Vanishing acts and half-cut saw tricks

There was a time when magicians ruled the world. Not when Paul Daniels was on telly, but in the days of Merlin.

They all had white beards and cloaks back then and were renowned for that trick where they say: “Is this your card?”

It isn’t — you think they’re rubbish but then they put their hand in their cloak pocket and it’s there instead!

In the dark ages, people thought wizards and sorcerers had supernatural powers and as they were real sticklers for the ‘only doing a trick once rule’, it was no wonder. Nobody had chance to try and work out how they’d done it.

These days though we’re clever enough to realise magic is all an illusion. Now you see it, now you don’t. It’s slight of hand, showmanship and subtle distraction but you won’t get far without a wand and a magic word that actually works.

There’s someone in most families who’s known for having a few tricks up their sleeve and in ours its Uncle Magic Jimmy.

His expertise has left Fitzpatrick children disappointed in many a professional party clown by comparison.

They’re mesmerised by his Peter and Paul disappearing bird finger trick and I must admit I’m still struggling to work it out myself.

Peter’s there, then Paul’s there. Then Peter again so where’s Paul gone? It’s a relief when they both come back at the end.

His real speciality though is sawing people in two. He tends to work with his half-brother and his half-sister but if anyone in the audience is half-cut he’s happy to have a go on them as well.

More generally, women are well-known for their magical powers, with most having a special knack for making coins disappear.

Their next trick is usually pulling a new top out of a bag. And a surprising amount of men I know have a talent for vanishing when it’s their round, only to miraculously reappear when someone else has got the drinks in.

For most magicians, the pleasure is in seeing shock and awe in the faces of those they’re entertaining but some earn an absolute fortune at it.

David Blaine managed to make a couple of million pounds appear in his bank account just by standing on top of a pole for two days.

Now that really is magic.




Next week — the art of tennis