Halloween is coming

Welcome,

If you follow my blog and keep updated, you may be aware that I won the 2013 North West Stage Magic Championships. What a fantastic night - It's only just sinking in!

Halloween happens once a year and 2013 is no exception.

I have a busy Halloween lined up  and it will includes a lot of traveling around sunny Cumbria.

I will also be performing in Preston Guild Hall Theater tomorrow and Friday with my good friend Kyle Oram and we will be providing 1920's strolling entertainment for an Opera event. I'm very excited because I will be trying new routines which I have been working on for the past two weeks.

As an honorary fool of Muncaster Castle, you can come and see me perform along with a fantastic line up at Muncaster Castle.

This year I will be performing close up magic in the courtyard along with Foppeltwig who will concoct some potent and magical spells and my friend Tim Marston, a talented international fire juggler who I have performed with all over the country and as far a field as Egypt where we entertained in El Guna on a beautiful marina, around venues, VIP parties and Ministry of Sound.

Muncaster put on the BEST Halloween event in the UK, to find out how to book your tickets click here : muncaster.co.uk 

Muncaster Halloween week starts 26th Oct till 1st November and offers a really family friendly atmosphere.

Once Muncaster winds down I will start a small tour of South Cumbria till the 6th November. The tour will come to a climax on the 7th November with my close up magic cabaret night :
'Astonishment Night'. The event has sold out and I will be joined by a fantastic audience.

In other news I have received offers from two national tourist attractions for Christmas entertainment - exciting.

For further details about Joel Dickinson, magician in Cumbria check out my website at \

www.joel-dickinson.co.uk

Joel at Muncaster Castle.

Associated websites :
www.thepavementprats.co.uk
www.jugglinginferno.com
www.muncaster.co.uk

Magician for hire Cumbria

Joel Dickinson has been working as a professional magician for over a decade.
Joel performs with cards, coins and everyday objects.

Joel has recently won the NWS of magicians Stage Magic Championships.

For full details on how to book a magician in Cumbria head over to Joel website at www.joel-dickinson.co.uk

NWSM Stage Champion

On the 16th October (Yesterday) I entered the North West Stage Magic Championships for the NWSM.

I performed alongside some fantastic entertainers, comrades!

Everybody performed a ten minute spot which was judged by three magicians; Jonathan Nicholson, Chris Taylor and Terry Crawford.

My performance contained a selection of effects and routines I have been working and writing.

Unfortunately time ran out and I didn't get to perform my finale but somehow I still managed to come first place. In third place was Rodger Heath and in Second was Stan Dacre. However the competition was HOT as everybody performed at a very high standard.

As performers we were very lucky to have such an amazing audience.

The evening was compered by my good friend Adam Hudson.

The evening was in aid of the North West Air Ambulance Service.
(Adam Hudson, Roger Heath, Bob Johnson, Joel Dickinson, Peter Fitchett, Steve 'Stan' Dacre, Terry Crawford, Anthony 'Magic Man' Collins, Izaak Currie)

Adam Hudson was our compere for the evening and as always, he glued the show together better than pritt stick. Adam is the UHU Glue of the magic compering world. The audience gasped as he performed many pieces of magic. Somehow he caused a spectators coin to vanish from their hands and it reappeared in a sealed box which was in a box, which was in another box and that box was also in a box, which was in another factory sealed box, which was in another box, which was screwed together and in that box.. you'd never believe it.. there was.. another box and in that box was the spectators very signed coin!

Roger Heath performed an amazing mind reading effect where by a volunteer merely thought of playing card and Roger revealed this card.. not only that it was the only card in his pocket - WOW!! This really floored the audience.. and me! (Third)

Bob Johnson managed to predict the exact amount of cash in a volunteer's pocket. Sounds impossible... well it is and it's a shame you missed it!!

Peter Fitchet performed as a magical scientist and teleported his monkey from one side of the stage to the other with much hilarity along the way. (Originality award)

Steve 'Stan' Dacre was on fire, not literally BUT his quick fire gags had the audience in hysterics (and me). It was great to see Stan perform some brand new material with many gags he has developed himself. (Comedy Award & Second)

Anthony Collins has a very nice natural manor on stage, this is a skill in itself. Being yourself on stage in front of many people is very difficult and this is a skill Anthony has honed. My personal highlight of Anthony's performance was when he played roulette with the roll of a dice. Five cups and only one contained a razor sharp, rusty nail! Anthony managed to avoid slamming his hand down on the nail. This is a stunt which has gone wrong many times and to the audiences amazement and relief it wen't well this time!!

Izaak Currie managed to read his volunteers mind by turning them in to an arial and tuning them.
Izaak also brought a selection of very comical props which his audience members brought to life

All round, what an excellent night!

Many thanks.

Joel.

wedding magician for hire

Wedding services

I've been lucky to work in the wedding industry for over twelve years and I've worked and met hundreds of wedding service providers nationwide.

Every now and then I will be giving a little bit of a review of these people who provide outstanding services.

This blog entry brings me to Steve Hillman.

Steve is a well known wedding photographer in Barrow and South Cumbria.

Steve is a skilled wedding photographer who works exclusively as a full time wedding photographer.

Every time I talk to Steve its clear he is passionate about his skill, art and craft.

When I work with Steve he is always on the ball ensuring he never misses a moment. His photography style is very natural which means his customers photos are timeless.

I have friends who have previously booked Steve for their wedding photos and everybody mentions how great he is to work with.

