* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Magic New Zealand * www.watson.co.nz/ezine.html * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Issue Number: #394 Date: Sunday 5th March 2006 Editor: Alan Watson www.magicianz.com www.Alan-Watson.com e-mail: AW@Alan-Watson.com ================================ Hi this is the latest news ================================ 1. Editor's Message 2. Germany's "Flicking Fingers" To Make A Tour Of The USA 3. Meetings with Remarkable Magicians - Nick Lewin 4. From Magician To Speaker Part Seven 5. Martinka Auction XX Is Running Now 6. Obituary On Gene DeJean - aka Gene McIntosh 7. The Comedy Of Errors - Ross Skiffington 8. The Magic Cafe Forum - Tim Ellis & Sue-Anne 9. History Of Balloon Modelling 10. World Magic Seminar - Las Vegas 2006 11. Mark Wilson and Nani Darnell Lecture 12. "A Spring Evening Of Magic" 13. Please Help Sylvia Tracz 14. Radio Magic News 15. Not 1 But 2 Hypnosis, Magic/Illusion Show 16. The Amazing Orchante Saga 17. e-zine Archives 18. Privacy Policy And Copyright Notice ------------------ 1. Editors Message ------------------- Very pleased to advise that Nick Lewin will be joining Magic New Zealand as a regular columnist - Meetings with Remarkable Magicians. Refer item 3. ----------------------- We hear that James Randi is recovering from heart surgery. ----------------------- I have had major problems over the last few weeks with my e-mail account. If I have not responded to your message or it has not been published it is most probably one of the ones that I didn't receive!! Hopefully my ISP has now rectified this problem. ----------------------- Remember if you have any magic news drop me a line: AW@Alan-Watson.com ----------------- 2. Germany's "Flicking Fingers" To Make A Tour Of The USA ----------------- Message from Obie Obrien (US) Germany's "Flicking Fingers" (10 super magicians) to make a tour of the USA late April and early May. Their first stop will be the 36th 4F (Fechter's Finger Flicking Frolic) from April 26th to the 29th. Then they will perform at MAWNY on Sunday April 30th. Then they are off to The Magic Castle from Monday May 1st through Sunday May 7th for the Castle's German week (the first ever!). Here they will work all the rooms and the Palace Theater. The weekend of May 13th to May 14th they will be in NY City. On Saturday and Sunday, they will present their "Flicking Finger Festival" a unique two-day event consisting of lectures, workshops, Q&A session, stage and close-up shows. "The Festival" is limited to 100 attendees and has received rave reviews in Melbourne and Sydney (info and registration online at http://www.flickingfingerfestival.com) If you have never seen them perform and can get to NY city then you will really be entertained as the group has at least 5 FISM winners and they all have won prizes at the German Championships). They were fantastic when they appeared in Australia, Holland and Sweden within the last few years. Some of the names you might have heard of are Pit Hartling, Gaston, Joerg Alexander, Manuel Muerte, Thomas Fraps and Helge Thun. Best Obie Obrien --------------------------------------------- 3. Meetings with Remarkable Magicians - Nick Lewin -------------------------------------------- Message from Nick Lewin (US) Before We Begin. A week ago I flew into Auckland, New Zealand and had as much fun as I've had in magic in many years. I came away with a huge respect for all things New Zealand and some fine new friends. Somewhere during that week Alan Watson told me that my magic blog; "Meetings with Remarkable Magicians" would become a regular part of Magic New Zealand. I was very excited about this and I am determined to deliver something fresh and unique. My definition of a magician is; "Someone who wakes up people, who don't know they are asleep." This blog is a record of favorite meetings with the magicians who have woken me up over the years. The ones who have helped me think around a few corners. I started performing magic in London in the 60s. I am proud to count Ken Brooke, Maurice Fogel and especially Billy McComb as my very first heroes, teachers and friends in the magic world. I want to give a taste of what I learned from them and how I put that knowledge into application. Throughout life we acquire bits of knowledge but it's not the answers that matter it's the questions. If you're asking the wrong question it doesn't matter what answers you're given! Every performer stands on the shoulders of those who went before him and I have been fortunate enough to have many Meetings with Remarkable Magicians and It is to them I dedicate my words. Please feel free to contact me at nicklewin@earthlink.net if you really agree or disagree with anything I write in upcoming pages. -------------------------------------------- 4. From Magician To Speaker Part Seven -------------------------------------------- Message Quentin Reynolds I hope since last week you've made your list