April 2016 - Modern Mystic League

The
Mo Howarth
L
e
M
e
M
June 1922 - April 2016
June 2016
JULY MEETING
Wayne Goodman
B
y his own
admission,
Wayne Goodman is
a Magician, Creator,
Author and allround Nice Guy.
He was Runner-up
in the Close-up
section of the
British Magic
Championships in
2015, and he won
the Wedding
Industry Award for
Best Wedding
Entertainer for East
Anglia in 2013, 2014
and 2015. I know
that makes him
sound a bit like the
Alan Partridge of
magic, but it’s a
pretty impressive
hat trick . . . not
that he does many
tricks with hats
these days.
For several years
Wayne has been one
of the back-bones of
the Northern Magic
Circle Convention.
Okay; strictly
speaking you can only
have one backbone,
so I guess Wayne can
be better described
as a very important
vertebra in that spinal
column.
Anyway, his awardworthy lecture is just
the thing to kill a
couple of hours on a
hot, sunny, summer
afternoon. What
else could you do?
Sunday 10th July
id the
H o w d ho
w
p e rs o n t he
ed
invent k
c
first clo at
h
know w as?
w
time it
In this Issue:Editorial
See,
Hear,
Speak ....
Presidential
I
was fortunate enough to be able to
visit Mo on a few occasions when he
was in his last residence at Oaklands,
and his mind was always sharp and
full of memories. I was able to draft
out with him a couple of final ‘Moans’,
and it is appropriate that the first of
these appears in this edition of the
MeMeL which is dedicated to him.
We are also pleased to reproduce
Roger’s eulogy, as read at the funeral.
Secretarial
Also in this issue it is a privilege to
welcome Eddie Dawes, one of the few
real Professors in the world of magic,
to be our guest contributor. Teller has
commented: ‘Eddie is the most
scholarly magic historian alive. Even
his Christmas cards are educational.’
Trevor Dawson
Chairman’s
Chatter
Be Our Guest
PAGE 13
Tribute to Mo
Women in
Magic
Mo Howarth A Tribute.
Top Hat &
Tales.
One satisfied reader remarked of our
May edition: ‘What can I say – just
another brilliant, brilliant issue!!! I
laughed so much at some of the jokes
that I was in tears. You quite
definitely have taken the MeMeL to
the Number One spot in the world of
magic magazines.’
Bob’s Bits
What the
papers say.
Let us know
what you
think.
Many thanks. It’s always nice to be
appreciated.
[email protected]
Volume 79 Issue 6
Page 1
INDEX
From the Editor’s desk...
I’ve never seen the
films ‘Apocalypse
Now’ or
‘Armageddon’.. but
it’s not the end of
the world.
J
osephine was at Mo’s funeral. She
stayed in the boot of my car, but Mo
passed nearby and it seemed
appropriate.
Actually, the reason for Josephine’s
presence was that Mo had expressed
the wish that she was to be passed on
to Dave Andrews, who had been so
inspired by him in his formative years.
You will find a piece by Dave elsewhere
in this issue, talking about his
relationship with Mo and Josephine
and the influence they had upon him
and the development of his own act.
be held in Harrogate – at the Royal
Hall in 1958. This was the first to be
organised by the Yorkshire branch, as
opposed to the Geordies who had
arranged the first convention at
Newcastle in 1957. Bill also kindly
provided a picture of the programme,
which has a photograph of Mo and his
tag-line ‘It speaks for itself’. As you
will see, George Blake was the
compere and the bill also included
Hedley Fawcett and Vilma and John
Todd.
As well as Josephine’s body and stand,
the case contained a milk glass which
had seen better days, some straws
(both used in the act) and a cigar box
containing Josephine’s hair and eyes,
along with a cigar tube holding the stick
of red make-up to form her mouth.
Written in bold capitals on the inside of
the lid, so that it became immediately
visible when opened, was the word
‘SMILE’. I don’t think Mo needed the
reminder, but there it was.
I
recently received some information
from Bill Temple, the archivist of the
Northern Magic Circle, who pointed
out that Mo appeared on the gala show
of the first Easter Parade convention to
Volume 79 Issue 6
Page 2
INDEX
A
t the time of writing our Vice President John Tattersall is poorly and in
hospital up in Scotland, so we send him our best magical wishes. Ricky has
sent a card on behalf of us all, and Ron and Betty hope to visit in the near future.
We have a packed edition again, so I will postpone my Champions of Magic
review until next time, but I must mention that our St Silas caretaker Ralph
will be retiring at the end of this month. As most of you will be aware, Ralph
goes far beyond the call of duty to keep things right for us – even providing
additional heat on a hot summer’s day if we don’t stop him! Although we are
technically only supposed to have the back room for our workshop events,
Ralph always sets up the main room for us, even laying our cloth on the
table, setting out the cups and saucers and putting on the water heater . . .
then arriving at the end to clear everything up and declining help. He is a
hero and we need to acknowledge the fact, so do have a word with him
when you next see him. As Shakespeare would say “When comes there such
another?”
O
ur last issue contained a Paul Daniels themed cartoon from the superb
artist Matthew Pritchett, whose witty drawings have adorned the pages
of the Telegraph for many years. David Hemingway writes to comment that
Matt did a similar cartoon for the funeral of Ali Bongo, but instead of the
coffin floating it was being sawn in half. Matt’s cartoons don’t often have a
magic theme, but I recall one at the time of the budget which showed two
rabbits talking (or should that be rabbiting on?), with one saying to the other:
“I’ve been working at the Treasury. I can’t say too much, but it involves
George Osborne, a hat and me.”
Finally, at our St Silas show Dr John Bertalot, a well-known figure in music
circles who was in the audience, mentioned that the letters MML represent
2050 in Roman numerals, so there will be cause for a further celebration
when we reach that year! It’s worth a thought, but I’m not sure how many of
us will still be around to enjoy it.
We end with a scoop this month; the lyrics of a new pop song which will be
released next week:
Don’t turn right, go straight ahead,
Don’t turn left, go straight ahead,
Don’t turn back, go straight ahead.
Brian
It’s by One Direction.
Volume 79 Issue 6
Page 3
INDEX
T
his special issue will
contain many
tributes to our dear
friend Maurice
Howarth. His funeral
was held at St James’s,
Briercliffe on 5�� May.
There was a good
attendance of magicians and our
Society was, of course, very well
represented. The Vicar, Rev Graham
Sawyer, spoke of his own memories
of Mo and then read the eulogy by
way of my tribute which will appear
in this issue. This tribute has been on
our web site, MagicWeek, Magic New
Zealand and right round the world.
Mo’s Linking Rings and a pack of
cards were placed on the coffin along
with a nice photograph of Mo in his
prime. It was a fine send off and it
was good to see so many members
and friends paying their respects. Mo
left lots of photographs, programmes
and notes which I am trying to sort
out. He will be sadly missed at our
meetings and events.
Presidential
Patter
It was always a bit of a myth in our
family that the Woods family
originally came from Ireland,
although I have not yet found any
connection during my researches
into the family tree.
Mark Foster from Mission Magic
gave us a pleasant afternoon. It was
not a ‘hard sell’ dealer
demonstration but more of a talk
with lots of tips and advice. There
were some interesting props shown,
many of which can be customised to
meet all kinds of requirements.
Brian and I attended the Merlins of
Wakefield 21�� birthday celebration
day on 15�� May. This was an
excellent day with a varied
programme featuring a lecture by
Lawrence Turner on rough and
smooth cards, Ali Cardabra on
creating characters, a circus
workshop with Michael Jordan, a
close up magic session with four
he Belfast MagicCon was amazing former members of Merlins Magic
Academy (Kev Mark, Craig Roe,
(Mo would have loved it) and
Joan and I really enjoyed ourselves. I Charles Creasey and Darren Mac) and
a lecture by Darren Mac during which
will provide a separate full report of
the weekend. I don’t know yet where he taught five good tricks. The
the next Irish Convention will be held dealers taking part were Albion
Magic, Peter Diamond Magic (Brian
but it is certainly worth thinking
Berry), The Green T (Lawrence
about going. The people are so
friendly and there are lots of things to Turner), Elixir Magic, Devine Gifts
and Merlins of Wakefield.
see and do.
T
Volume 79 Issue 6
Page 4
INDEX
The evening show was compered by Darren Mac and the artists were Ali
Cardabra as Charlie Chaplin, Michael Jordan with his skilful juggling and riding
the giraffe unicycle and Amethyst with a dangerous escape. After the interval
the show continued with Destiny, Antonio Zip with unusual mime and High
Jinx with fast moving illusions. The day was held at the Unity Works in
Wakefield city centre which has good facilities including a large stage and a
café bar. Merlins have offered to have a special MML visit to their premises
and we will hopefully take them up on this in the near future.
