Congratulations to Paul Kitchen the winner of this years Shirley Watts Close-up Competition and to Tom Wilkinson who came in second.

You can view a few photos here courtesy of Jon Marshall.

Syllabus 2008/2009

We have another fantastic year lined up with lectures including John Born, Henning Koehlert, Adrian Sullivan, Mel Mellers, Bill Goldman and Steve Beam. Lots of participatory nights for club members to be involved in, the Simpson Shield Heats, Workshops, Competitions etc. Please check back here regularly for additions, changes and news on the syllabus and all HMC events.

The Hull Magicians' Circle Team of Eddie Dawes, Jon Marshall and Richard Morrell triumphed at the 21st Castle Magic Inter Society Quiz. Held at the HMC HQ six teams took part in a fun pub-style quiz with all the questions on various magical topics. The host and quizmaster was Michael Shepherd.

You can view more photos courtesy of HMC member David Cookson.

In the finals of the Spooner Trophy Competition 13 year old Jack Gleadow won for the third year running. David Hoyes, 16, came a very close second and also won the Tadman Trophy for themed magic performed throughout the year. Also taking part were Aleks Pawinski and Joe Harper. Guest magician, Michael Jordan, from Huddersfield entertained while the judge’s marks were added up. Other young magicians, Jason Hoodlass and Kai Whymes entertained the audience with pre-show close-up magic. HMC member Paul Kitchen, himself a former Spooner Trophy winner, compered. The trophies, including magic vouchers from Merlins and books from Magic Books by Post (thanks to owner and HMC member Steve Short) were presented to all entrants by Eddie Dawes. For the first time a President’s Award was given for progress, attendance and enthusiasm to a young magician nominated by Humberside Young Magician’s Workshop leaders. The first recipient was Jason Hoodlass.

You can see more photos with thanks to HMC member David Cookson.

MAGIC! - A Magical Show and Competition featuring talented Young Magicians competing for Hull Magicians' Circle's Spooner Trophy 2008.

Our young magicians have been honing their sleight-of-hand and conjuring skills in the workshop sessions all year in preparation for the final showdown of this years Spooner Trophy Competition which will see one of them crowned Young Magician of Humberside 2008. You will have seen magic on TV but come and support our budding Harry Potters as they perform live with no chance of camera trickery or editing. They will amaze, baffle and astonish right in front of your eyes in an afternoon suitable for all the family.

The afternoon will be presented by Paul Kitchen with Guest Magician Michael Jordan.

The competition starts at 2pm Sat 12th July Admission £4 Conc. £2

Doors will open at 1.30pm for close-up magic entertainment where our wandering magicians will show you small miracles right under your nose.

It is all to take place at:

Ferens Art Gallery
Queen Victoria Square
Kingston upon Hull
HU1 3RA

(If you are a member of HMC and we have sent you two tickets and you wish to purchase these then please use the paypal button on the left.)

Hull Magicians' Circle Annual General Meeting will take place on June 19th, we hope for a good turn-out as we discuss club business and get ready for the new season. If there are any suggestions on any matters to be raised at the A.G.M please contact the secretary.

We have booked Ali Bongo to compere and star at our Annual Dinner, we have also persuaded him to give a lecture the preceding evening on April 10th. Do not miss this lecture by one of the most inventive exponents of magic. Add the date to your diary now. In addition we have also filled the April 3rd date with a lecture and dealer dem from Magic Books By Post, starring our own member Steve Short along with co-owner Paul Cook, who will come and demonstrate tricks from the books that they sell.

We have now pretty much finalised the 2008 Syllabus with just one date to fill in April (possibly with a very hot UK underground card-guy stay tuned). We have managed to get Dave Jones to lecture and perform at our Annual Supper. We have another well known UK Magician, Steve Dela, current holder of the IBM Zina Bennett close-up trophy, to lecture for us in May. Finally we have two American lecturers, Aaron Fisher in January and Joshua Jay in May, two extremely talented guys who you won't want to miss.

Anybody from another magic society is welcome to our external lectures for a door fee of £5, please contact us before hand if you intend to come along.

The new 2007-2008 Syllabus is now online. A new Young Magicians' Workshop section has been added along with the new Workshop Syllabus.

After a tremendous competition on Saturday the result was a First Place win for Jack Gleadow and Second Place to Joe Harper. Congratulations to them, and to the other competitors David Hoyes, Alistair Kenyon-Brodie and Alex Pawinski. You can view pictures from the competition over on Jon Marshall's Flickr Page.

