April 19th July:

Here at House of Magic we're pleased to announce that James Milner on Sunday 19th July performed at the Magic Circle in London for the Young Magicians of the Year and got through to the final.

The other Finalists are:
Edward Hilsum
David Johnson
Michael Jordan
Megan Knowles-Bacon
Sanjivan Parhar
Carl Scutt

The Final will take place on 12th July at the Magic Circle
Headquarters at the Centre for the Magic Arts, Euston, London.

April 9th 2009:

Here at house of Magic we were pleased to have Mike Skutt lecture here. Mikes lecture was amazing, his unique brand of magic and performance shone through and impressed all.

 He performed several new effects that were quirky and off the wall and yet at the same time easy to perform. he finished with a powerpoint preseentation like no other, that was both informative and entertaining. Hopefully we'll see Mike again in the future. Everyone who saw his lecture no doubt hope they do anyway.

We at The House of Magic are deeply upset by the new that Ali Bongo passed away on Sunay March 8th 2009. Ali was a true gentleman and master of his craft and here at House of Magic we were very fortunate to have him lecture here twice. Our thoughts go to his friends and family.

We have recently recieved new playing cards here at House of Magic, the cards are called 'The Jill Deck' and have been designed  by local artist Annabelle De Vetten. These cards will make a great addition to any collection you have and any magic effects or magic card tricks you do will be further enchanced with this 'noir' looking deck.

This deck contains more than the usual 52 cards plus Jokers. Some of the most popular gaffed cards in magic have also been included. Others were specifically created for the Jill Deck.

- a duplicate Joker with a punched out bullet hole
- a duplicate topless Queen of Clubs
- a misindexed Ace of Diamonds / Three of Clubs
- a misindexed Three of Clubs / Ace of Diamonds
- a double faced card
- a double backed card
- a white Queen of Hearts

It is also a marked deck.


 
'The Jill Deck is probably the sexiest deck I've ever seen. Makes practicing alone MUCH more fun. I'm going to go and work on my one-handed top palm now.'
-Thom Peterson a.k.a. "The Amazing Guy"

'I like the Jill Deck so much, you can write anything and put my name under it.'
- Keith Bennett

'Jill is a bombshell! She really stands out in the crowded poker room. These tasteful temptresses will add sex appeal to any game or magic routine.'
-Jeff McBride; Las Vegas Headliner

'The Jill Deck is amazing, I love it. But don't show my wife.'
- James Brown; International Award Winning Magician & Pickpocket

'Extremely happy with them, they are nice in the fact that they stand out, are fun and the artwork is beautiful without giving the people the feel that this is a gimmicked deck.'
-Thomas Kruger, Minneapolis, MN, USA.

27th Febuary 2009:

Here at House of Magic our School of Wizardry has nearly completed it's run. This means if you wish to sign up to our next term do so quick. At the School of Wizardry you will be taught by John Milner who has been teaching magic and giving magic lessons for a large number of years. In the school you will be taught magic tricks and more importantly how to perform them. Our magic class is both friendly and supportive to any of our students. If you would like to book a magic lesson or book a whole magic course then contact us today as seats sell out fast! 

Stourbridge Magic Club performed for a local sailing club last night, Friday 27th February 2009. Another good show and more money to their designated charities. It all goes to make those magic lessons at our magic shop worth while when I see long term students performing so well and new students being encouraged to perform to strangers. At the magic lessons we encourage performance. I look forward to seeing you on a Wednesday evening. Lessons begin at 7pm and finish at 9pm and cost just £10! Book now to avoid disapointment and take the first step in learning magic.

Mike Skutt's Amazing Awesome Creativity Lecture Weds 8th April!

"Mike Skutt approaches the art of creating a truly memorable magic moment unlike anyone I've ever met. His effects as well as his methods tend to be extremely fresh and marvelously original." -Jay Sankey

 Mike Skutt thinks about magic…a lot.  One of the things he thinks is that doing a magic trick off the shelf can only take you so far.  Time and time again, magicians keep going back to see what the newest effect is; trying desperately to regain the awe they experienced as a spectator and the rush of performing they got as a newbie.  Why do we succumb to such a vicious circle of commerce and confusion?  Psychology undergrad and professional magician Mike Skutt will share some of his secretes on tapping into the creative artist that is in all of us.  Learn exercises to retrain your brain to think creatively.  Dismiss the myth that you can’t create your own routines.

  Mike’s “left of center” thinking has taken him around the world and this talent has been sought by such professional magician’s and creators as Jay Sankey, Richard Sanders, U.K. television star Pete Firman, and NBC’s “Phenomenon” runner-up Angela Funovits.  As a creative consultant, Mike has honed in on the art of picking apart a routine, sanding the corners, and putting it back together.  Now it’s time to share his insight!