of all the stories, incidents and obstacles that you can recall from your time as a magician. We're now going to turn them into a talk. You will find the whole speech falls into place much easier when you have a title for your presentation and you know its theme. There are many possible structures for a talk. Here is one of the simplest and also one of the best. Dynamite opening which gets into the theme of the talk Make a point A story to illustrate the point Make a point A story to illustrate the point Make a point A story to illustrate the point. Wrap up and powerful close. Now you can't get much simpler than that and the structure should give you a 25 - 30 minute talk. I'll also show you how to expand the same structure into a 45 - 50 minute talk. The backbone of your talk is the stories you tell. That is what sells you to the audience. That is what they will remember. The greatest teachers use stories. Jesus taught with stories. Stories touch people emotionally. People love stories. Get the point? Use stories! And the stories you use should be from your own personal experience. That's why I asked you to write down all the stories, problems and funny incidents from your career as a magician. (You can of course use stories from any aspect of your life - but I'm assuming this particular talk will be to do with magic). And when you use events from your own experience, they are unique to you. Your audience will not have heard them elsewhere. And because it is your unique story it will ring with authenticity. Your story can be anything from a simple incident to something more involved. At the beginning it shouldn't be more than five minutes. It will grow as you tell it, but at the start keep it short. And it's not enough just to tell a story. At its conclusion you must give your audience the lesson you learned from the story. Then you must show them how they can apply the lesson to their lives. For example one professional speaker has a trademark story of turning up at a hotel for a speaking engagement only to discover he hasn't packed his cufflinks. He then describes a mad rush as he takes a taxicab to different menswear shops looking in vain for cufflinks. By the fourth shop he's in a major panic and the assistant calms him down. Hearing the problem, the assistant suggests why doesn't he just buy another shirt that doesn't need cufflinks? Problem solved. Now the lesson: He then makes the point about rushing to solve a problem without properly analyzing it and looking for alternative solutions. Then he talks to the audience about applying the point to their own lives. Note as well he is not the hero of the story. The shop assistant is. Don't be the hero of all your stories. It adds to your humanity. You can expand the talk by using extra stories to illustrate your points. Zig Ziglar frequently uses three stories to make a point. One story will be from his own personal experience, one from an article he read in a newspaper or magazine and the third is usually based on a joke and is used specifically to get a laugh. In the next part we'll look at putting your talk together. © Quentin Reynolds. Quentin Reynolds works as both magician and speaker. You can read about one of his programs at http://www.speakinschools.com -------------------------------------------- 5. Martinka Auction XX Is Running Now -------------------------------------------- Message from Ted Bogusta (US) Martinka Auction XX Is Running Now Martinka's 20th online auction of vintage and modern magic is now underway. There are hundreds of lots listed in all categories and price ranges. Some of the highlights include a Brema Coin Ladder, A Spirit Clock, Jane Thurston's copy of her fathers Autobiography and more. Among the many items to be listed are a Stillwell prediction box, Alan Warner pieces and an original Discovery of Witchcraft. The items can be viewed at: www.martinka.com/auction To enable bidding and to receive updates of future sales, please complete the simple form at: www.martinka.com/register Martinka & Co., Inc. 103 Godwin Ave. Midland Park, NJ 07432 (201) 444-7576 www.mmartinka.com PS: We are now gathering items for our June sale, if you have a single piece or an entire collection available, please contact us to discuss the options we have available. -------------------------------------------- 6. Obituary On Gene DeJean - aka Gene McIntosh -------------------------------------------- Message from Bev Bergeron (US) Gene DeJean born Gene McIntosh -- August 28, 1932 - died in Houston, Texas February 19, 2006. Gene was a professional magician for years before giving up the road for health reasons and went to work for the railroad. In 1949, Gene along with Bev Bergeron presented a two-hour illusion show in Texas City. Gene was so good that he had offers to tour the New England states with an illusion show. This was a problem since he was only 17 at the time. In 1950, he assisted Bev with his Aloom the Fiend mid-night spook