This year's competition to find the Young Magician of Humberside, will be held on Saturday July 14th at 1.30pm at The Ferens Art Gallery, Live Art Space. Tickets can be bought on the door and are £3.50 for adults and £1.50 for children. Close-up magic will be performed before the show. Please come along and support our Humberside Young Magicians Workshop members.

Our Honorary Treasurer David Hand is to tour the USA with male-voice quartet Fourum of which he is a member. I will let David tell you about this in his own words, we wish him luck on the tour:

Last September I was invited to join a close part harmony group from Scunthorpe called Fourum. I had to go a 2 hour audition (having previously been given 3 pieces of music to learn from scratch in one week). Immediately on returning home late that evening I received a call to say I had passed & they offered me the position. I was to take the place of the baritone who could not make a particular tour which the quartet had made twice before but not to the extent of this tour. In February this year the original baritone resigned due to other committments & I was invited to become a permanent member, which I accepted.

The tour involves 13 concerts in Georgia, South Carolina, Maryland & Virginia. We will be hosted in some areas, staying in booked accomodation in other areas. There will be 3 internal flights & we have hired a large mini type bus for the road movements. There will be various concerts at churches and retirement homes (for which the group have previously performed).

The highlight of this tour is the group being invited to perform at the Jamestown 400 celebrations which are commemorating the 400th anniversary of the first English settlers. Although celebrations are going on throughout the year, the weekend of 11-13th May sees much varied entertainment from about 70 orchestras, choirs and groups (even one magician) from the U.S.A including only 2 groups from England, our quarter being one of them. The organisers expect 30,000 visitors a day & we will be performing to agreed schedules on each of the 3 sound stages during the weekend. The weekend finishes on the Sunday night after a 1600 strong choir / orchestra have performed and a firework display, as the audince leaves the arena we have been asked to close the show. We will have somewhat of a captive audience to sell our CD (which was being recorded at the time of my original invitation so unfortunatley I am not on this one, but plans for another one including me are already being made). Buses will be used to transport the audience to their vehicles similar to Disney so those who missed us on the other concerts will certainly see us here. The Queen is making a state tour & visitng the Jamestown site but unfortunatley we belive she is going a few days before we are perfoming so she will miss us!

We perform all types of music & I have had to learn about 35 pieces of music - baritone line, as they do not use any music in perfomances. Some of the music is un-accompanied, although we do have our own pianist for some numbers & she will be with us on the tour. She is also a very accomplished violinst & both her & our Musical Director who arranges some of the musical numbers are ex London Royal College of Music, the other 2 members of the quartet are fine singers so I am very honoured to be a member of such a distinguished & talented group.

We are also officially busking during part of the weekend so I hope to incorporate some close up magic into some of those performances. We are finisihing our tour at a former 900 acre planation in which we are performing 2 x 2 hour concerts, one a private dinner party for the owners of the 6.2million dollar mansion that stands on the site. At that event I have been asked to entertain the guests with close up magic. We also have a tour manager & our wives will be with us on the tour.

We are appearing on Radio Humberside 2.00pm on Mon 30th April on Lara Kings show.

I have now performed 4 concerts with the group and at three of them we recived further bookings. I have a further 2 concerts with them tommorrow in Grimsby & Fri 27th April. Needless to say I have spent a lot of time rehearsing & so my other practice of new magic effects has suffered due to this.At least I have an interesting & tested close up repertoire for the trip.

For those who are interested www.fourum.co.uk will find our web site & all our biographies and concerts during the tour.

Humberside Young Magicians' Workshop are hosting a 'Meet Steve Dela' morning on Saturday 31st March from 10.30am - 1pm.

Steve, current Magic Circle Young Magician of the Year, is appearing in the after-dinner theatre show at Hull Magicians' Circle Annual Dinner on Friday 30th March and has kindly agreed to talk, show some of his magic and demonstrate some of his original ideas to Humberside Young Magicians' group on Saturday 31st March. There will be items for sale. They would like to share this meeting with other young magicians in the region and extend an invitation to them, accompanied by an adult, to join them for this informal event. And bring a trick or two! There is no charge and light refreshments will be available. It’s at Hessle Town Hall, South Lane, Hessle, Nr Hull HU13 0RR (Map). Contact Richard Morrell if you would like to attend.

Syllabus 2006-2007 The syllabus for the new season is now up on the site, apologies for the delay, I will try and update the site with some more content from The Oracle shortly.

