Home Counties Magical Society

To start to list the reasons why one should go and see Greg Wilson lecture, is nigh on impossible. His lecture at the Home Counties last night has to be one of the most informative, educational, and enjoyable lecture I have seen in many, many years, probably ever.

The first half of the evenings planned event, covered material from his dvds, off the cuff, on the spot, pyrotechnical pasteboards, and card stunts. He also demonstrated his super bill changing effect “foreign exchange”, and an effect that matches his classic impromptu routine re-capped, in which a pen turns around, under increasingly more, and more impossible conditions. After an excellent and much needed cup of tea, in the second part of the planned event… (there’s those words again) Greg shared some fantastic stuff that you can do impromptu in your favourite coffee house, or burger bar.

A particular favourite, and one that extracted a genuine layman’s reaction, was a two cup, sugar monte` The method was fiendishly simple, the effect was sublime. As indeed were all his coffee house effects. More cards, coins and tips followed… (Or not, in the case of his vanishing sugar. No tip required) And the planned event came to an end.

Then unplanned events, which most of the attendees missed, began. As is usual, a healthy band of us sorcerers made our way across the road, to the local pub for a wind down pint, and a chat about what we had just seen.( this was around 10.30) After a while, Greg joins us. And the real learning begins, with a mammoth jamming session. Greg had mentioned the 1000 time tricks in his lecture, those being magic that we do, over and over again, for the lays. Here in the pub, he asked us to show him something. Something that we think of as our “1000 timer trick”.

And over the next 4+ hours, this is what people did. Money couldn’t buy experiences like this, and you would have to pay a small fortune if you wanted to go to a master class or “one on one” training, from a man with as much knowledge as Greg... and here we were, getting it for free. It’s a great shame that I had to come into the day job this morning, because I am sure that I would still be there, listening, and sharing thoughts and ideas with Greg, and the rest of the group, in this most perfect impromptu, informal meetings of minds. Those that missed out on this, left with lecture notes, and DVDs...

Those that attended, left with memories, and inspiration, that will I’m sure, stay with them for the rest of their performance lives. In years to come, this night will be the one that people will say… “Yes well, you know I was there the night Greg came”