shows in movie theatres. He later became a poker dealer in an illegal gambling house outside of Galveston. He was an expert with bottom and top dealing. Fate saved his life and convinced him to stick with an illusion show. With Bev he worked out a Girl-Without-A-Middle illusion that could be performed surrounded on a nightclub floor. Later the two worked out the second thin sawing to capture the magic world's fancy. At the 1966 TAOM and the 1967 PCAM conventions he stopped the shows with his entrance from the audience carrying a live wing flapping hawk and with his creations: The Midriff Illusion (A girl has her mid section removed in full view of the audience.) and the Shiva illusion where a girl is levitated on top of a pillow setting on a ottoman. After the '67 PCAM convention he toured for the USO in Vietnam with his illusion show. Denny Haney of Denny and Lee saw his performance and commented very highly on it. Gene also toured the southern states with Little Mary Sunshine the made up character for the Sunshine Bread Company. He themed his entire shows to bread products and finished his act with productions of loaves of bread. Both his wife and daughter preceded him in death. -------------------------------------------- 7. The Comedy Of Errors - Ross Skiffington -------------------------------------------- Message from Ross Skiffington I am currently in Sydney rehearsing The Comedy of Errors which we are taking to England in March. This production is the opening play for the Bath Shakespeare Festival, a great honour. We are playing at the Theatre Royal from the 6th to the 11th March and then moving to Blackpool for a week at the Grand Theatre. If you want to know more about it go to the Bell Shakespeare webpage http://www.bellshakespeare.com.au/flash_detect.html Prior to all of this there will be a formal reception at Australia House in London where I have been invited to perform a short show. Very excited about that! There are many of London's theatrical luminaries on the guest list and a major event for The Bell Shakespeare Company. It is the first major international tour for the company. It's also very good for magic. I wonder whether magic has ever been performed at Australia House? Certainly the magic as presented in the production gets people very excited. I guess it's the surprise element of seeing it in a Shakespeare play. If any magicians are coming to see the show please make yourself known to me afterwards as it's always a great pleasure to meet fellow magi. -------------------------------------------- 8. The Magic Cafe Forum - Tim Ellis & Sue-Anne -------------------------------------------- Message from Tim Ellis (Aust) Sue-Anne and I are special guests on The Magic Cafe Forum this month (March 6-12) http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewforum.php?forum=194&2 -------------------------------------------- 9. History Of Balloon Modelling -------------------------------------------- Message from Keith Lawrence I have been researching the history of balloon modelling, and would appreciate receiving any information on this subject prior to 1949 when I first started including it in my performance. I have heard of some instances before 1940 and would like to substantiate these if possible. Anyone with information can contact me at: k_jlawrence@yahoo.com.au -------------------------------------------- 1O. World Magic Seminar - Las Vegas 2006 -------------------------------------------- Message from Tony Binarelli The Italian magician Daniele Lepantini third price at the close-up competition at the World Magic Seminar in Las Vegas. Tony Binarelli presented his show at the first Gala show of the Seminar. Binarelli shooting his first DVD for the series World Greatest Magic Library of the Stevens Magic Emporium, the 90 minutes DVD will be ready next July and will be presented at the IBM convention. In the DVD many personal effects an interview with Rich Bloch.  -------------------------------------------- 11. Mark Wilson and Nani Darnell Lecture -------------------------------------------- Message from Darlene F. Bull forwarded on by Sam Martin Reserve Your Tickets NOW by Ordering Online at www.magicinc.net (Click on the Hardcore Magic Lecture button) Magic, Inc. Proudly Presents Mark Wilson and Nani Darnell The man who brought magic to millions on television with "The Magic Land of Allakazam," "Magic Circus," "The Magic of Mark Wilson" television series. . . who wrote the best selling magic book in history . . . who has been named one of the top ten most influential American magicians of the 20th Century by the readers of Magic Magazine, Mark Wilson and his co-star, the lovely Nani Darnell, will be at Magic, Inc. for ONE LECTURE ONLY. When: Saturday April 8th @ 2:30 p.m. Where: Magic, Inc. 5082 N. Lincoln Ave. Phone: 773-334-2855 Price: $25.00 ***Reserve Your Tickets Now by Order Online at www.magicinc.net (Click on the Hardcore Magic Lecture button.)