immediately Magic Philip was in demand to entertain children with hilarious comedy, magic tricks, juggling, crazy puppets balloon animals, fun loving jokes and gags. This is Magic Philip’s debut at a British Ring Convention and he is looking forward to bringing his own particular brand of magic for children to Eastbourne.

Children’s Showtime is primarily staged for the children and their parents of the town hosting our Convention, a seat for the show not being included in the Convention registration. Many conventioneers like to go to the show and they can do so by purchasing a ticket from the Devonshire Theatre Box Office. They are however asked to occupy the seats in the circle leaving the stalls available for the children.