I am looking forward to the visit by the Liverpool Mahatma Society. We had a
good trip to them when they enjoyed our show. Wayne Goodman is a busy
professional magician with long experience so his lecture will also be very
good I am sure. I hope to see you all at these meetings.
Roger
F
ollowing a request at our recent Workshop
meeting we are now hoping to hold these
sessions on a Wednesday evening in future, so our
calendar will be amended accordingly. The next
two will be on June 22nd and July 27th, and once
we have been able to check room availability for the rest of the year we will
confirm those dates too.
Also, at the committee meeting it was proposed that a donation should be
requested for the tea and biscuits provided at meetings. Donald's magician
box will be placed in a prominent position to receive these donations, the
sum of 50p being suggested.
In addition, raffle prizes are always welcome, and help to bring in much
needed revenue.
Finally, members are invited to advertise unwanted props
etc. in these pages. The adverts will be free, but if a sale is
made the League would appreciate a 10% donation, as is
the case with our auctions.
Brian
Volume 79 Issue 6
Page 5
INDEX
S
adly, I wasn’t able to make it to the May meeting (one
of the very few I have ever missed) owing to a
commitment connected to our 40�� (ruby) wedding
anniversary, and wanting to make it to 41! Anyway, Roger
was on hand and kindly agreed to write the following report,
both for this column and the web site:
‘Mark showed his
favourite effect ’ Ali
Bongo’s Hat’’
M
ark Foster from Mission Magic
gave a lecture to the Society
on 8�� May. It was not just a dealer
demonstration as Mark shared many
ideas with us. Mission Magic
specialises in gospel magic, so Mark
was able to show how storytelling
and magic can be combined in a
creative way.
Throughout his presentation Mark
asked a number of questions such as
‘What is a magician?’ and ‘How can
you tell a story?’ and gave lots of tips
and advice. He demonstrated a
magic box, a cube box, the
boomerang illusion and a Rubik’s
cube effect for starters. The ball vase
and a balancing item followed. The
only card trick was “Cross Card”
where a
named card
is found
marked
with a
cross.
Mark & the
Pom Poms.
Sponge magic featured next, and
then Kovari’s pom pom stick. Mark
showed his favourite effect ’ Ali
Bongo’s Hat’ from which he gets lots
of business as the children try on all
kinds of funny hats. Silk effects
closed the first half.
After the refreshments and the raffle
Mark talked about various magic
wands showing, amongst others, two
nice production wands. He
emphasised that Mission Magic do
not sell anything the three partners
do not use themselves. A nice
production item from a paper bag
was followed by Mission Magic’s
version of the Colouring Book and
‘The Mystery of the Empty Tomb, a
changing envelope system that can
be customised to different pictures.
Some nice change bags were
demonstrated next. Anne helped by
showing the silk flower, after which
Mark showed ‘Wonders of the
World’ - a large prediction card
effect which again can be
customised to many themes.
Volume 79 Issue 6
Page 6
INDEX
Mark demonstrated some ingenious paper cutting
before showing a range of cute puppets including a
dog, a bird and Lucy the rabbit. He finished by showing
his signature item ‘ball through glass, which is
ingenious. All Mission Magic props are well made and
carry a 12 months unconditional guarantee, and it
looked like Mark did some good business when he
moved to the sales tables. So, a very pleasant
afternoon in nice company with lots of magic ideas
added. Check out www.missionmagic.co.uk for more
details of Mission Magic and their products.
Thanks Roger.
Do please try to come along and support my Chairman‘s Day on Sunday,
which will be a varied bill of magic put on by our good friends from the
Mahatma Magic Circle of Liverpool. They held their centenary last year, and
when we visited in February they did us proud with a packed and
enthusiastic audience, so we want to reciprocate their kindness.
Bring along all your friends and family for an afternoon of first-class magical
entertainment.
Brian
Volume 79 Issue 6
Page 7
INDEX
Mo’s Moan
I
t has been a pleasure to have visits from so many of my
MML friends, and to chat about the 'old times.'
Brian tells me that you will be using my old top hat for
drawing the raffle in the future, so it's nice to know you will
be thinking about me every month! In fact, I decided not to skimp on that
hat, which is really a collapsible opera hat. It was made by Henry Heath
Limited of Oxford Street in London (founded in 1822, by official appointment
to His Majesty King George IV) and cost £75 even in those days; so it was a
considerable purchase at the time.
Maurice wasn't a very usual name in this part of
Lancashire, and so when a film called Gigi came out
in 1958 I was interested to see it starred the French
film star and singer Maurice Chevalier. I went to
see it, and was taken with his song 'Thank Heaven
For Little Girls' which became one of his biggest
hits. I had been developing a vent hand figure
along the lines of that used by the Spanish
ventriloquist Senor Wences, and called her
Josephine in memory of my mother, Josephine
Langley, who had her own vent act. That song by
Chevalier was just what I needed to open the
routine. I sang it as I assembled the figure,
ending with the eyes and the hair and with
lipstick to create her mouth on my index finger
and thumb. The doll was completed on the last
word of the chorus, when Josephine's voice took
over. It always worked well as an introduction.
There was another sort of 'patter song' in the film which I liked. It was called
'I Remember It Well', and involved the elderly Chevalier recalling the events
of his youth, but with his partner always contradicting him as he had
remembered the details wrongly. It was a lovely, amusing idea and I always
intended to use it with Josephine in some way as it fitted my style, but I
never quite got round to it.
Volume 79 Issue 6
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INDEX
Chairman’s
Chatter
DANIELS IN THE LIONS' DEN!
I
t is exactly thirty years since Paul
Daniels escaped from a sack,
suspended above a pride of lions in
the ring of Blackpool Tower Circus.
It couldn't happen these days, of
course, as there are no longer any
performing animals allowed under
the big top.
As I had contributed some bits and
pieces to Paul's television show and
been involved with a recording in
London, producer John Fisher gave
me a call and invited me to join the
crew for the weekend of filming in
Blackpool. It was stressed that all
that went on must remain secret
(what happens in the circus stays in
the circus - no articles for Abra, for
example), but as the Government
even has a thirty-year rule on top
secret documents I guess it will be
ok to mention a few interesting
details now.
Basically, master prop-maker Gil
Leaney had created a pair of stocks
which would release Paul as he hung
in a canvas bag right up in the roof
of the ornate circus building. The
idea was that if he didn't make it in a
given time the bag would plummet
to the ground and our hero would
be eaten up by a group of seven
African male lions from
Chipperfield's Circus, prowling
beneath. A fuse led up to the bag
from the floor of the ring, and when
the flame reached the bag it would
be released.
One of the first problems was that,
once ignited, the fuse (a sort of
ribbon) refused to burn. The
material just wasn't combustible
enough. Ali Bongo tried spraying it
with highly flammable hair lacquer,
but to no avail. Someone suggested
flash string, but none could be
found. Where was the nearest
dealer who could provide some?
Could a car be sent up with some
from London? (!) As may have been
anticipated, flash string went up too
quickly on its own so in the end a
length was threaded through a
concertina-folded ribbon of crepe
paper to slow it down and that
seemed to work a treat - until it
almost got to the bag. John has
always been known for his nifty
editing, and in that case some
judicious cutting did deceive the
eye.
Clever editing was also needed for
the lions, who seemed reluctant to
enter the cage regardless of their
suspended dinner. They had a look
round, yawned a bit and then
returned down the tunnel from
which they had emerged.
Volume 79 Issue 6
Page 9
INDEX
Anyway, they were finally
coaxed into the arena and a
glass window in the cage
allowed the camera (and hence
the viewer) to appear to be in
there with them. The kings of
the jungle were encouraged to
bare their teeth and paw at the
lens, but the dramatic activity seen later on screen was the result of heavy
editing and clever juxtaposition of images.
It was during this filming that I became fully aware of Paul's claustrophobia.
He was reluctant to be cooped up in the bag in the first place, but it was only
when he had been hoisted into the air that we realised the full implications.
He was up in the roof with no contact with the ground and unable to
communicate with anybody. In the actual performance this was only a
matter of minutes, but those who have ever been involved with filming will
know that the tech crew can stand around for ages at rehearsals making
decisions about angles and so on, and I soon became aware that Debbie was
becoming very anxious. While the floor staff were oblivious to any problems
other than their own, she was aware of what emotions Paul must be going
through, hanging in the dark without any idea of what was going on. Being
Debbie, of course, and very aware of Paul's well-being, she lost no time in
persuading the crew that something had to be done . . . but even then
nobody s could locate the key for the padlock on the bag!
