Simon Lovells lecture was a real treat. Unfortunately many Blackpoolers will have missed it as it was announced earlier in the day that it had been cancelled because his plane had been delayed.

As it happened, he actually arrived a few minutes before the lecture was due to start and even though he had been on a plane for 16 hours straight he proved himself the true professional by going on with the show.

Of all the lectures I saw at Blackpool this year I probably took more notes during this one than any of the others put together. I have to admit it was chiefly for the funny lines and not the magic but I couldn’t write fast enough to keep up. Anyone who has already seen Simon Lovell before will surely confirm he is a very funny guy not to mention a damn fine magician. This lecture though wasn’t so much about knuckle busting moves such as second deals but instead he concentrated on a few relatively simple (but nonetheless entertaining) effects.

The format for the lecture was to show a trick then teach a trick. It wasn’t in the least a dealer demonstration like so many lectures these days seem to be. Having said that he did have a some booklets and DVD’s for sale afterwards but these weren’t related to anything taught in the lecture itself (with the exception of a pen through tongue effect, which actually was more of a throwaway joke than anything else). If he had of had some relevant lecture notes then I (and I am sure many others) would have bought them.

I personally feel that Simon Lovell is one of those performers that we all can learn from by just watching their act. To have him teach stuff as well was just a bonus. I feel lucky to be of those who didn’t hear about the lecture being cancelled as this one really would have been a shame to miss.

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About the author Simon Shaw is the Secretary of www.ipswichmagicalsociety.co.uk and a contributor to several online and offline magic resources.