*** As well as being a major celebrity himself, Mark has been magic instructor to Cary Grant, Tony Curtis, Peter Falk, Dick Van Dyke, Bill Bixby, Jackie Gleason, Cher, Johnny Carson, & Burt Reynolds, magic consultant to top TV series such "Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman;" "The Nanny;" "Columbo;" "Odd Couple;" "The Magician;" "Simon & Simon;" "Love Boat;" & many more. He creates and produces illusion shows for the world's finest theme parks, world's fairs and expositions, including the "Hall of Magic," New York Worlds Fair; "AT&T's Magic of the Telephone Pavilion, Hemisfair; Disneyland; Disneyworld; "Busch Gardens Parks;" "Six Flags & Kings Entertainment Parks"? and many more. His latest is "Backstage Secrets"? Legoland Carlsbad, CA. Mark authored the "Mark Wilson's Course in Magic" which has been translated into Italian, French, Chinese, and Russian. With over 750,000 copies published, it is the most popular book of magic instruction in history. Mark may be the world's most honored magician: Twice elected "Magician of the Year" and received a "Masters Fellowship" from the Academy of Magical Arts / Magic Castle; is in the "Society of American Magicians Hall of Fame"; named "Superstar of Magic," by the International Brotherhood of Magicians, and most recently received the prestigious "David Devant Award" from the British Magic Circle. Mark had the world's largest collection of grand illusions (over 200) now surpassed by David Copperfield; was President and CEO of the Academy of Magical Arts and has been awarded 5 United States patents for Magic Effects. Nani Darnell holds the record for being in more different illusions than anyone in history. Mark and Nani will delight you with wonderful stories and teach you about the real business side of magic and how you can use it. Mark will tell how he started in the world of magic, sold, produced and stared in the very first Network Television Magic Series and then in two more series, how he become magic consultant to some of the worlds greatest amusement parks, television shows, and movies and much, much more! In addition, Mark will teach you the three most effective close up tricks you can carry with you at all times, as Mark does. And you will learn a truly impressive card trick in which everyone in the audience will participate. All of these effects are easy to do and will be reputation makers for you. "Mark Wilson is probably the nation's leading authority on the subject of magic." New York Times "His business is a think tank of legerdemain." Newsweek "Mark Wilson's illusionism is unique." Variety "Mark Wilson is certainly one of the finest in the business with amazing skills in illusion & showmanship." Hollywood Reporter Do not miss this very special Lecture on April 8, 2006 at 2:30 only at Magic, Inc. with one of the greatest magicians alive today and his beautiful co-star and become a part of magic history!!! Hardcore Lectures The Fee for this exceptional lecture is $25.00. Fee can be presented at the door or on-line. Reserve your space now by purchasing on-line. (There is a $2.00 Service Fee for on-line reservations.) This year Magic, Inc. and the Hardcore Lecture Group have brought you some outstanding lectures. Many of these lectures have been exclusive to Hardcore. If you missed these lectures, you have missed some great magic! We are always working hard to bring you the best magic, the best magicians and the very best lectures. In 2006 we will continue this tradition. Plans are under way for some very special people to appear as part of the Hardcore Lecture Series. Check with us offer for information on who is coming in 2006! Remember, attending lectures is one way to improve your magic, to learn more about tricks, presentation and meet the skilled professionals of our Art. The Hardcore Lecture Group meets in Jay Marshall's private museum at Magic, Inc. Membership to the Hardcore Lecture Group is $10.00. Email us at info@magicinc.net to get on the hardcore lecture group email list for future notifications. For More Information Call 773-334-2855.  -------------------------------------------- 12. "A Spring Evening Of Magic" -------------------------------------------- Message from Dan Stapleton Ring 258 of Leesburg, Florida Hosts "A Spring Evening of Magic" Ring 258 of Leesburg, Florida will be presenting a full evening of magic, comedy and illusions at the beautiful Savannah Center theatre at The Villages in Leesburg April 19. Two shows at 6pm & 8:30pm. The first half of "A Spring Evening of Magic" stars Jim Moody, Roger Reid, Jarvis Howell, Donald Pierson and Ian Stuz. The entire second half will be presented by well known cruise ship magician-illusionist Dan Stapleton ( www.stapletonmagic.com ).  Information and tickets can be purchased only thru The Villages Ticket Box Office at (352) 753-3229.  -------------------------------------------- 13. Please Help Sylvia Tracz -------------------------------------------- Message from Jane Stuart - President The J.Marberger Stuart Foundation The J.Marberger Stuart Foundation urges all magicians to help the family of Chicago magician, Arthur Trace. His sister was injured in a traffic accident and Arthur is faced with 2-3 million dollars of medical bills for her. I found out more about that "magic show girl." As per the chemistry office: There was a girl, Sylvia Tracz, at Stony Brook University who had just graduated with her PhD in Chemistry in June 2005. In July of 2005, she was broad sided by someone who didn't have much insurance (as he was a high risk driver with many past accidents). This terrible accident landed Sylvia, who was driving, (and her friend who was a passenger) in the ICU at Stony Brook University Hospital for 10 months. She is currently in rehab, but is unable to speak, walk, eat, or anything else. She is making progress though and can say a few one syllable words. While Sylvia was at school here in NY, her parents are lower income Polish immigrants who live in Chicago. Her parents speak very little English, which made the whole ordeal even more difficult as they could not fully understand everything happening to their daughter. Nonetheless, there was one family member by Sylvia's side every week while she was in the ICU in NY. This lead to huge travel expenses for them in addition to the $2-3 million in medical expenses. Sylvia's brother, is a magician and there is a magic show March 1, 2006 to help defer the cost of Sylvia's medical care. However, donations can be made at anytime to: Graduate Chemistry Society, Sylvia Tracz Fund Department of Chemistry Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-3400 If you know anyone who may like to help, please give them the above address!! Most frequently asked questions: Does she have insurance? Sylvia was on the student insurance, which expired in Aug 2005 since she was no longer a student (remember, she had graduated). She currently has Medicare, but this does not cover all of Sylvia's needs. What happened in the accident? Sylvia was driving a sedan and was broad sided on the driver's side by and SUV. The impact was so hard that Sylvia's seat was actually pushed into and hit her friend, who was the front side passenger. What happened to her friend? Her friend, Jason (at least, I think that's his name), was also taken to the Stony Brook University Hospital ICU. He was in a coma for 10 months. As Jason is from England, during that time he was transported to England for hospital care. England has socialized medicine and there were no further costs for Jason. As a side note, Jason woke up from the coma and is recovering very well (all things considered). Jason's wife, who was the back seat passenger, was unharmed in the accident.  -------------------------------------------- 14. Radio Magic News -------------------------------------------- Message from Jay Fortune - Co-Host of Radio Magic! We have a totally brand new website! After requests from our listeners for extra features we have met demand and now www.radiomagic.co.uk is as interactive as ever. Listeners can create an account online giving them full access to competitions, forum, news submissions and lots of other freebies! Plus by signing-up today they can receive our exclusive VIP newsletter and stay bang up-to-date with everything happening on the show. Signing-up is easy to do: simply create a username (no spaces please) and password, follow the simple instructions and you're on board. The latest show featured Stan Allen from Magic magazine and has your thoughts on Topic of the Week. Plus we debate and set the topic for this week: are illusion acts easier to present than close-up? Email your opinion to jay@radiomagic.co.uk and stand a chance to not only hear your name on-air but also win our weekly on-air competition. Radio Magic broadcasts worldwide every Monday here in the UK and you can hear it through our website by hitting the Downloads link, or via our podcast service (see website FAQ for details). There's more stuff happening than we can fit into the 25 hours per day, 8 days per week that nature gave us! And it's all for free. Listen in for FREE: www.radiomagic.co.uk -------------------------------------------- 15. Not 1 But 2 Hypnosis, Magic/Illusion Show -------------------------------------------- Message from Brent McLeod (NZ) Dave Upfold, Wesley Upfold & Brent McLeod. Proudly sponsored for 2006 by- The Edge FM radio  5th Year World Tour- "Not 1 But 2 Hypnosis, Magic/Illusion Show"  New Zealand Leg- March 2006 - Fundraising shows in & April & May-venues later date Also included are separate school fundraising shows not part of the tour! Tuesday March 14th - Papatoetoe High School, Auckland Wednesday March 15th - Papatoetoe High School, Auckland Friday March 17th - Real Journeys Events Centre, Te Anau, Saturday March 18th - Invercargill WMC Centre Sunday March 19th - Invercargill WMC Centre Monday March 20th - O.B.H.S Auditorium, Dunedin