In fact, the experience cannot have been a totally happy one for Paul as the
idea was that the empty bag would fall to the ground in the middle of the
lions while he was left dangling above, to point at the cameras and shout
"That's circus magic!" While in the dark bag he had to make sure his foot was
engaged in the supporting stirrup and his hand had a firm grip on the strap
above him, as on a tube train.
As it happened, although recorded on 1st June, 1986, external events
overtook the production and it was banned from being broadcast by the BBC
for almost two years, finally being aired in February, 1988.
Next month I'll tell you why.
Brian
Volume 79 Issue 6
Page 10
INDEX
With Eddie Dawes
A
s a fledgling collector my mentors
impressed upon me the
importance of identifying my books
with an Ex Libris or bookplate; and of
not lending books because that was the surest way to lose some. This latter
principle was not necessarily implying dishonesty on the part of the borrower but
simply recognising the vicissitudes of life (and death!). One correspondent to
The Times wrote ‘When I lend books to anyone I enclose my card and write on
the back: “This card does not impugn the borrower’s honesty. It is merely an
instruction to his executors” ‘ Thus, from the early stages of my career as a
bibliophile I commissioned a bookplate and adopted the straightforward policy
that underlies the operation of any reference library; namely of not lending
books but inviting anyone who posed the question to come and consult the
requested volume in my library at a mutually convenient time.
Of course, one can find differing attitudes to the
borrowing of books, even amongst collectors, and one
interesting source of such information, at least relating to
American magicians, is their bookplates identifying their
ownership. I stress American in this context because I am
unaware of conjurers of other nationalities who have
revealed their attitudes. So, let us take a look at what we
might learn from some of these transatlantic Ex Libris.
A liberal policy was clearly adopted by Frederick E. Clark,
whose bookplate proclaimed ‘Loaned with pleasure, but when the visit is over
the wanderer will be gladly welcomed back home.’
Film star magician Chester Morris’s bookplate was rather
more forthright, carrying the following text: ‘Chester
Morris wants you to know that books cost money . . . you
So and So. Please return it after you look and try to
remember that it’s HIS BOOK.’
Wallace the Magician went into even greater detail on his
bookplate, as witness: ‘I give humble and hearty thanks for
the safe return of this book which, having endured the
perils of my friend’s bookcase, and the bookcases of my
friend’s friends, now returns to me in reasonably good
condition.
Volume 79 Issue 6
Page 11
INDEX
I give humble and hearty thanks that my friend did not
see fit to give this book to his infant as a plaything, nor
use it as an ash-tray for his burning cigar, nor as a
teething-ring for his mastiff. When I lent this book I
deemed it as lost: I was resigned to the bitterness of the
long parting: I never thought to look upon its pages
again. But now that my book is come back to me, I
rejoice and am exceedingly glad! Bring hither the fatted
morocco and let us rebind the volume and set it on the
shelf of honour: for this my book was lent, and is
returned again. Presently, therefore, I may return some
of the books that I myself have borrowed.’
Dr Ben Braude’s bookplate simply announced: ‘This book is not yours. If you
have a conscience, please return it to Dr Ben Braude. If you have none,
return it anyway. But Harry Albacker wasn’t bothered
about the presence or absence of a conscience. He came
straight to the point and didn’t mince words on his book
label, which stated starkly: ‘Stolen from the Private
Collection of Magician Harry Albacker.’
On the other hand, John McArdle’s plate clearly set forth
his philosophy in rhyme:
‘If you’d not cause me sorrow,
If you would be my friend,
Then since I do not borrow,
Ask me not to lend!’
Amen to that!
Eddie Dawes
[Ed: As British bibliophiles tend to identify rather than to
threaten, this article is illustrated with several examples of
simple pictorial bookplates showing, nevertheless, the
breadth of possibilities; from generic ones to which a name
can be added to those displaying a likeness of the owner . . .
in this case David de Val. Those with magic motifs are from
Cliff Townsend and Duncan Fletcher, Eddie has also kindly
added a copy of his own bookplate]
Volume 79 Issue 6
Page 12
INDEX
Page 13 - Stories to make your toes curl….
From Brian Lead
A
s we are a bit pushed for space
this month I’m popping in with a
short anecdote which isn’t really a
horror story but is amusing
nevertheless.
Talking of collapsing wands reminds
me of a vanishing wand from my first
David Nixon magic box.
It was a black and white paper tube
with a plug of wood at each end so
Several years ago, when I was still
that it could be tapped against a glass
teaching at St. Wilfrid’s, I took part in to ‘prove’ it was solid. It was then to
a celebration concert in the presence be rolled in a piece of paper and
of the Mayor, Bishop and other
crushed up to show it had vanished.
dignitaries in King George’s Hall. As
The problem was, of course, that the
the main hall is very large I decided to effect could only be achieved once as
‘up-size’ and produce an eight-foot
it necessitated destroying the
wand from a top hat. As you will
apparatus! There were three
know, getting the wand down again
samples included in the box, and
requires a specialist’s knowledge of
after performing it once on Christmas
how the thing works, as it is not
afternoon for my family I couldn’t
obvious how it can be ‘collapsed’.
bear to destroy the other two, and so
Anyway, after the act I stood the
kept them. Many years later Paul
wand in a corner of the dressing
Daniels was trying to create a
room and promptly forgot all about it traditional Nixon magic box, and I
until I got home. I telephoned the
was the only person who could
Hall the next morning, and the chap
provide him with the wands as
in charge kindly said he would bring it everybody else’s had been used
round to my house as he would be
many moons ago.
passing by at the end of the day.
Brian
You may have already guessed the
punch-line. None of the staff a KGH
had any idea how to get the thing
down and, after trying
unsuccessfully all day, it arrived
back home sticking diagonally right
through a car with all the windows
open!
Volume 79 Issue 6
Page 13
INDEX
Belfast MagiCon 2016
By Roger Woods
T
he Belfast MagiCon 2016 took place at the Ramada Encore Hotel, Belfast
between Friday 29�� April and Sunday 1�� May. It was the 66�� annual Irish
Magic Convention, ably organised by Nicola Cunningham. All the events took
place in the hotel, which is a modern hotel near to the city centre and only a
short taxi ride from the Belfast George Best City Airport.
The convention opened on Friday evening
with a short ceremony conducted jointly by
the Presidents of the IBM Irish Ring and the
Ulster Society of Magicians. The evening
show was a mixture of close up and stage
magic featuring local magicians. I opted to
attend Shane Cobalt’s seminar on Erdnase
which ran from 11 pm to 1:30 am! Shane is a
Canadian magician who is an expert card
technician and a master of Erdnase. Intense
personal tuition is a great way to learn this kind of material, although not
necessarily into the early hours for me!
On Saturday morning there was a ‘Showcase’ of the
international talent featuring in the convention.
Malin Nilsson from Sweden is a dramatic performer
and her linking rings routine to music is excellent.
Roberto Giobbi performed a card stabbing routine
and the ‘off by one’ prediction. John Lenahan had
fun with a long grabber finding cards and a card in
balloon. Shane Cobalt performed ‘Scarne’s Lost
Aces’ and a card through borrowed handkerchief.
The billed lecturer Shane Gillen was ill so Rafael
from Belgium stepped into the breach. He has some
original ideas and is very funny. He likes to try to be
different, bringing together lots of material. Shane Cobalt followed with a
lecture on technical card magic full of references and credits and also
responded to any requests. He must have spent many thousands of hours
practising over several years!
Volume 79 Issue 6
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INDEX
Saturday evening concluded with a
Buffet Dinner which included a close
up competition and then cabaret
with Malin Nilsson and John Lenahan.
Caolan McBride, Nicola’s fiancé, was
compere and was also heavily
involved in the running of the
weekend. I decided to skip the
second part of Shane Cobalt’s
Erdnase seminar to get some sleep.
John Lenahan lectured on Sunday
morning. He was very funny and told
us many stories about his
experiences. He had many practical
tips based upon a long career in
magic. In the afternoon Roberto
Giobbi (on his 57�� birthday!)
presented his lecture on deck
switching. He performed an
entertaining act and then told us he
had done 7 deck switches! His book
‘The Art of Switching Decks’ is a
comprehensive guide and all you
need to know on the subject.
The Sunday evening Gala Show once
again featured all the international
stars of the convention, together
with some fine singers, and it was a
really good show.
‘Roberto Giobbi (on his
57th birthday!)
presented his lecture on
deck switching’’
Whilst I was at the convention Joan
explored Belfast and also visited the
Northern Ireland Girl Guiding
Headquarters. We took another day
and a half for more sightseeing
including the wonderful Titanic
Belfast exhibition centre before our
journey home.
