Its magic...

It was my day off yesterday, but I did go to the bookshop for an hour or so – madness but loads of fun because we had a new children’s author in to wow the crowds and sign books; John Lenahan and his book, Shadowmagic. Vicki had control of the event and a fine job she did too; when I arrived John was already entertaining customers and booksellers, young and old, with his humorous repartee and magic.

Yes, MAGIC.

John is also a very well known magician. He hails from Philadelphia but has lived in the UK for more than twenty years. He will tell you that his claim to fame is for being the voice of the Toaster on Red Dwarf (see below), but John is much more well-known than that. He has hosted his own BBC2 series Stuff The White Rabbit and starred in Secrets of Magic; appeared on Richard and Judy and How Do They Do That? among others and fronted ITV’s Hoaxbusters. The Guardian has hailed him "the mascot of a magical renaissance". He performs all over the world; has toured with the likes of Lenny Henry and Jack Dee; and has proudly held the title of Time Out Street Magician of the Year.




John is a man of distinction. He has achieved the distinction of being thrown out of the Magic Circle - the first I believe, for 85 years – for revealing a card trick to millions of television viewers - a trick is used by con artists around the world to cheat the unsuspecting shopper and holiday-maker. He also has the distinction of being the first magician to perform magic live over the internet – which he did for British Telecomm. His latest distinction is to turn into a children’s author.


The Friday Project and Scott Pack, never one to miss a good thing when he sees it - or so he tells me - have published Shadowmagic; a fabulous tale of myth and magic, fantasy and adventure (a review to come later).



John wows young and old with card tricks.














And rope tricks.










Everyone had a good time…and he has promised to come back!

I can’t wait.

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Intellectually Stunted

As my body clock is tuned to the early-morning-get-up-for-work thing, one of my favourite occupations early on a Sunday morning, is to sit in bed with the laptop, and browse through the online newspapers. I often look at the Times Literary Supplement (TLS) online, and while its all very high-brow, I don't usually come away feeling intellectually retarded.
Until today.
Maybe its because it Sunday which is my one lazy day of the week, maybe its because I'm tired after a week of work, events and overtime...but this morning I feel the intellectual equivalent of a mollusc! All because I love reading lists of the 100 Best.....whatevers.
The TLS has a list of the Hundred Most Influential Books Since The War - and no, Harry Potter is not listed. Of the hundred books listed, I have read all or part of nine. I pretty much stared at most of the rest and thought either 'Who?' or 'What?'
So, I'm off to my Ladybird Book of ABCs and then hopefully be cheered up by magician John Lenahan who is performing magic and signing his book 'Shadowmagic' in my beloved Chidlren's Department today.