Tuesday March 21st - O.B.H.S Auditorium, Dunedin Wednesday March 22nd- Alexandra Town Hall. Alexandra. Saturday March 25th - Regent Theatre, Greymouth Sunday March 26th - Regent Theatre, Greymouth Thursday March 30th - North Shore College- venue TBC, Auckland Friday March 31st - Ardmore School (Auckland) Saturday April 1st - Point Chevalier School, Auditorium, Auckland Tuesday April 4th - Pinehurst School, Auditorium, Auckland Tuesday April 5th - Pinehurst School, Auditorium, Auckland Wednesday April 6th - Pinehurst School, Auditorium, Auckland (VenueTBC) Friday 7th April Hukanui School (Hamilton)  This show is of international calibre and is one not to be missed, starting at either 7.30 or 8 pm depending on venue- Exact Info is provided on flyers for all shows being distrubuted at present .  Further info / tickets please contact Dave anytime (09) 527-7374 , 021 453-202 ----------------- 16. The Amazing Orchante Saga ----------------- Message from Tommy Orchard (The Amazing Orchante)(UK ex-pat Kiwi) Page 89 Bravely, I thrust my hand holding the torch further into the hole and then, involuntary muscles kicked in - violently throwing me backwards across the room as something big, black and snarling viciously, lunged towards me. Another 'unholy' smell filled the room as I damn near filled my pants in fright! That was it. I threw floorboards haphazardly over the hole and slung the carpet over it as well -then took off out of that room like a rocket, slamming the door shut as I went, and waited for daylight! Next day we cautiously uncovered the hole and once again shone the torch down. With the help of daylight there it was, the cause of all our consternation - A NEST OF BABY PENGUINS! Not really surprising I suppose, the house was only a 'hop skip and a jump', from the sea. Scattered all over the place were the remains of fish; no wonder the place stank. With the floorboards and carpet covering them, the stench just seeped out from everywhere, making it impossible to pinpoint. The parents were obviously away, catching fresh fish for the young ones - thankfully, as when they are under threat they are, quite naturally, extremely vicious when protecting their babies, to which I can testify. I'm lucky that I didn't have my fingers bitten off! Being animal-lovers, we were not about to disturb them so I nailed the floorboards back down, replaced the carpet, and stocked up on several tins of air-freshener. A few days later the lady from whom we rented the house, informed us that she had sold the property and that we would need to move out. When we told her about the penguins nesting underneath the house she assured us that she would inform the new owners and that the penguins would be taken care of, so that was that. We stayed in Wellington for just six weeks. To be perfectly honest, it just wasn't - OUR KIND OF TOWN! We headed back to Auckland City - promoter David McKee wanted us to work some hotels with the band he managed -NOAZARK, and he had a proposition- for a tour up north, with the hypnotism show. DON'T YOU JUST LOVE IT WHEN A NON-EXISTENT PLAN COMES TOGETHER! Page 90 David McKee, 'Noazark' - unexpected visitors At the end of the last chapter I spoke of heading (from Wellington), back North to Auckland City for local record producer/promoter David McKee, who wanted to us to perform on a hotel circuit he had arranged, together with his band 'NOAZARK' - featuring, by way of variety, my MIME act. On each Rock Show, he would also have a guest recording artist; various singers who were on his record label ('KonTact' records). Along with my rather extensive 'vinyl' long-playing record album collection, I also have around 200 original 45s, from the Sixties era, most of which are in mint condition - untouched by human hands and, according to some, when I've finished playing them - there're still untouched, by human hands! Amongst them I found several complimentary records, courtesy of David McKee, of some of the artists on his label, most of whom we worked with. Now I do understand that NONE of these 'names' will mean a thing to anybody, other than New Zealanders and possibly Australians, who were still swingin' - n - boppin' (with not a grey hair in sight), in the early Seventies. They include, among others - MARIA DALLAS, TOM SHARPLIN, BRENT BRODIE, HOT ASH, and PRINCESS PUTI AND THE GEORGIA SHOWBAND AND, ANGELA AYERS. Oh, and not FORGETTING- 'NOAZARK'! Veronica and I became great friends with the band members of NOAZARK, in particular the drummer, John Drinkwater - who was nicknamed 'Beryl', because he liked to dress and 'make - up' like a woman - not that he was a 'QUEER' or a 'POOF'. Yes, I know, it's politically correct to say 'GAY' these days however, being from the old school, and a red blooded man - THE REAL THING; I do tend to call a spade, a spade! Jon dressed like just for fun of it, adding a touch of 'GLAM' to the group. We had let it be known that we were looking for a flat/House