The convention was a great success
and everyone was very friendly. I
sent Nicola and Caolan a ‘thank you’
for all their hard work. It was the
last dealer convention for Kaymar
Magic for Alban and Lynn Unsworth;
they have sold the business to Liam
Montier. Quentin Reynolds was also
there, selling some second hand
lecture notes and booklets. I hope
Joan and I will be able to visit more
Irish conventions in the future.
Volume 79 Issue 6
Roger
Page 15
INDEX
A Tribute to Mo.
I
have been privileged to have Mo as a friend for over
sixty years.
My first meeting with him was in 1953, when I auditioned
for the League at the Knights of St Columba Club in Cort
Street, Blackburn. I performed with trepidation because I
had been told there would be some formidable magicians there
and it would be an honour to become a member. Mo was one of several
who were encouraging to a young lad.
The first Blackpool Convention was held in 1953 at the Casino, when 226
attended. Can you believe it today? I saw Mo on the close-up show, others
including Gus Southall and Fred Lowe. I think Mo did his plate sharpening,
nail in the forehead and Ellis Ring on the spectator’s thumb. The Grand
Evening Show had our Jack Ledwick and was closed by Ken Brooke, juggling
with three cigar boxes and concluding with Passe-Passe Bottles to hilarious
patter and eliciting loud laughter.
In those early years of the Blackpool Convention Mo was a regular close-up
performer with such as David Berglas, Bob Ostin, Tom Harris, Mark Weston,
Tom Owen and many others. Mo reckoned he had performed there more
times than anyone else. On a couple of occasions I was on the same close-up
bill with him and Berglas.
‘Mo’s Moan’ has become legendary in the MeMeL, read avidly by us, and
over the years containing a lot of wisdom. His experience was derived from
being thirty years or more a professional act managed by Ray Fenton,
performing throughout the North-West. Coupled with that, for years Mo
invariably appeared on MML shows and visits to other Societies such as the
Magi (of which he was a member for many years) the Mahatma in Liverpool,
Blackpool, Southport, Dewsbury, Huddersfield, Leeds and so on. Mo also had
his ‘Mo’s Monthly Moan’ (where Maurice Howarth talks to himself) in Abra
from 1962. Later, he and Ken Green ran a humorous column.
One of the best public shows in the early years was at the Mechanics
Institute in Burnley in 1955, playing to a packed audience. Alf Strack, always
very funny, was the compere and the artistes I can recall were Reg Parkinson,
Jack Eddleston, Ken Green and Derek Stevens . . . and I was on (trembling)
before Mo.
Volume 79 Issue 6
Page 16
INDEX
Needless to say, although appearing
to go down well, I didn’t get the
reception Mo received.
I remember Mo telling me of his visit
in about 1955 to Dr Park Shackleton’s
extravaganza of a mansion in the Isle
of Man and of the stage show given
for the Magicians of Man. Mo was
on a celebrity bill with Josephine, and
with Billy McComb compering. The
Isle of Man Daily Times wrote:
‘Mo went on to give us one of the
finest items of the evening. Daubing
his right thumb and index finger with
lipstick, inserting two eyes between
his other fingers, placing a small wig
on top of his hand and resting it on a
small headless girl – there was
Josephine. Josephine was a delightful
child. We sat enthralled as she lisped
her replies to Mo and gave us an
absolutely wonderful rendering of
‘Away in a Manger’ as only a little
girl would, before thirstily downing a
glass of milk.’
For many years at the British Ring
Conventions in the mid to late ‘50s,
after the Saturday night Gala Show
there was a Late Night Show which
had several performers presenting a
skit on various acts seen during the
Convention. The funniest act was
put on by our members; Alf Strack,
Ken Green and Mo. They took the
p… out of any trick that had been
repetitive or went wrong, and it was
hilarious, playing to a packed house
even though it went on well after
midnight. Ken Green, considered
the funniest magician in the
country at that time, was always
Mo’s best magical friend.
For several years in the ‘60s and
early ‘70s, when the Conventions
were in the South at places like
Brighton, Hastings and Eastbourne,
I used to drive Mo and Greenie
down – firstly to London, where we
picked up Harry (Mitch) Devano of
Devano Rising Card fame. We had
some great times. It’s funny what
you remember. One time we were
sitting in the hotel lounge in a circle
with no table between us. Mitch
took out a match box, had it
examined and then proceeded to
make it do all manner of things on
his knee. Despite the
knowledgeable audience, none of
us had a clue.
I wish I had been at the Magic Circle
when Mo and Greenie gave a
lecture, with Mo showing and
performing with his important
collection of reels, including a John
Martin reel. Martin reels are
considered equal to those few
made by Cardini.
One time in Hastings Mo and I
became friendly in the hotel with a
not too well-versed magician from
Brighton, new to the Convention
scene. He had a superb Rolls-Royce
and insisted on ferrying us to all the
functions in great style.
Volume 79 Issue 6
Page 17
INDEX
Over the years Mo contributed several effects to magic magazines. Peter
Warlock’s Pentagram was his favourite magazine, to which he contributed
his Peek Deck Prediction. He had a one-cup routine in The Gen and several
effects in Abracadabra. He contributed to a book called Mysteries with Cards
along with luminaries such as Jean Hugard, Bruce Elliott, Harry Blackstone
and numerous others.
Mo was first and foremost a gentleman, with a most amiable disposition. He
always had time for people, had great charm, an optimistic outlook on life,
rarely took anyone’s name in vain, had considerable patience and loyalty,
and was an ideal friend.
On the important magic side of his life, he was well read, particularly in his
formative years, and kept up with magical developments. His main attribute
was his colossal enthusiasm right to the end. He was an accomplished card
man and had a way of delivering a card effect in a graceful way which
transformed the trick.
In recent years I have had great pleasure in going out fairly frequently to
lunch with Mo at his local pub, then at nearby Nelson Golf Club, where he
was a social member, and later at the Fencegate Restaurant; a favourite
haunt of his, with Gabrielle. Meetings at the Cavendish Knights will not be
the same without him.
I was always amazed at Mo’s memory. Recently, when
he was in hospital, he reminded me of a trick I had
apparently performed about thirty years ago. Right to
the end, some three weeks before he left us, I
mentioned I had bought his two reels and that I had
always wanted to do the Serpentine untying silks. He
proceeded, with frail hands, to show me how it was
essential to get some slack in the tread as you tie the
knot. Remarkable.
We have lost a most beloved member and friend. Mo,
you will always be remembered. Don’t forget to show
Greenie and Ken Brooke that favourite move.
Trevor
Volume 79 Issue 6
Page 18
INDEX
‘If Ever I Do Ventriloquism ……….’
I
was in my late teens and waiting for the Blackpool
Convention Gala Show to begin; but remember only a
few very special minutes of that show . . . and little did I
know that they would change my life in the years to
come.
A gentle man with a gentle voice began to sing ‘Thank
Heaven for Little Girls’. His right thumb and index finger were partially
coloured red with greasepaint, some hair and eyes attached to the back of
the knuckle part of his hand, the stage lighting began to fade to a spot and
then he placed his right hand atop a body in a red dress. Josephine was born
again. She, too, was softly spoken, but also a little shy.
Mo Howarth and Josephine had my total and undivided attention. As her
confidence increased she began to sing ‘Away in a Manger’ and towards the
end of the verse she began to slowly disintegrate, until she was finally back in
her small box, to await her next rebirth. I was totally hers.
It was never my intention to take up ventriloquism, but I made a mental
promise to myself that if I did, that was how I wanted it to be and my
puppet’s name would need three syllables (as in Jo-se-phine) because that
third syllable softened the name and gave it the ‘ahh’ effect.
My Je-ssi-ca was made many years later, when I wanted something different
in my children’s show for the Queen’s Silver Jubilee in 1977 – but she was
not ‘put-together-and-take-to-pieces’ until some years later. To this day
Jessica is still my main vent puppet.
I only came to know Mo on a personal level much later in life and was totally
taken aback when he told me that he wanted me to have Josephine – my
first and only puppet love. With Mo’s sad passing, I am so honoured to be
taking care of Josephine and, I am pleased to tell you, that she is looking
forward to a minor make-over of her eyes and hair. I can also promise that
she will not stay in her box. She will be proudly displayed, along with the
story I have just told you, in the ventriloquism talks and lectures that I give.
Thank you so much for our too brief friendship, Mo, and for entrusting
Josephine to my care.
Rest in peace, my friend.
Volume 79 Issue 6
Dave Andrews
Page 19
INDEX
More women should enjoy a
N
EIGHBOURS looking out of their
windows might have thought they
were hallucinating when they saw a
woman with a floating table in the
front garden. But perhaps not so
unexpected when you are living next
door to an East Lancashire magician.