Variety acts had to have 'bill matter', the by-line that followed their name on the bills (never referred to as posters by professionals). What thought and stress must have gone into creating these. Turns would try to conjure up a catchy line that would capture the essence of the act, help sell it, and most important, be completely different to everyone else's. Jack Le Dair's 'bill matter' was “That Amazing Trickologist” and I saw him at the Hull Tivoli Theatre on February 18 1946. His act consisted of mainly small tricks presented in an entertaining manner. He opened with the Cut and Restored Newspaper which, instead of tearing, he cut with a paper knife making a neat bundle of cut papers. With a shake of his hands they became beautifully restored. Then followed 'Cigarette Making'. Jack selected a cigarette paper and made his hand into a fist, he pushed in the paper,followed by some tobacco and on pushing them through his fist, they were transformed into a cigarette. Jack lit the cigarette and performed some sleight of hand moves with it. But, suddenly, the audience were aware that he was no longer smoking a cigarette, it had changed into a cigar. Blowing a cloud of smoke he reached up and produced a shower of cigarettes. It's a good job that there was no ban on smoking in theatres in those days!

Members of the theatre band were often involved in an act's antics and occasionally were the butt of the comedian's jokes. Jack performed an intriguing mystery next involving the participation of a musician. Le Dair asked a violinist in the theatre orchestra to lend him his bow. Taking a piece of newspaper he wrapped the bow in it and then proceeded to crush the paper. The bow had disappeared. The violinist was not amused, but the magician
reached under his jacket and produced the missing bow. A spectator was then asked to take a playing card, tear it into eight pieces and to keep one. The other pieces were wrapped in tissue paper and put in an envelope. A cigarette was borrowed from a member of the audience, lit and smoked for a few seconds. The magician tore open the cigarette and a playing card was taken from it. The card was discovered to be the one selected earlier, minus the piece held by the spectator who was asked to fit the two pieces together. They fitted perfectly. When the envelope that contained the torn pieces was opened it was seen to contain tobacco.

The act concluded with an unusual demonstration. Le Dair presented a number of matchstick puzzles that he had adapted for the stage. The display board he used measured four-feet-sixinches square and the matches were
ten-inches in length and one-inch wide. After showing half-a-dozen puzzles he demonstrated 'Match Geography' - how to represent the names of towns and places using only four matches. The following are examples:
DUBLIN - Two matches taken from the board and laid on top of the other two - Doubling.
ALTRINCHAM - Move four matches about the board into any odd position - Altering 'em.
TRURO - Four matches set in perfectly straight row - A true row
ROTTEN ROW - All matches set askew
OLDHAM - Two matches held high - Hold 'em
CLAPHAM - “My last is without matches; I leave you to guess” - Clap 'em.

Well they were funny in 1946 - maybe someone could get some laughs with these even now. Closing Jack Le Dair's show was a Music Hall show, in miniature! This included a performer on a horizontal bar, a skeleton dancer, a chair balancer, two trick cyclists and a unicyclist on a tightrope. The artiste closing the show was a magician. All of the artistes were matchstick figures used as string puppets.

Jack Le Dair was born in Plymouth    in 1880 and lived until 1952. His real name was John Albert Warton. The year I saw Jack perform in Hull (1946) he published his Tricks of a Trouper. Like many visiting magical performers Jack was invited to attend a supper with Hull Magicians' Circle members after one of his performances.

Reminder to Members that President's Night is now on June 1st where Eddie will host a talk by Scotland's Gordon Bruce. Then our final meeting the A.G.M. will be June 8th, followed by two Summer Meetings on July 20th and August 17th.

If you haven't booked your tickets for Hull Magicians' Circle most exciting event, The Annual Dinner and Show Friday April 7th - please ring or e-mail David Hand now! Tel: 01724 850518 Email: davidh@nomanby.co.uk

We have a real scoop for our truly international show - Dale Salwak has played the top conventions, shows, theatres and television programmes, in the States and throughout the world. Our own, hilarious, Martyn James is compering and keeping it in the family Alan Hudson performs his own brand of comedy mentalism, fresh from his appearance at The Magic Castle. Amethyst featuring Danny Hunt and Annette are top-line illusionists and have played on cruise ships and on the continent. Jonathan Shotton may be young but he performs an exciting and colourful award winning act, he is a current finalist in The Magic Circle's Young Magician of the Year competition and appeared in St. Louis in the Society of American Magicians' Stars of Tomorrow show.





Dale Salwak - Wonderfully elegant magic from The Gentleman Magician (from California), “Dale Salwak doesn't just do magic; he is magic!”

