On Monday 12th January 15 of us set off via train and tube to discover the Magic Circle.
We found it housed down a small quiet cobbled cul-de-sac, close to Euston Station and at 11:30 trooped in for teas and coffees.
We then split into two groups doing either the History or the Mystery part first, then changing places for a second stint.
The first magic show was performed by Chris Wood and he recruited various members of the audience to join in his close up magic involving coin, card and ball tricks.
One trick involved coins which, when held inside a transparent fabric, would mysteriously escape through the cloth.
None of us had any idea of how any of the tricks were performed.
The History session was held down some stairs in an underground museum and covered the story of magic and conjuring starting with stories from ancient Egypt. We were shown a book dating from medieval times showing how some of the tricks were performed, demonstrating that magicians were ‘honest tricksters’ and not in any way witches or in league with the devil.
We were told of tragic stories in which magicians had met their end on stage through various accidents, including that of Chung Ling Soo, who died when a member of the audience tried to see whether the magician could catch a real bullet between his teeth.
Members of the Magic Circle include many top magicians, such as David Copperfield, Dynamo, Jamie Raven, Fay Presto and Penn and Teller. Other amateur members include King Charles III, Stephen Fry, Nigel Mansell – and Sooty.
Sooty is the only non-human member of the circle, and demonstrated his skills by cutting a lady (Barbie) in half live on TV.
This can be seen in this Facebook video here.
We all then proceeded upstairs to another room, this time both groups gathered around a stage.
Here the magician Paul Reagan baffled us with a show involving cards, ropes and a handkerchief that seemed to get bigger and bigger.
Once again the magician chose members of the audience to bamboozle with his tricks, and you may recognise one of his assistants in the photograph below.
We all thoroughly enjoyed the experience, and there was talk of repeating the trip to another of their shows in the future.
We all met at Milton’s Cottage at 10am on Friday 10th October. Most of us arrived early and, as the weather was good gathered in the garden.
Milton took refuge from the plague in London by escaping to this cottage in 1665, and, although he lived here for less than two years, wrote his most famous work Paradise Lost and began Paradise Regained, whilst living here with his third wife.
We then walked down the hill to the parish church of Chalfont St Giles. Here we met our guide Tony Ferguson, who is not only an author and speaker, but also a member of the St Giles watch, which helps to ensure that the church remains open to visitors.
One of the most striking features of the church is a set of 14th century wall paintings depicting scenes from the bible. These were discovered and revealed by the Victorians, but about 20 years ago suffered damage as a result of thieves taking lead from the roof.
Martin Sheen was wonderful as Nye, appearing in all the scenes dressed in his hospital pyjamas and seemingly bewildered as each scene unfolded before him in random order, as a schoolboy with a stutter, then his fights with Winston Churchill, his open marriage relationship with Jennie Lee and the death of his father (a Welsh miner). Finally he remembers his creation of the National Health Service against very high odds, only winning against the doctor’s opposition by promising them to make them the highest paid professionals in the country (“Filling their mouths with gold”).
The staging was quite clever, the green curtains reminding one of those in a hospital and also acting as the green seats of the House of Commons, whilst hospital beds were transformed into lobby entrances during the parliamentary scenes.
We found our coach at 5:15 and our driver fought his way through the rush hour traffic to get us back to Gerrards Cross by about 6:30 – well behind those who had travelled by train!
Woodland Trust’s focus is on thinning the exotic species introduced by humans and restocking with native woodland.
We said goodbye to those of us who travelled by car and set off on the first leg of our journey, to Shrewsbury. We were met by our guides, who took us on a conducted walk around the town, looking at taverns and houses with connections to the Tudors, then a led us on a tour around St Mary’s, Shrewsbury’s oldest church, dating back to Norman times, to see the stained-glass windows.
We completed the tour by looking at the medieval trades areas, after which the streets were named, and at the centre of the high street, where David III, Prince of Wales, was executed in 1283.
The afternoon visit to The Cliff Railway and the Camera Obscura was abandoned as the railway was not working and the ONE repair engineer was indisposed- so plan B was introduced; a visit to Cae Hir, – a Welsh Garden with Dutch history. A 6-acre garden – the dream of Dutchman Wil Akkermans – now an elderly Welsh speaking gentleman. An afternoon for all of us to remember- some visitors even managed a scone (A WHOLE ONE ) tea ! We returned to Aberystwyth and enjoyed a walk around the Castle in glorious afternoon sunshine.