Anne Walmsley, otherwise known as
Magik-An is a member of The Modern
Mystic League based in Blackburn and
one of 64 women worldwide who belong to the Magic Circle compared with more
than 1,300 men. She believes that there are not enough women in magic and hopes
to inspire more girls to take it up.
Growing up Anne was fascinated by her brother’s magic set and would watch the
“gentleman magician” the David Nixon Magic Show on television. Her brother got a
job as driver for the chief constable of Surrey and found himself with time on his
hands when he would visit Davenport’s Magical Emporium in London and teach
himself magic tricks. He taught Anne how to do her first trick, the disappearing lit
cigarette. Anne would spend a lot of time visiting magic shops such as the House of
Secrets and JB Magic Shop in Blackpool. She said: “The House of Secrets was on
Caunce Street just behind Blackpool Tower. It was run by Bill Thompson, one of the
most helpful men you could wish to meet. I used to say, ‘come on Bill show me some
tricks’.” Anne has also regularly attended the Blackpool Magic Convention for many
years at the Winter Gardens where she noticed comedian Bradley Walsh browsing
the dealer hall one year. She said: “It’s an amazing atmosphere and there are famous
faces there sometimes. Anybody can go who wants to but it is 80 per cent magicians
and their families.” When Anne realised she wanted to progress further with magic
she had no idea how to go about it until her mum told her she lived next door to a
magician, Maurice Howarth.
Following a successful magic demonstration to members Anne was accepted as a
member of the league in March 1997 and later served a spell as its first female
president. She said: “I had done it off my own bat
Reproduced with kind permission of and was officially the first lady member which was
a bit of a notch on my belt for a woman.” Anne
would also use magic as a way of breaking the ice
with students when she worked as an instructor at
engineering company, Lucas Body Systems.
Volume 79 Issue 6
Page 20
INDEX
Spell as magicians says Anne
She also started to be asked to perform at charity shows and at children’s parties
where magic was often a way of encouraging shy youngsters out of their shells, she
said. She said: “The best thing is doing magic with children aged between five and
nine as they are unspoiled at that age. “I ask them to assist me in doing tricks and
give them gold badges. It gives them confidence.”
Anne has spent hundreds of pounds on magic tricks over the years but has bought
magic tricks for as little as a pound, she said. She decided to try out for the Magic
Circle to prove that she was as serious about magic as men and was accepted in
March 2001. “I just think that women, with anything, have to prove to be 101 per
cent as good as men and I thought if I joined the Magic Circle then people in my
profession would know that I took it as seriously as them.” Anne said she has had
nothing but encouragement from fellow magicians although she believes that girls
are not generally encouraged to get into magic. “I feel that if girls found out earlier at
the age of boys at around 10, 11 or 12 there would be more opportunities for them
to get into magic. “Girls never get told they can be as good as a boy in magic.”
She currently has a young trainee, Leah Hillman, who is proving to be a promising
magician, she adds. Leah, 16, of Barrowford, got interested in magic around four
years ago after watching a magician doing table magic at a local Italian restaurant.
She said: “I said I was interested and he showed us a few extra tricks. “I like close up
magic and I would like to be good
enough to do events like birthdays.
When I do magic to people my own age
it is quite a nice feeling and I do it to the
teachers. I did magic on a ski trip and a
girl started videoing it. Some tricks take
a long time to learn practising every
day.” Anne’s magic heroes would
include Paul Daniels, Dynamo and
Siegfried and Roy. Ironically Anne was
present at the pair’s live show at the
Mirage hotel-casino in Las Vegas in 2003
when Roy was grabbed by the throat by one of his 380-pound white tigers. She said:
“We were on row 12. We had waited two years to see the show. He had one of the
white tigers on a chain and he had a mike. It started to nibble his hand and he tapped
it on its nose. “It reared up on its back legs and its mouth went round Roy’s neck. He
fell on the floor and the tiger pulled him back towards the stage.
Volume 79 Issue 6
Page 21
INDEX
“Two minders came out. It was surreal and you
could hear a pin drop. People thought it was
part of the show. Nobody knew. Then a voice
said there had been a terrible accident and the
show had finished and we would be refunded.”
As I chat to Anne she performs a number of
magic tricks which include successfully
guessing a number written on the back of her
business card, changing the colour of a deck of
cards and changing a blank piece of paper into
a £20 note. She added: “I would say to girls if
you really want to get into magic don’t give up.
You’ve got the internet now.”
Reproduced with kind permission
Volume 79 Issue 6
Page 22
INDEX
Secretarial
I
don’t know if they have
bicycles in heaven, but one
thing I do know is that there is a
man who will be able to repair
any punctured inner tubes they may have!
The above reference, of course, is to one of Mo's
signature effects in which he would cut and
restore a bicycle inner tube. I am fortunate
enough to have seen him perform this effect,
but don't recall him doing it in recent years. The
last time I saw Mo perform was up in Barrow,
where I remember him presenting Josephine as
well as the linking rings.
It has been a privilege to have known Mo for what is only a relatively short
period of time; around 12 years I think, the period during which I have been a
member.
I have been lucky enough not only to share time with him at MML meetings
and events but also at Cavendish Knights meetings where, at each meeting,
we all have to perform two effects.
Recently at one of our Cavendish Knights meetings, Mo told us that a magic
company was re- producing and releasing one of his effects; Chinese Poker.
If you haven’t seen this routine, then seek it out. It is a cracker.
In my Presidential banquet speech I made reference to Mo, saying that he
knew everything in magic and if he didn't know it then it wasn't worth
knowing. Any trick you performed or needed help with he would know who
did it originally, the history of the effect and usually have some advice on a
different handling for you to improve it.
This hasn't been an easy article to write. I have learnt so much from Maurice,
and very much enjoyed the time spent in his company. Trying to remember
everything and all the stories isn't as easy as I thought it would be.
Rest in peace, Mo; a nicer man no one could wish to have met.
Dave
Volume 79 Issue 6
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INDEX
Volume 79 Issue 6
Page 24
INDEX
Mo Howarth June 1922 - April 2016
M
aurice Stanworth Howarth, known to everyone as ‘Mo’, was born on
19�� June 1922 and passed away on 21�� April 2016 aged 93 years. His
father Edward Howarth (known as ‘Ned’) had been an iron turner at the local
foundry in Burnley and married Mo’s mother Annie Langley, a cotton weaver,
on 30�� April 1908. Mo had an elder sister Helen (‘Nellie’). Annie Langley
became a proficient ventriloquist, having been taught by her brother James
Langley. Mo said his father was always forward thinking and quite a
successful entrepreneur. Ned and Annie decided that her skill as a
ventriloquist could provide the family with a new livelihood away from the
toils of the foundry and the mill. Annie created her ventriloquism act and
Ned became her manager. She arranged for Bert Aza to become her agent;
he was agent for Gracie Fields. As ‘Josephine Langley’ Annie was very
successful as a lady ventriloquist touring the theatres and music halls during
and after the First World War as recounted in the book written by myself and
Mo ‘Josephine Langley, Lady Ventriloquist : The Story of Mrs Edward
Howarth’ which we published in 2008. Mo was delighted that we had been
able to tell his mother’s story of how a Burnley mill girl became a successful
music hall artiste.
It was a family joke that Mo had ‘appeared’ on the stage at the Blackburn
Grand Theatre in 1921 when ‘Josephine Langley’ presented her ventriloquism
act as she was, of course, expecting Mo at that time. At the age of 5 Mo was
taught simple magic tricks and ventriloquism by his father and mother,
ensuring an interest which extended over an amazing eight eight years! He
never stopped seeking to learn something new.
In the 1920s Great Britain suffered a long period of
economic depression and as times became hard the
family made a momentous decision to emigrate to
America. In 1929 they went to Fall River in
Massachusetts and also lived in New Bedford.
‘Josephine Langley’ continued to perform her act on
occasions in the Chicago, Massachusetts and Boston
areas appearing in ‘variety’. Ned meanwhile found
work as a lorry driver during Prohibition, bootlegging
illegal shipments of liquor.
Mo with his parents just before emigrating to America
Volume 79 Issue 6
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INDEX
Mo, who continued his primary
education in America, had many
exciting tales of those times as he
sometimes rode along in the lorry.
However, economic conditions in
America were just as bad after the
‘Wall Street crash’ in October 1929,
so the family decided to return to
England.
On their return from America Ned
worked at the Burnley Victoria
Theatre and as a boy Mo operated
the ‘limes’ (intense white lighting
used in theatres at the time) and saw
many artistes over the years. He
remembered seeing in the 1930s and
1940s magicians such as Jasper
Maskelyne, Voltaire, Chris Charlton,
Jack Ledair, Les Levante, Benson
Dulay, Cingalee, Claude Williams, Jack
and Mary Kinson, the Great Benyon,
Robert Harbin, Joe Stuthard and
Maurice Fogel. Jasper Maskelyne was
aloof and very strict with his staff.