Amethyst - International Illusionists present “The Power of Imagination”

Alan Hudson - That Cheeky Conjurer - Magician or Super Hero?

Jonathan Shotton - Dynamic Magical Manipulation, British Junior Stage Champion 2004

Compere - Martyn James, With a Twist of Comedy, 2003 British Magical Grand Prix Winner

The Living Half Lady - The Recreation of Jon Gresham's 1950s side show illusion.

We are sorry to report the sad news that Arthur Setterington died on Thursday 26th January 2006 age 81. Arthur was a warm, generous magician who will be sadly missed by his many friends and correspondents throughout the world.

Arthur was acknowledged as the originator of the Penetrating Rubber Bands, the genesis of many of the modern elastic band tricks. He was prolific in his creation of tricks and ideas, he had over one-thousand effects published in many magazines beginning with Abra in 1947. His published books, pamphlets and manuscripts include The Book of Magic (co-authored with Eddie Dawes), The Life and Times of the Great Lafayette, Off Beat Mentalism, Joe Smith Mysteries, Straight Line Mysteries, Magic, Fun and Games and many more. Arthur's two books on mental and psychological mysteries, The Power of Persuasion and The Power of Perception, ahead of their time when published over thirty years ago, and now back in fashion, have been published, with additional material, by Paul Hallas under the title Arthur Setterington's Strange Powers.

In November 2003 Arthur was awarded the J N Maskelyne Literary Award by The Magic Circle.

Cube in a Tube, marketed by Edwin Hooper's Supreme Magic Company, was one of many originations that Arthur won the Hull Magicians' Circle Jasper Maskelyne Silver Wand for Originality with and he received one, of many, Linking Ring Awards for his idea. No one has beaten his record for winning the Maskelyne Wand or the trophy for Close-up magic at Hull Magicians' Circle. Arthur was, off stage, a quiet man who did not exploit financially many of his magical ideas. He was quite content that his trick had been published or manufactured and that would give him great pleasure. I was with him and remember when he handed a batch of tricks for publication over to a dealer - who said, “… if you won't accept money, pick anything on the stand”, Arthur, typically, chose a modest, inexpensive close-up item and was delighted with it.

Arthur was born in Hull (March 22 1924). Little did his parents, Jim and Hilda, suspect that their first born - Thomas Arthur Setterington would turn out to be known throughout the magical world as a prolific inventor, writer, historian, collector, lecturer, Punch Professor and a performer.

He was a Member of The Inner Magic Circle with Gold Star. Arthur was the longest serving member of Hull Magicians' Circle; in November 2005 he celebrated sixty-years continuous membership. He was an Hon Vice-President of the Circle and had been Hon. Secretary and President.

His magical interests were stimulated by seeing a magician when he was four years old. By the time he was seven he had, by collecting cocoa tokens, acquired a book of tricks and was given the proverbial magic set - an Ernest Sewell Box of Tricks. After leaving school Arthur's career progressed from errand boy to ironmonger's shop assistant to assistant cinema projectionist. Drafted to work in the Cornish tin mines on the outbreak of WWII Arthur's health suffered and in 1944 he had to leave the mines.
1945 was a magical year in many ways for Arthur - he joined Hull Magicians' Circle and presented his first professional show, at the City Hotel - fee 2/6d (12.5p). Arthur attended the early British Ring Conventions (winning the originality prize in 1949) and the Abra Jamboree in Birmingham. 2005 was the first British Ring convention that Arthur had missed.

At a show for the Salvation Army in 1948 Arthur met Elsie Kirby and asked for her hand - not in marriage, that came later, but to participate in a Wrist Chopper trick, ask Elsie to show you the dent in the bracelet! 1953 was another landmark year; Arthur was the first winner of the newly awarded Hull Circle Connolly Shield for Stage Magic and, now Elsie had forgiven him for the Wrist Chopper routine, they got married and so Arthur has been assisted and supported by Elsie ever since - they celebrated their Golden Wedding in 2003.

Arthur was by now a very busy entertainer and at Christmas and on special occasions like Coronation Day they performed up to six shows a day dashing from one to the other. Punch and Judy and ventriloquism were just two of the allied arts that Arthur developed commercial acts with.

In 1958 Arthur became a Methodist Lay Preacher and with Elsie devoted much of their lives to work for their church especially with young people as Sunday School and Youth Group leaders. Arthur's annual Jimmy Jumbo Show at the Library Theatre raised many hundreds of pounds for the Sunday School movement.

