Certain things shape our lives so profoundly that we can’t imagine how we would have turned out without them. An amazing teacher. A great group of friends. An inspirational place. For me, I stumbled across a Magic Shop in Sheffield, when I was 13, which brought all of these things together. It gave me a lifelong group of friends, introduced me to some of my best teachers (in magic and in life) and showed me the road that led to my profession.
The shop in question is called Magick Enterprises, and last weekend it celebrated being in business for 40 years!
Drawing of Russell Hall, and the Magick shop, by Ian Baker
As soon as I heard about the celebration, I knew that I had to be there. Luckily, at that time, I hadn’t yet been booked for an event. I could have filled the date many times over since, but I kept it clear and passed all enquiries to other magicians. I couldn’t miss this party.
The shop is truly a magical place. The owner, Russell Hall, has created the perfect incubator for magic enthusiasm. Young and old ‘session’ together, showing each other the latest tricks and passing on knowledge. It’s a fantastic community.
A Typical Saturday in the Magick shop
The party started with a ‘normal Saturday in the shop’. A normal Saturday involves a group of fantastic magicians all trying to outdo each other with mind-bending magic, so there’s nothing very ‘normal’ about it, but it is a weekly occurrence here. There was then a brief interlude for food, then back to the shop for a Magic Show. About a dozen or so of us took it in turns to show one effect each to the gathered audience. The usual banter of the shop, combined with the champagne, made for a lively audience and everyone had a great time.
John Hotowka entertaining everyone
Friendly tipsy hecklers
Roger Curzon doing Close-Up Magic
I didn’t get a photograph of me performing because … I was performing!
After the shop closed, a few of us carried on entertaining each other, into the small hours, in bars around Sheffield city centre. None of us wanted the party to end.
If you have an interest in magic, get yourself over to Magick Enterprises in Sheffield (82 Broad Street, S2 5TG) one Saturday afternoon! You’ll see some great magic. You may even see some famous faces! Tell the gang that I sent you and they’ll show you some of the good stuff. 😃