Robert Harbin was genial and very
kind. He also recalled the
ventriloquists David Poole, Raymond
Smith and Arthur Prince.
Ned died in 1939. Despite his great
love of magic, ventriloquism and the
theatre Mo decided he would get a
‘proper job’. He went to work for the
Prestige Group in Burnley which was
well known as the manufacturer of
pressure cookers and kitchen
utensils. He ended up as Chief
Draftsman in charge of the drawing
office.
It always caused him much
amusement to think he had earned
his living using a pencil long before
the days of computer design. He also
did engineering drawings on
commission for other small
businesses in the area. He always
maintained an interest in
engineering, fascinated by anything
mechanical.
During the Second World War Mo
was not allowed to join the services
as his job was classed as a ‘reserved
occupation’ vital to the home war
effort. So, he joined all the auxiliary
services and spent much of his time
using his drawing skills to draw maps,
distributing them among his
colleagues in the Home Guard with
the help of a friend who owned a
motor cycle.
Helen Yeadon, Mo’s elder sister,
became an accomplished
ventriloquist in her own right and
Mo’s nephew, her son John Yeadon,
visited Mo in later years. John is a
professional artist, having lectured on
the subject for thirty years at
Coventry University. John’s elder
brother, Mo’s other nephew, is also
called Maurice and has just retired as
Professor of Sports Science at
Loughborough University.
‘It always amused him to think
he had earned his living using a
pencil long before the days of
computer design’
Volume 79 Issue 6
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INDEX
After the War Mo was involved with a concert party, and through this met
Ken Green who became his lifelong magical friend until Ken’s death in 1998.
Ken had been a member of The Modern Mystic League since 1942 and Mo
joined in 1947. At the time of his death Mo was the oldest member. Ken and
Mo appeared at many magic dinners and events together and became
regular features at magic conventions throughout the United Kingdom where
their humour and practical jokes became legendary. Ken usually came up
with something outrageous but Mo always went along with it! Mo attended
nearly every Blackpool Convention since they began, from 1953 until 2012
and held the record for the most guest performances (fourteen). He also
went to many International Brotherhood of Magicians, British Ring
Conventions.
Mo and Mona were married on 2ⁿ� July 1949. An elegant lady, Mo said she
taught him about many things such as food, cooking and dressing well. Mo
was always well turned out and smart, seldom without a tie. Mona became a
tax inspector working for the Inland Revenue. She was an enthusiast for
amateur dramatics and a leading member of The Highcliffe Players in the
Burnley area, taking part in many productions. She also became wardrobe
mistress and at one time their house was full of all kinds of costumes and
clothes. Although they had no children of their own they had family members
and many friends. Mo respected Mona’s interest in the theatre just as much
as she respected his interest in magic. Sadly Mona suffered much ill health
before her death in June 1998. Mo keenly felt her loss. Lately his affairs were
dealt with by Chris and Jim and Mo’s cousin Connie, a retired Doctor from
London, also visited.
Following his retirement from the Prestige Group Mo took part time
employment as a curator at Towneley Hall, Burnley’s historic country house,
and was sent on courses on art appreciation and antiques which he greatly
enjoyed. He stayed at Towneley until 1987. When his aunt left him the
necessary materials he took up oil painting, specialising mainly in abstract art.
Mo became what would be described as a
semi-professional magician, doing many
shows in the clubs and for masonic events
through his Manchester agent Ray Fenton.
He worked in the Lancashire and Cheshire
areas, holding down his full time job at
Prestige at the same time.
Volume 79 Issue 6
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INDEX
Mo’s speciality was ‘Josephine’,
named after his mother; a hand
figure constructed in front of the
audience which came to life and
engaged in witty repartee and singing
with Mo and the audience. For
Josephine and his opening item, the
cut and restored bicycle tyre inner
tube, Mo became very well known in
the world of magic.
He was also Concert Secretary in
1955, 1959 – 1961 and, together
with Ken Green, in 1980. He
contributed a monthly column ‘Mo’s
Moan’ to the MeMeL magazine for
over fifty years. He was made an
Honorary Vice President in 2009 and
presented with a special card and
gift at the meeting on 10�� June
2012 to celebrate his ninetieth
birthday on 19�� June.
Incidentally, he published twelve
editions of ‘Mo’s Moan’ in the
‘Abracadabra’ weekly magic
magazine and was amused to
recount the story of being
threatened with legal action by
David Nixon’s solicitors after his
forthright comments about one of
his TV shows!
Mo performing
with 'Josephine'
at the
Quaintways
nightclub in
Chester 1970
Mo was a keen member of the
Modern Mystic League, becoming
President in 1962 and again in 2004.
Ill health prevented him from taking
up the post again in 2016.
He also published some fourteen
magic effects in the same magazine
and invented several others,
including a card effect ‘Chinese
Poker’ and ‘Growing Under Glass’; a
production trick utilising a glass
wrapped in newspaper.
Mo as President
of The Modern
Mystic League
2004
Volume 79 Issue 6
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INDEX
He was a member of the Order of the Magi,
Manchester (being made a Fellow of the Order
in 1981) and the Pendle Wizards, Nelson, taking
part in many of their shows. He was also a
member of the Cavendish Knights of Close up
Magic.
I
first met Mo in the early 1970s. However, I
got to know him much more after Ken
Green’s death when we began to attend many
magic conventions and events together. He was
good company and we talked about lots of
things, especially magic. Mo described himself
as a liberal and liked to keep up with current affairs. He really enjoyed visiting
the British Close Up Symposiums in Bath when we were able to visit various
art galleries and museums as well and took part twice in the ‘Bizarre Bath’
comedy walk. When we went to the South Tyneside International Magic
Conventions he loved to see the huge Scandinavian ferry ships passing by our
hotel windows. He really enjoyed it when with Trevor (Dawson) we were able
to attend The Magic Circle Centenary in 2005. It was always a treat to call on
Mo at his home or go out somewhere for a meal. He liked his food and drink
and good conversation, particularly about magic and the latest tricks. He was
well read and kept up to date with the magic magazines. He never seemed to
lose his enthusiasm for magic. He just liked people, dogs and anything
interesting to talk about. He was an inspiration to many people.
Mo loved the company of other magicians and being able to pass on his
considerable knowledge of magic, theatre and stagecraft. He especially loved
the comradeship of our Society. He liked the Workshop meetings and the
opportunities to help each other. He presented the Modern Mystic League
with the Mo Howarth ‘Tyro’ Trophy to be awarded each year to the most
promising junior member. He helped so many magicians with his advice and
constructive comments. I have never met another magician so enthusiastic
and knowledgeable. He told a good joke, appreciated female company (his
good friend Gabrielle was with him at the end) and liked a pint of beer. There
are so many memories. We will all miss him so much.
Rest In Peace Maurice Howarth; gentleman, uncle, draftsman, engineer,
magician, ventriloquist, artist, raconteur, dog lover, friend and all round good
guy.
Roger Woods
Volume 79 Issue 6
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INDEX
with Paul Guy
Listen; Do You Want to Know a Secret?
H
ave you ever attended a lecture in which you
found the topic so captivating that it really
‘got a hold of you’? I experienced this last year
when good friend and colleague, Roger Woods,
presented his lecture Chris Van Bern; The ‘Busy B’
at the MML.
Ask me Why
Well, he mentioned that details about Chris Van Bern’s early life were very
sketchy. So, having a keen interest in genealogy, I thought I could search
through the back copies of records and take the lead in producing new facts
about him. NB: I have in my collection a copy of all the records alluded to
below.
Day Tripper
Now grab your copy of ‘The Busy B’ and hop aboard this Magical Mystery
Tour as we unmask a few hitherto unknown secrets about the life of Chris
Van Bern; Liverpool’s most famous musician magician.
This Boy
Thomas Robinson Byrne was born on 6th January, 1872, at 114 Elias St.,
Everton. In the recently released 1939 Register, Thomas Robinson Byrne
himself stated he was born on 6 January 1872. His baptism, at St Joseph’s RC
Church, Liverpool, on 20 January 1872, also has his birth date as 6th January,
1872.
NB: For the sake of brevity I’ll now refer to Thomas Robinson Byrne, aka Chris
Van Bern, as CVB.
Get Back
CVB’s parents, Thomas Byrne and Margaret Brown, married on 5th
September, 1869, at St Peter’s Chapel, Liverpool. Thomas; age 26, (c1843).