What magic lecture would be complete without learning actual effects?  Mike will perform and teach some of his pet routines, not only to share, but also to use the history of their creation as a metaphor for the creative process.

This lecture is fast approaching and there are only a few seats left! So phone without delay if you wish to attend!

Geoffrey Durham Lecture 16th February 2009.

Everyone had a fantastic time and Geoffrey wowed everyone with innovative magic effects, tricks and more importantly sound advice and wisdom about magic that he has obtained by being at the top of his proffession.

Geoffrey Durham has performed for clients including members of the Royal Family, cabinet ministers, captains of industry and the aristocracy. He has performed in two Children’s Royal Variety Performances. In thirty years as a cabaret artist his unique presentations have been featured in every hotel on London’s Park Lane, as well as in many of the most prestigious venues in the world. In the corporate field, he has toured Australia for the Ford Motor Company, created over 100 special performances for Seat Cars and worked for a host of organisations from Kellogg’s to IBM. In the West End of London, he has appeared at the London Palladium, Dominion, Duchess and Apollo Victoria theatres and he has performed in over two hundred other playhouses nationwide. 

He hosted two series of Thames Television’s The Best of Magic, and was featured on The Fifty Greatest Magic Tricks of All Time on Channel 4 (where his expert performance of the Newspaper Trick came in at number 31!). In all, he has made over 700 appearances on British television - covering children’s shows, chat, quizzes and variety galas. But he is probably best known for his many years on the cult Channel 4 word game Countdown, where he has performed over 160 close-up tricks as well as displaying unsuspected skills as a wordsmith. He also appears regularly as a panellist and presenter on BBC Radio 4.

He frequently works as an illusion adviser for stage and television. In the West End of London, he has devised effects for Oliver! (London Palladium), House of Magic (UK) Christ Superstar (Lyceum Theatre), the Reeves and Mortimer/Fast Show double bill (Labatt’s Apollo), The League Of Gentlemen (Theatre Royal, Drury Lane), Peter Pan (Royal Festival Hall), Privates on Parade (Donmar Warehouse), and The Mystery of Charles Dickens with Simon Callow (Duke of York’s). He was also the Magic Director of the critically acclaimed West End show about Tommy Cooper, Jus’ Like That!, which later toured nationwide. On television, he devised effects for Dr Who in the now classic episode The Greatest Show in the Galaxy starring Sylvester McCoy.

In 1990, the Magic Circle of Great Britain made him a Member of the Inner Magic Circle with Gold Star; in 2002 he was presented with The Maskelyne, the Magic Circle’s highest award; and in 2003, he received The David Berglas Award for his outstanding contribution to magic. He now joins the ranks of Joe Pasquale, Patrick Page, Hans Moretti, Wayne Dobson, Jay Marshall, Paul Daniels, Ali Bongo, Ken Brooke, Peter Warlock and Murray himself as a recipient of the Murray Award.

Boris Wild lecture

I hope you  have enjoyed browsing through the items on this list. We continually have new items comming into the shop but just don't have time to list them all so a visit is always worthwhile. Stu works weekdays and Al on Saturdays. We look forward to seeing you. If you have travelled any distance don't forget to ask for a free cup coffee or tea!

If you have any questions then email me on info@houseofmagicuk.com or join the FORUM.

FORUM

The  "House of Magic (UK)" Forum where newcomers are able to ask questions and hopefully get answers is now open. All you have to do is go onto the Forum section and register. It's FREE. Give yourself a user name and then fill in your email address and a password. We will then email you and on receiving a reply will authorise you to post on the site.  More experienced magicians will be allowed into the advanced magic group if they are known to the moderators or if the moderators believe their contributions merit it because of their contributions to the Forum. When you are authorised go to the Introductions section go to "new topic" and tell us a bit about yourself and how you became interested in the subject. if you have any questions just make a post in the appropriate box. We will do our best to answer.

If you have any difficulties in joining the FORUM please email me on info@houseofmaicuk.com

We look forward to receiving your questions.

If you are a member The Stourbridge Magic Club let me know by  contacting me on info@houseofmagicuk.com and I will see that you have access to that user group.

Kind regards

John Milner

James Milner chatting to one of magic’s greats, John Calvert.	James Milner learning a new scam from Paul Wilson.

Alan Shaxon at The House of Magic (UK)	James Milner with Ken Dodd

MAGICIANS

Several members of the Stourbridge Magic Club appeared in Andrew O'Connors new film MAGICIANS and The House of Magic UK was delighted to help in supplying props and people for the dealers convention.