Back in Beautiful Portugal.

After another successful season in Bath I set off for my winter hideout(s) on Monday afternoon.

Once again I crossed under the channel rather than over it. I think Eurotunnel is one of my favourite companies. I made a mistake with the booking on the website (not my fault) and ended up buying two crossings for the same van on the same crossing. I emailed, got an instant response and the matter was solved the next day.

Usually when I arrive at the Tunnel I put the card I used to pay with into the machine and it automatically prints out the crossing thingy you hang on your windscreen and through you go. So I pulled up at the machine and while I was getting out the relevant plastic to put into it I found that it had already welcomed me by name on its screen and printed out the hanging ticket thingy. I guess that is a convenient and non expensive use of number plate recognition technology.

The drive down through France was planned to be a slow, wandering type trip possibly dropping in on various friends on the way down but the dreadful weather (wind and almost non stop rain and drizzle) made me decide to reach my beloved Portugal as soon as possible. (Friday afternoon)

I did stop briefly at the Biarritz spot (see earlier in the blog) to pick up some water and see who was there (no one I knew) and I watched in amazement as a French motorhomer battled in the pouring, wind swept rain to adjust his tripod mounted satellite dish! (He failed...) Books my friend, books. They are an answer.... conversation with your wife, that's another possibility...

I crossed the border and within half an hour was forced to take evasive action at the fork of two motorways as a Portuguese driver, discovering he was about to go down the wrong one overtook on the inside of me and swung across my front to correct his error and drive off down the other motorway. Nowadays I just smile at such dreadful driving here!!!

Sadly I have to report that the weather, while warmer and a little drier than the Uk is not that sunny at the moment...

I haven't even been inspired to leave the Studio complex to visit Quinta Majay yet...

JJ proposes to Julie Illusion...

Dave (I know how to break into hotels) Jones got JJ into the Ramada last night after the bar in the theatre closed and bought him a beer.

JJ, after asking her father's permission, proposed to Julie.

Stan (her father) responded by pushing a nail into his nose.

Julie politely said nothing.

Jimmy Carlo seethed!

Close Up Results...

Steve Della won first place, Rob James came second and Kevin Gallagher got third place and the Rovi award for cards.

(We never get it completely right...)

The Founder of the Fringe...Fay Presto

The Fringe Founder and Financier, Fay Presto

British Ring at Southport 2009

About time we posted something so as we are at Southport for this year's IBM convention here is some stuff.

The Volvic Award which will be given out during the Fringe Show tonight...

The Star of tonight's Fringe show... John van de Put...

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The Fringe Banquet. Phone up your favouirite Southport takeway and get them to deliver it to the Arts Centre.

Mark Shortland... Radio 5 Star...



John Archer... no comvention complete with out him...

Rob James starts to worry about the official award ceremony later tonight...

...

I have enjoyed the convention so farmore than I thought I would.

The Shield Competition was dreadful... but I enjoyed the opening show... Mark Shortland followed his triumphant spot on Radio Five Live's Richard Bacon show with a good performance to start the convention.

The Close Up competition was dreadful until the last three acts... Rob James, Steve Della and Will Gray who surely must be the three money winners...

Eddie Dawes last show was highly enjoyable... Bertie Pearce was my favourite. Eddie got a well deserved standing ovation.

The "Cast" at Lisbon 2009.

The following magicians are performing here in Lisbon this year.
Enric Magoo from Spain, Ken from Germany, Peter Wardell from England, Billy Kidd from Canada, Gazzo from England, Luke Wilson from Germany, Ramana from Holland, Civi Civiac from Spain, Jan Van Kammen from Holland, Mario Daniel from Portugal, Richard McDougall from England, David Williamson from the USA, Kayto from Spain Myster Yurgen from France and Silly Billy from the USA.

The Lisbon Street Magic World Festival

Ken from Germany gathers a crowd in the blazing mid day sun...





Ramana from Holland floats his table at the end of his piece...





Billy Kidd from Canada working in the heat...





The calm before the storm...






Gazzo from England contemplates life pre show...

The Major UK Magic Event of the Month.

No... Not the money making machine that is the Lev... I mean, Blackpool Convention. Anyone with the price of the registration can attend that...

I'm talking about the event which will attended by the highest range of talent and achievement per head anywhere this weekend.

Yes... Chris Power's 50th Birthday Party.

Not only will the cream of international magic attend but also numerous brains bigger than garden sheds from the British Museum. A glittering fiesta of fun held tonight at the world famous celebrity funspot that is the Skinners Arms.

Photos (exclusive to Opus Magazine) to follow...

JJ replies to Novotel...

Dear Mr Vocal,

Thank you very much for your reply to my email. I realise you are a busy man and have many more important things to do rather than to deal with my complaint.

Let me say I admire the fact that you fully support your management team and security people. They must be pleased to work under such support.

There are, however, a few points I would like to draw your attention to from the other side of the story. Although I have stayed at your hotel several times in the past I was not a resident on the night in question.

I have attended all the conventions run by the International Magic organisation for over thirty years which include all the recent ones held in your hotel. On every previous occasion we have always been informed when the bar was about to close in order to allow us to buy a last round and after the bar has shut we have been allowed to stay in the bar area discussing the problems of the world and the major events of the magic weekend into the early hours of the morning.