Arthur's interest and generosity in assisting young magicians continued throughout his life, Arthur played a leading role in the Humberside Young Magicians' Group, a group that has helped nurture many successful, professional magicians. Recently, on January 5th 2006 Arthur was able to watch the annual competition for the Arthur Setterington Junior Award for Close-up Magic. He presented the trophy to Jack Gleadow, age 11, the winning competitor, right at the beginning of his magical life.

In 1960 Arthur won the Zina Bennett Trophy for close-up magic at the British Ring Convention and he won this national competition again in 1968. 1960 was also the year in which his son Ian was born. Ian who famously exclaimed that he would “…rather spend two weeks in Withernsea than watch the Linking Rings!”, especially when the many magical visitors got in the way of him watching Match of the Day.

Over the years Arthur has lectured to magical societies all over the UK and Ireland and he made a career of talks on magic and related subjects to lay groups - women's, church and voluntary organisations.

At 81, Arthur had no thought of retirement from magical activities, to the end of his magic-filled life he was still dreaming up tricks and routines, writing up his notes on magicians he watched in Hull's variety theatres in the 1930s and 40s, lecturing - his last lecture Over the Top! was given to Hull Circle members in November 2005 - and assisting with the Young Magicians' Group.

On a personal note - I knew Arthur and Elsie since I first came to Hull as a student and I can't count the many acts of help, friendship and hospitality that I have received from the Setteringtons - and I am not alone, all of Arthur's friends, and countless magicians and correspondents throughout the world have experienced the same warm generosity always given with no thought of return.

We can't do better than quote from Eddie Dawes' Foreword to grandson, Calum Setterington's (2003) biography of Arthur -

“When I moved from Glasgow to Hull and transferred from the Scottish Conjurers' Association to Hull Magicians' Circle the first magician to extend the hand of friendship was one whose name was very familiar to me, although we had never met - it was Arthur Setterington. Over the intervening years we have became very good friends and I had the opportunity to admire first hand his many sterling qualities as an author, lecturer, historian of magic, practising magician, clever inventor of tricks and Methodist Lay Preacher.

Arthur's ability to devise new tricks was awesome and his contributions to magic literature are an incredible achievement. Add to that the many books he authored and you have a measure of his versatility, clearly recognised by his election to membership of The Inner Magic Circle and recipient of The Magic Circle's Maskelyne Literary Award.

As a mentor to young aspiring conjurers, Arthur has for many years, shared his unrivalled knowledge with the Young Magicians of Humberside organisation and countless youngsters owe much to his instruction - I only wish that I had been so favoured when I was their age. Of Arthur's many other attributes, let me say simply that he is a loyal, dependable fellow whom I am privileged to call a friend.”

Our condolences go to his family and especially Elsie Setterington, son and daughter-in-law, Ian and Shelagh and grand-children, Callum and Lucy.

The President, Eddie Dawes introduced our lecturer for the evening, Michael Ammar. It was seven years since Michael’s last lecture at HMC.Michael began with a routine whereby he produced a bottle from a handkerchief; he then proceeded to put a large selected coin inside the bottle and then remove it. He continued by demonstrating a card routine which opened with a selected card being found on the sole of his shoe. This followed with a selected card being found in a chosen balloon, a variation of a Derek Dingle routine.

Michael then demonstrated a Silk to Egg routine which brought about an amusing discussion on the colour of eggs in different countries.Next Michael then talked through and explained the moves he uses with the Cups and Balls before going on to perform his excellent routine. This was followed by a trick involving two members of the audience giving a £5 note to Michael that he immediately tore in half. The money vanished and later turned up inside a peanut shell which had been freely selected from a full bag of nuts. Michael finished by demonstrating and explaining a Coin Through Scarf routine. Eddie thanked Michael on behalf of all present for an excellent evening.

It’s always good to see Mark and Kerry on their occasional trips up to Hull. Kerry arrived fresh from her Sky television success and introduced Mark who began by demonstrating The Robber Jacks. This was followed by Signature Box where two signed pieces of paper changed places. He then demonstrated a card trick using a toy car and The Invisible Assistant.He then performed and explained an entertaining routine he uses for children’s shows in which he finishes by producing a large bag of cookies.

Mark then demonstrated his table-hopping routine, including Sponge Ball transposition, Jon Allen’s Destination Box, Ambitious Card and Omni Deck, and a Chop Cup routine.

Kerry joined Mark as they finished with a question and answer session. They were both very open and honest in giving advice and opinions on performance topics and Vice-President, Ray Burrell thanked Mark and Kerry for a most entertaining evening.