to live in while we were in Auckland and John said -"hey, I've got a bungalow out at Papakura (a town south of Auckland City, which was where the band came from), it was passed on to me by my dad when he died. You could have that if you like". "Thanks John" we said, "that would suit us fine". According to John, his father had gone slightly 'CUCKOO' in his latter years; John delighted in telling us some amusing stories about his father. For instance, his dad insisted on leaving the front gate open, to - 'LET THE FRESH AIR IN' onto his section or, he would often be seen - OILING THE GRASS, 'BECAUSE 'IT SQUEAKS', whenever he walked on it! One morning he walked up the road to the local Dairy (Milk Bar/Corner shop), to buy a bottle of milk, arriving back home a few hours later, with a brand-new car instead! 'How delightful.' If I was to go 'CUCKOO' like that in my latter years (Oops, I am already), I would be very contented, amusing everyone with my harmless 'craziness'! Quite often, John, the band members and other friends would turn up at the bungalow with a crate or two or. of booze for a 'Sunday Session'. One weekend, we were in full swing, great music, guitars and plenty of beer. The air was heavy with the familiar - VERY FAMILIAR if you were a youth in the Swinging Sixties - the days of - 'Make Love, Not War', 'Flower Power,' and 'Woodstock'; also, if you were a frequent visitor of jazz clubs - of the HERBAL SMELL of - 'Grass, Dope'- for the uneducated, CANNABIS, you know, MARIJUANA! I had forgotten to get some ice so I'd dumped a heap of beer bottles into the washhouse tub and turned on the cold tap, or so I thought. 20 minutes later the washhouse floor was flooded, with steaming hot water. I'd turned on the wrong tap by mistake! Kiwis and Aussies like their booze cold, very cold. I got some 'stick'! Some body says -"Another car has turned up"! Looking out of the front window I said -"Bloody hell, it's my mother and father"! Now everybody knew that my father was policeman - it was - 'PANIC STATIONS'! 'Spliffs' vanished like magic and everybody frantically fanned the air while lighting up 'normal' cigarettes (The real killers). As my parents walked in, Dad hesitated for a moment then said -"Sherry smells nice"! John Drinkwater, in a mild state of hysterics and confusion, stood up to offer his seat and said -"GOODBYE" instead of, HELLO! My father said, "G'day everyone, how about a drink son?" As he sat down, there was a whooshing sound, as everybody, red faced from holding their breath, relaxed, expelling pent-up up air from their lungs. They stayed far half an hour or so then took off to visit my sister and her family who lived only few miles away. It was a most interesting afternoon, that left us all feeling rather - 'DOPEY'! ---------------- 17. Magic New Zealand e-zine Archives ------------------ Back issues of the Magic New Zealand e-zine go to: www.watson.co.nz/fezine.html Both the User Name and Password MUST be entered in lower case to gain access. User Name: magic Password: kiwi When you enter the archive the e-zines are in issue order and are coded. Eg 001 Nov06 1999.txt first three numbers (001) denote issue number, then the date (Nov06) and the last figures the year (1999) ------------------- 18. Privacy Policy And Copyright Notice ------------------- Our subscriber list is NOT made available to any other companies or individuals. We value every subscriber and respect your privacy. You can subscribe to or unsubscribe from the Magic New Zealand® E-zine at www.watson.co.nz/fezine.html. Magic New Zealand® E-zine is published each Sunday. The opinions expressed therein are those of the individual contributors and not necessarily those of Magic New Zealand®. Neither Magic New Zealand® nor Alan Watson vouch for the accuracy or reliability of any opinion, message, statement, or other information reported via Magic New Zealand® E-zine. Subscribers to this publication and authors who contribute to it by doing so agree they will not hold Magic New Zealand® or Alan Watson, jointly or individually liable or responsible in any way for the opinions expressed therein. Magic New Zealand® reserves the right to alter, correct or disregard any articles submitted. Readers are encouraged to submit timely articles or news items which may be of interest to subscribers. By submitting articles to this e-zine, the authors grant Magic New Zealand® the right to publish such articles and such authors confirm their copyright of the material submitted. All works published by Magic New Zealand® are protected by international copyright legislation and articles must not be published for profit by anyone other than the individual authors without the written permission of Magic New Zealand®. Notwithstanding the foregoing, this publication may be freely redistributed, but not sold, to other magicians if copied in its entirety, including the copyright notice below and the above disclaimer. © Copyright 2006 Alan Watson