His father was a Patrick Byrne (deceased). Margaret, age 25, (c1844), a
Spinster. They were both living on *Kent Terrace, Liverpool at the time of
their marriage.
Volume 79 Issue 6
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INDEX
Nowhere Man
It’s been said that CVB’s parents
were Irish. In the 1871 Census his
father, Thomas, gave his birth place
as Newport, Wales, and stated that
his wife, Margaret (CVB’s mother),
had been born in Liverpool. However,
there is no sign of him in the 1851/61
or 1881 Census returns to
substantiate his birth place.
‘I failed to produce a
single record to verify
their union.’
Ain’t She Sweet
CVB’s daughter’s full name was
Dorothy Vera Byrne - born 11th
October 1901 at 43 Tunnel Rd. Her
birth certificate records that her
Tell Me What You See
father was Thomas Christopher
The witnesses to their marriage,
Harold Robinson Byrne. Occupation;
Lawrence and Ellen Byrne, were living
Hairdresser (Master) and her
on *Kent Terrace in the 1871 Census.
mother; Margaret Ellen Byrne
Lawrence, having the same surname
(formerly Sandham).
as Thomas and living on the same
Misery
street, convinces me that they were
brothers. The significance being that Sorry to say, they weren’t married
Lawrence was born in Dublin, Ireland very long. On 10 December 1902,
(c 1835), albeit some 8years before
Margaret Ellen Byrne, age 29, died
Thomas. So there is, at least, Irish
of acute Tuberculosis.
ancestry through CVB’s grandfather,
She’s Leaving Home
Patrick.
Vera Byrne first married Percy G
Maggie Mae
Wells in 1931, and he died in 1932.
In the 1891 Census, CVB’s mother,
Later, in 1946, she married Henri
Margaret, is a widow and he is listed Lespinas at Chelsea Register Office
as Thomas H Burne, Occupation:
and, at that time, CVB’s occupation
Variety Entertainer / Ventriloquist.
was listed as; Actor (retired).
Her birth place was again given as
Everybody’s Got Something To Hide
Liverpool; i.e. she was not Irish.
It is generally considered that, in
Love Me Do
1907, Florence Beatrice Healiss,
Thomas Christopher Harold
became CVB’s second wife. However,
Robinson Byrne, married Margaret
extensive searching of the archives
Ellen Sandham, on 14 June 1900, at
has failed to produce a single record
The Register Office, West Derby,
to verify their union.
Liverpool.
Volume 79 Issue 6
Page 31
INDEX
I Call Your Name
Florence Beatrice Healiss is with her
parents, George and Mary Healiss, in
the 1901 Census - aged 15 and a
‘Teacher of Dancing’. Her parents’
marriage record reveals that Mary’s
maiden name was Lister. Florence
subsequently used the surname
‘Lister’ (when not performing under
the name Iva Voice) as part of her
stage name; i.e. Flo Lister, Sybil
Lister and Cora Lister.
Help
I needed somebody to access local
historical information and search for
CVB in non-census years.
Roger Hull, a researcher attached to
the Liverpool Records Office, kindly
found the following records:
1897, 1898 and 1899; Chris Bern,
living at 21 Shenstone Rd,
Liverpool. Occupation; Banjo Tutor.
In 1900 CVB moved to 43 Tunnel
Road and married Margaret Ellen
Sandham (as stated above).
In 1902 he was still at the same
address - where his wife, Margaret
Ellen, died on 10th December.
1903, 1904 and 1905, CVB remained
at the same address. Occupation;
Hairdresser and Music Tutor.
Act Naturally
He left 43 Tunnel Rd before the 1906
Directory was compiled. However,
during that year the genealogy
website, ‘Findmypast’, has four
records of CVB having acting parts in
London plays.
I Saw Her Standing There
In 1907 The Era has a review of a
show which took place at the Empire
Theatre, Rochdale, viz; ‘A capital
variety programme put on by Flo
Lister who sings with a powerful and
cultured voice; Chris Van Bern, an
amusing comedian’. This was the
first time that I’ve seen CVB and
Florence on the same bill.
In the 1901 Census, Christopher
Bern (age 29) and his wife, Margaret
Ellen, are at 43 Tunnel Road, his
Occupation; Hairdresser. NB: The
address was listed as a
Hairdresser’s and Music Studio.
11 October 1901, their daughter,
Dorothy Vera Byrne, was born at 43
Tunnel Road.
Volume 79 Issue 6
Page 32
INDEX
Getting Better
The Era reported that, appearing at Preston’s
Royal Hippodrome in December 1908, ‘CVB gives
an exceedingly original turn in which he
introduces some clever sleight-of-hand tricks’.
This was the first time I have seen evidence of
him performing any magic in his act.
Let It Be & She Loves You
By 1909, according to newspaper reviews, magic
was becoming a far more prominent feature in
CVB’s act. It was also observed that Sybil Lister
sang in eight shows in which CVB also appeared.
She Said She Said
When the 1911 Census was taken, CVB was boarding at 48 Tenison St,
Lambeth, London registered as; Chris Van-Bern, Married, Occupation; Actor
Comedian. With him were Madam Van-Bern (listed as his wife), born
Tarbock, Cheshire, Occupation; Character Actress and daughter; Vera VanBern, born Liverpool. The lady owner of the boarding house also recorded
that they had been married 10 years and that they had one child (Vera). As
evidenced above, both of these declarations were clearly incorrect.
How Do You Do It
CVB was President, or Vice-President, of fourteen local magic Societies. These
included becoming the first President of Liverpool’s Mahatma Magic Circle in
1915 and, in April 1938, being made Honorary Vice President of the MML.
A Day In The Life
A news item on ‘Findmypast’ has it that the couple first appeared at the New
Empire, Burnley on 31st March 1923. The Burnley News announced; ‘Van
Bern and Cora Lister in comedy appear twice nightly.’
The End
Their last (apparent) public performance on 2ⁿ� January 1937, as mentioned
in the Tamworth Herald. It simply read; ‘Polesworth WMC; Chris Van Bern
and Cora Lister were the artistes on Boxing night’.
Volume 79 Issue 6
Page 33
INDEX
I Will
Thomas Robinson Byrne had made a Will and probate was granted on 24th
August, 1951. The sole beneficiary was Florence Beatrice Byrne, to the sum
of £171 2s 2d, - approximately £5,000 in today’s money.
We Can Work It Out
Still unresolved questions include: was CVB’s father Irish; where did he learn
how to perform magic, and did he actually marry Florence B Healiss? ‘With a
little help from my friends - we can work it out’.
The Long And Winding Road
Whilst searching through all of these records I discovered that I am related to
Thomas Robinson Byrne via his first wife, Margaret Ellen Sandham! My
relationship is that Thomas Robinson Byrne is the ‘husband of sister-in-law of
3�� cousin of wife of 2ⁿ� cousin 3 times removed. And, I’m ‘glad all over’.
‘From Me to You’.
Paul ‘Some Other Guy’.
[Ed: Paul has appended copies of some fascinating primary research documents to
this study. The stylish cartoon illustration, by Will Scott, appeared in Goldston’s
Magical Quarterly: Spring Issue, 1937; Vol. 3, No. 4]
Volume 79 Issue 6
Page 34
INDEX
With Bob Benyon
Here are a few one-liners which you may be able to use in your patter:
I popped into the Royal Albert Hall the other day. It was full of kids in pushchairs and buggies. It was the Last Night of the Prams.
I was watching the London Marathon the other week. One chap was dressed
as a chicken and another as an egg. I thought “I wonder which one of those
is going to come first?”
When we had those terrible floods in the streets last year a neighbour of
mine went on holiday to get away from it all. He went to Venice.
If money doesn’t grow on trees why do banks have branches?
I was reading about Noah, all at sea under dark clouds. I wonder if he used
ark-lights or flood-lights?
Isn’t science wonderful? My new false teeth are so realistic that they’re
starting to ache.
Talking of science, my grandson is at college studying Animal Engineering. It
should come in handy if next door’s cat ever needs welding.
Volume 79 Issue 6
Page 35
INDEX
The
David Hemingway
Picture Corner
A
s we all know, there's more to magic than meets the
eye, and David has written to say that this is especially
the case with the two 'man at a desk' sketches which we
have published over the past two editions, inviting you to spot the
difference. Acting as a cross between Sherlock Holmes and Sir Arthur Conan
Doyle, David points out that our older readers, looking closely at the face of
last month's version, will be able to identify the man at the desk as the late
Lewis Ganson, author of the classic Vernon and Slydini books and much
more. David remarks that it is an uncannily lifelike caricature, executed by
Eric Halylock who was a popular illustrative artist of the time and also drew
for Goodliffe's Abracadabra weekly. Lewis edited the monthly Gen magazine
for Harry Stanley's Unique Magic Studio for a number of years, and Haylock
produced this amusing picture as a masthead for the editorial column.
