Open Night - Order of the Magi (Manchester)

Reported by Geoffrey Newton PRO

On Tuesday 12th February THE ORDER OF THE MAGI (MANCHESTER) held an open night to celebrate their move to the new premises, the recently completed Irish World Heritage Centre in Manchester, being only a short distance from the old building which many of you will be familiar with. A room full of members and guests, many with their families and friends enjoyed the one man show of Mark James set in two half hour slots. Mark is well known to the Magi so we knew he could deliver, and deliver he did with a sharp, witty act of hilarious comedy magic. He kept the audience with him all the way and clearly had been a wise choice for the event. After the first half the bar staff popped the corks and everyone was treated to a glass of bubbly (or alternative) with toasts proposed to the Irish Centre and the Magi conducted by Secretary Mike Sharples. During this time our balloon expert Alan ‘Snaggers’ Russell ensured all the ladies were treated to a model, what a fast worker to do all this in the short time allotted.

Following the interval, the guest of honour, the International President of the International Brotherhood of Magicians, John Pye cut the ribbon to officially open the Magi’s new home. Needless to say he immediately restored it. Well what did you expect at a magic society meeting? The photo shows John, ably assisted by Magi President Joe Abrahams (left) and IBM British Ring President John ‘Sly’ Smith (right).

I was now time for the cake to be officially cut and during Mark’s second performance it was all plated up for distribution at the end.

It had been a very successful night and their next social event is the annual dinner on March 23rd. Details are on www.orderofthemagi.org.uk or see elsewhere on today’s edition of MagicWeek.
 

Geoffrey Newton PRO, February 2013

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