I think it's fair to say, if your getting married in 2014 you'd be lucky to get Steve as he is pretty solidly booked up. Steve is in high demand and rightly so.

Here are some useful links regarding Steve's work : -

His portfolio is extensive and you can check out his blog which is regularly updated at :

http://www.stevehillmanphotography.blogspot.co.uk

And his website is : -

www.shphotographer.co.uk

Trivia : Steve has a blog called Abbey Watch - this is a very interesting blog which I follow. I never fail to check this out when steve updates it :

http://abbeywatch.blogspot.com

More Trivia : Steve also has an appreciation Facebook page created by his clients - check this out by typing 'Steve Hillman Appreciation Society' in your Facebook search bar.

www.Joel-Dickinson.co.uk

For full details on how to book a magician in Cumbria head over to Joel website at www.joel-dickinson.co.uk

Astonishment Night

Halloween is always a busy time of the year for me. This halloween week I have 13 shows to perform and I can't wait.

Now for some exciting news:
On November 7th I will be hosting an evening of Close up magic at the Abbey Mill. It's set to be a fantastic evening.

You can purchase tickets for the event at The Abbey Mill or by purchasing at my event ticket website by clicking- HERE - TADAA.CO.UK - Also included in the ticket price is a fantastic buffet!!


If you fancy a rare opportunity to experience the closest thing to real magic, be sure to come along to Joel's evening. There are exactly 30 seats available and once they're gone.. well, they're gone!

This may well be my final event of 2013 and it's set to be truly memorable.


For full details on how to book a magician in Cumbria head over to Joel website at www.joel-dickinson.co.uk

On Wednesday the 16th October I'm entering the North Western Stage Magic Championships (at the Lisdoonie Hotel - Barrow in Furness)

You can buy tickets on the door for only £4 and it's a great evening of magic.

On with my blog post.
I'm currently sat in hospital and it's running two hours late.



The couple opposite me were very confused. Both of National Geographic magazines somehow moved from one end of the table to the other!

Did I make them move with the power of my mind. Of course not. I discreetly untied my shoe lace and kept hold of one end, I simply picked up the magazines and acted interested in reading them. I secretly placed the end of the lace under the magazines and moved them as far back as my lace would allow them and so placed them down in the table. It was a matter of waiting a minute - then I slowly moved my foot back which took the lace and books with it - a miracle!

Talk about thinking on your feet
:-)

Oh it's been a long wait in this hospital

A little about me.

It's funny how life pans out. When I was in senior school, only fifteen years old, my 'careers adviser' asked me "What do you wan't to be when your older"!

Me - "I wan't to be a magician".

Adviser - "You can't be a magician. That's not a job. Maybe you could open a joke shop or work in the ship yard - you could get a job in the shipyard" - In my career advisers mind, a teenagers ambition was completely unachievable and he believed I was a lost cause and his lack of understanding COULD have affected my life.

By the age of twelve, thirteen and fourteen I had already practiced for years to develop an understanding of misdirection, sleight of hand, psychology and deception and I then developed an acting ability.

My ambition of performing as a magician was coming to an end. Those days were dark. That's it... life doesn't get ANY duller, i'm going to be working in a military shipyard forever! I spent all of my childhood with a handful of second hand magic books, a pack of playing cards, paper, a pen and an imagination to create from nothing. Now, the realisation that i'm going to be stuck for the rest of my life with crazy tools in my hands, wearing a boiler suit and having to learn new skills to build submarines and weapons which kill people may just be my life for fifty years or more. I had family members who passed away from asbestosis as a result of working in this place... am I next!?

(For the record, my careers adviser prepped me with the very questions I would be asked and provided me the answers I needed to give)

A week later I found myself in a meeting room in a huge, dusty and dark shipyard. It was my first experience of 'the real world'. I sat down at a desk and I was interviewed by two men.

Interviewer - "So, you wan't a job. what area would you like to work in? What are your interests.. tell us about yourself"

Me - "I love magic. Ive been practicing since I was just ten years old".

They hated me : "how can that help us... what benefit is that to us.... what else are you interested in?"

If I talk about magic surely they won't offer me a job. To cut a long story short, I was offered a job!

Did I really go through pre-school, nursery, reception, Junior School and Senior school for this? Is this it?

A week later (during the GCSE period of my life) I performed an amateur show with the North Western Society of Magicians (A magic club I still attend). I performed a magic routine and a performer spotted some potential in me and he helped arrange some auditions to work around hotels in Spain... hundreds of people attended auditions for the job and somehow I got the job.

Twelve years later, i'm still a magician.

The negativity from my careers adviser ALMOST deterred me but remember, you have the ability to inspire and encourage others - lets choose our words wisely.

Visit my website

Kick starting the weekend

I've finished this evenings performance and it was great fun - the good people of Barrow are always so welcoming.

For now I'm at home with a bottle of champagne and were watching Elton John performing.

ROCKET MAN!

www.Joel-Dickinson.co.uk

Tonight's performance

Tonight I'm performing at The Hawcoat Sports Bar. You can come and support Jenny Cutliffe as she raises money for MacMillan. It kick starts at 7 this evening and is set to be an excellent night with live music and magic.

Welcome to my new blog

Hello,

This is blog post number one.

2014 is going to be a really magical year now that I have launched this blog I can keep you updated.

I have LOTS of exciting projects lined up, so if you fancy keeping updated then this is where you can keep posted.

I'm also looking forward to keeping you all updated with live feed from the road whilst I travel the nation performing.

Thank you for keeping posted so far.

Magical wishes,

Joel

wedding magician for hire