Decades later, Harry allowed David to use a similar drawing on his own
newsletter, altered by Dennis Patten at his request. David writes: 'Dennis
didn't even attempt my likeness, but even so it was better, in my opinion,
that the MeMeL cartoonist's try at the top of this page. Upon seeing it, a
friend said "It makes you look like an inmate of a high security home for the
elderly bewildered." It does, and I probably do.'
In fact, David is no stranger to
having his likeness reproduced. He
played the Magic Circle on three
different lecture tours: 'Aspects of
Magic' in the '80s, 'Designs on
Magic' in the '90s and, most
recently, with 'Slices of
Gingerbread and Guests'. As a
result Ali Bongo created this line
drawing as a frontispiece to David's
lecture book 'Stand Up Magic
‘They’ve written up my lecture in The Magic
Circular and it says I’m a modest Yorkshireman’… Routined'.
….. ‘Oh, you managed to fool ‘em then?!’
Volume 79 Issue 6
Page 36
INDEX
In the News…
A
93-YEAR-OLD Burnley man who
"lived and breathed magic" has
passed away after being taken ill. Maurice Howarth, who was the oldest
member of the Modern Mystic League in Blackburn, was well-known across
East Lancashire for his magic tricks and was good friends with famous
magicians such as Paul Daniels and Debbie McGee.
Mr Howarth’s close friend, Gabrielle Coates, said he was taken ill a few
months ago and ended up staying in Burnley’s Oaklands Nursing Home,
where he died. His good friend and fellow magician Anne Walmsley,
otherwise known as Magik-Ann, said he was always there to offer advice on
magic tricks and always had an answer to any problems she was having. She
said: “He was just a lovely man, the most gentle and helpful person you could
ever wish to meet. “I went round many times to his house when I wasn’t
happy with the outcome of a magic trick and he would always have an
answer, he just lived and breathed magic. “As he got older I used to pick him
up and take him to places. He always had time for everybody and he will be
sorely missed."
Maurice, who was married to the late Mona Howarth but had no children,
started his career working as a chief draftsman for Prestige Group in Colne
and there he met Mrs Coates when she was 19. Mrs Coates said she was
always impressed by the wide variety of tricks he would perform and he
never went anywhere without a pack of cards to show off with. She said: “He
always had so many tricks up his sleeve, making things disappear and doing
things with cards. “You could be sitting right
next to him and he would ask you to write
your name on a card and then he would tear
it up then suddenly produce another card
that had your name on it intact.
“He was a kind and gentle man who never
said anything nasty about anyone and he
was so well respected by magicians." “He
always told me said good morning to Mona
everyday as well even though she had gone.
He really loved her and she was so beautiful,
they were a cracking couple.”
Volume 79 Issue 6
Page 37
INDEX
Workshop
24th May 2016
F
ollowing a busy Committee meeting and well-earned refreshments the
theme of this month’s Workshop was ‘The Elmsley Count’. Roger gave a
little history about the count and then gave everyone copies of the
instructions from ‘The Collected Works of Alex Elmsley volume 1’ by Stephen
Minch and ‘Card College 2’ by Roberto Giobbi. The original version is a false
count of the cards in the hand rather than at fingertips.
Ricky then showed in detail how to do the count in the hand and everyone
followed along. As always Ricky is a good tutor and all ten of us were soon
counting along.
Roger recommended Liam Montier’s DVDs ‘The Elmsley Count Project’ from
Big Blind Media if anyone wants to learn the count thoroughly. This is an
excellent 2 DVDs set which teaches a number of other counts as well and
shows eight tricks utilising these counts on the second disc.
Ricky demonstrated a trick from John Bannon’s ‘Impossibilia’ book which
uses the count. He also showed how to use the count with jumbo cards.
Next Roger had a packet trick using the count called ‘Cascade’ from Roy
Walton’s new book ‘The Complete Walton volume 3’ which is available from
Davenports.
Ricky showed ‘Jackrobats’ by David Britland and Dave the classic ‘Twisting the
Aces’ by Dai Vernon. Ricky also showed a move from John Bannon’s ‘Smoke
and Mirrors’ where the count is done into the spectator’s fingers. He also had
‘Twisted Aces’ by Paul Harris.
So, we had an enjoyable session on ‘The Elmsley Count’. Just to change the
theme Donald had purchased an ‘Automatic Dice’ from China as he wanted
to force the number 4. Unfortunately the instructions were in Chinese and
the English translation was completely incomprehensible, having been
translated by someone who cannot translate! Much laughter was then had
trying to work this out and eventually Donald gave up and donated the trick
to Martin! It was a fun ending to a good Workshop session.
The Workshop meetings are moving to Wednesdays in future, so the next
one will be held on Wednesday 22ⁿ� June and the suggested theme is rope
magic.
Roger
Volume 79 Issue 6
Page 38
INDEX
And finally…
L
ast month we posed a question – a puzzle in the ‘spot the difference’
genre, in which you were invited to compare the April heading for Paul
Guy’s column with the one in May’s edition.
Well, you wouldn’t need to be too observant to notice a change in the subheading, from ‘A brand new series from Paul Guy’ to ‘A tutorial series from
Paul Guy’. We reckoned that there have now been so many articles in the
series that it could no longer be described as ‘new’.
What may have missed the attention of some readers, however, was the fact
that Paul had lost his moustache! In fact, to bring the picture up to date Paul
had to point out his change of appearance to Donald, as few seem to have
noticed it in real life . . . including some members of his own family!
One last thought for this month:
Is this an optical illusion . . .
. . . or does it just look like one?
Volume 79 Issue 6
Page 39
INDEX
Officers of the MML
PRESIDENT:
Roger Woods
[email protected]
CHAIRMAN:
Brian Lead
[email protected]
Hon Secretary:
Dave Moss
[email protected]
Hon Treasurer:
Ian Brown
[email protected]
Hon Librarian:
Donald Monk
[email protected]
MeMeL Editor
Brian Lead
[email protected]
Concert Secretary: Brian Lead
[email protected]
President Elect:
Ian Brown
[email protected]
Webmaster:
Allan Clarke
[email protected]
Welfare Officer:
Ricky Reidy
[email protected]
Committee
Members:
Trevor Greenwood
[email protected]
Paul Guy
[email protected]
MML Magical Banquet
Saturday October 8th 2016
Hon Vice President:
John
Tattersall
Volume 79 Issue 6
Page 40
INDEX
CONJURER’S CALENDAR
BRIAN LEAD
JAN
RICKY REIDY
FEB
26th January
WORKSHOP
10th January
Annual General
Meeting
14th February
STEVE SHORT
11th February
VISIT TO MAHATMA
SOCIETY (LIVERPOOL)
On Ian Adair and
Supreme Magic.
IAN BROWN
MAR
BERT SLATER
APR
TREVOR DAWSON
MAY
JUNIORS - 1:00PM
MEETINGS - 2:00PM
22nd March
COMMITTEE
WORKSHOP
6 th March
GRAND AUCTION
3rd April
JOHN PALFREYMAN
16th April
ANNIVERSARY SHOW
at St Silas
JUN
12th June
CHAIRMAN’S DAY with
The Mahatma Society
RON BARON
JUL
MARTIN SEED
AUG
26th April
PAUL STONE
SPECIAL EVENT
24th May
COMMITTEE
WORKSHOP
8th May
MISSION MAGIC
Dealer Day.
BRIAN LEAD
23rd February
WORKSHOP
11th June
MML Show for
Blackburn Arts Club
28th June
WORKSHOP
10th July
WAYNE GOODMAN
Lecture
26th July
COMMITTEE
WORKSHOP
14th August
MEMBERS’ DAY
23rd August
WORKSHOP
'Beyond the Comfort
Zone’
DONALD MONK
SEP
ALLAN CLARKE
OCT
ROGER WOODS
NOV
ROGER WOODS
DEC
27th September
8th- 11th September
COMMITTEE
IBM BRITISH RING
CONVENTION, BUXTON WORKSHOP
18th September
SUNDAY WORKSHOP
8th October
9th October
PAT FALLON
MAGICAL BANQUET
The Mytton Fold Hotel
22nd November
COMMITTEE
WORKSHOP
20th November
PRESIDENT’S DAY
11th December
MAGIC @ CHRISTMAS
NOTE* - Name
= Refreshments
COMMITTEE - 7:00PM
25th October
WORKSHOP
Denotes
OPEN MEETING
NO
WORKSHOP
Change of
usual Date
WORKSHOP - 8:00PM
The MeMeL is the Journal of The Modern Mystic League.