maximus otter
Recovering policeman
- Joined
- Aug 9, 2001
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Collin Richardson and Geoff Pescud claim that The Blackpool Magicians’ Convention, which has been running for 56 years and attracts 3,500 magicians, has become old-fashioned.
So, the duo have announced the inauguration of a new Southern England Magic Convention which will “finally bring a 21st-century feel to events of this nature’”.
The date has been set for January 31 next year at the Lakeside centre in Frimley Green, Surrey, just weeks before the Blackpool event at the Opera House and Winter Gardens on February 20.
The move has apparently caused organiser Derek Lever, 70, great annoyance. He has written a letter to regular exhibitors pointing out a “barring clause” which forbids dealers exhibiting at any other British convention in the five weeks before Blackpool.
If the rule is broken then the offending exhibitor will not be allowed a booth.
Mr Lever has also said that magicians who had already booked to go to another convention could send him their receipt for that event, and he would deduct the money from their Blackpool booking.
He added: “Our dealer exhibition is the largest in the world and is a major attraction. Dealers who have just been seen at another convention are no longer an attraction.
“To try and spoil what we have is pointless and silly. They decided to have a go and they are using any tactics they can at the moment as they are in panic mode.”
Mr Richardson and Mr Pescud have now threatened Mr Lever with legal action and sent off files to the Board of Trade, Trading Standards-Competition Commission and European Commission for consideration.
Mr Richardson, 62, who specialises in close-up tricks, children’s shows and illusions, said: “We are two small people who are doing what we felt was something good for magic.
“We are 400 miles from Blackpool and we can only take 1,400 people. A lot of the people coming to ours would never go to Blackpool.
“Now it seems there is a war of the wizards going on. As far as we are concerned, one man is terrifying the magic world. Dealers may well pull out of our convention because of the threats they have received from Blackpool.”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/2660174/War-of-the-wizards-as-magicians-form-breakaway-convention.html
maximus otter
So, the duo have announced the inauguration of a new Southern England Magic Convention which will “finally bring a 21st-century feel to events of this nature’”.
The date has been set for January 31 next year at the Lakeside centre in Frimley Green, Surrey, just weeks before the Blackpool event at the Opera House and Winter Gardens on February 20.
The move has apparently caused organiser Derek Lever, 70, great annoyance. He has written a letter to regular exhibitors pointing out a “barring clause” which forbids dealers exhibiting at any other British convention in the five weeks before Blackpool.
If the rule is broken then the offending exhibitor will not be allowed a booth.
Mr Lever has also said that magicians who had already booked to go to another convention could send him their receipt for that event, and he would deduct the money from their Blackpool booking.
He added: “Our dealer exhibition is the largest in the world and is a major attraction. Dealers who have just been seen at another convention are no longer an attraction.
“To try and spoil what we have is pointless and silly. They decided to have a go and they are using any tactics they can at the moment as they are in panic mode.”
Mr Richardson and Mr Pescud have now threatened Mr Lever with legal action and sent off files to the Board of Trade, Trading Standards-Competition Commission and European Commission for consideration.
Mr Richardson, 62, who specialises in close-up tricks, children’s shows and illusions, said: “We are two small people who are doing what we felt was something good for magic.
“We are 400 miles from Blackpool and we can only take 1,400 people. A lot of the people coming to ours would never go to Blackpool.
“Now it seems there is a war of the wizards going on. As far as we are concerned, one man is terrifying the magic world. Dealers may well pull out of our convention because of the threats they have received from Blackpool.”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/2660174/War-of-the-wizards-as-magicians-form-breakaway-convention.html
maximus otter