As I am sure you are aware the International Weekend of Magic is one of the most highly regarded events in the Magic World's calendar. This is why so many stars of our world attend the event. After the main, organised events have finished, the informal, more social side of the weekend takes place. This has always happened at the Novotel before.

On that particular Sunday night I was sitting at a table with friends. A barrister, a University professor, the head of a department at the British Museum and a company owner from Stuttgart in Germany. I mention their positions not out of any ego but merely to allow you to realise that these were not a bunch of trouble makers.

The University professor had just purchased a round of drinks and, still being addicted to the evil nicotine, went out of the front door to have a cigarette. The company owner joined him.

After a little while my attention was drawn to the fact that the people outside the door were not being allowed back inside. At first I didn't believe it. No one from the hotel had said anything to any of us that they were emptying the bar area. Nothing had been said to anyone there.

I went up to the reception desk. I knew that the organisers were not in the area at the time, I knew there had been a problem the night before regarding the serving drinks to the convention registrants, and as I have been involved with the International Magic Company for over thirty years and because I knew many of the people there I thought I might be of help.

As I asked to speak to the manager, an irate American magician asked me why his friend was not being allowed back into the hotel. He was very upset but in no way badly behaved. I told him I was working on it.

I was asked to sit down and told the manager would be with me in a minute. As it was only going to be a minute I said I would wait there by the desk.

There were no problems in the reception area of the hotel. The only "trouble" was at the door where people were getting a little frustrated by being denied access to the hotel in which they had drinks and personal belongings including coats. It was pretty cold out there.

The manager did not appear. I was asked again to sit down but felt that if had I done so I would have been ignored for longer. Again I said I would wait. No one came but I could now see more friends being blocked at the door. This was obviously silly especially as the door staff, who were so excellent at preventing entry, were so poor at communicating what was happening.

No one knew why they were being prevented from coming back in. Denied access to a London Hotel? Unbelieveable. The manager was needed here.

I went over to the door area and I did indeed put my foot in open door at one opportune moment preventing it being shut yet again. The people outside were incensed and asking me what was happening.

The doorman told me that unless I removed my foot he would call the management. I said I hope he had better luck than me because that was exactly what I had been trying to do for ages.

Although I am large, I am a life long pacifist and I allowed the door to be closed again at which point I saw the (as I discovered later) manager in what could be called a panic pacing about with her phone to her ear informing every one in earshot she had called the police.

Incredible!

I walked back towards my table after a friend told me he had called the convention organisers and they were on their way and I should leave it to them. Indeed they came into the hotel (they were residents) right then.

I had not at any time been abusive or threatening. I simply wanted to ask the manager to explain to me and my friends what was happening and why. I could then have helped by explaining to the confused people what was going on.

When the police arrived they were pointed in my direction. To the amazement (and amusement) of my friends I was called away from every body by the officer in charge and asked (very nicely) to explain what had happened. I was fully supported by one of the organisers and a few fellow magicians in my recounting of the events. The police instantly realised that there was nothing going on here that required their presence. Indeed when asked by the hotel management if they could go through the bar area and ask all the non residents to leave, the police had to tell your hotel people that this was nothing to do with them.

Further discussions took place as I rejoined my friends but it turned out that your manager wanted the police to escort me out of the hotel.

I was the only person to be treated this way. No one else was pointed out to the police.

Therefore it must have been me. I must have been the "difficult, abusive and threatening" element you refer to in your email.

I strongly protest to this. It is an insult to me (apparently fully supported by you.)

The police actually came over to me and asked "If I would do them a favour." Could I allow them to be seen to escort me from the hotel?

Of course I complied with the police request. Once outside, we then learnt from the police that they had had similar trouble from this particular hotel (your hotel) before and they had been called out unnecessarily to you before more than once. It would, apparently, all be recorded in their police report and referred to at licensing time.

No matter what you choose to believe from your questioning of your staff and the viewing of the tapes, this ridiculous affair was totally mismanaged by your people in front of an international collection of guests who all now have a different perception of your hotel and group than they had before.

No doubt the strength of your corporation will not be affected by this in anyway and therefore be of little concern to you.

It will however bring me childlike pleasure to draw to the attention of the people who support our magazine through pictures, words and video, my views on the reception I and others got from Novotel, St Pancras.

Obviously I won't be booking any more luxury rooms in the Novotel group...

Vive La France and praise be to the internet.

With sadness of times now past when service meant service and custom was appreciated whether it was from vast mutinational organisations or small family businesses…

JJ. Editor, Opus Magazine

Novotel replies to JJ

Click on this to enlarge...

My Email to the wonderful Novotel, St Pancras

Dear Novotel,

I would like to register my considered complaint regarding the behaviour of you duty manager at the Novotel, St Pancras on Nov 30th who, rather than talking to me about a problem I could have helped with, called the police.

I do not blame her or any of her staff on the night.

I blame the management structure and training system of your company which resulted in giving this manager a position with which she was not able to cope. This resulted in people who had popped outside for a cigarette being refused re-entry to finish their recently purchased drinks or picking up their coats and belongings.

Disgraceful...

A university professor, one of London's leading actors and international celebrities such as Uri Gellar not allowed back into your hotel...

Unbelievable!

What do you think?

"JJ"

Editor, Opus Magazine.