Before we carry on with the Care & Share day write up. we had the last Care & Share day this week in Sutton. I had a fabulous time and then went for an evening meal with a few of my ladies of latex. The day went back a little to how we used to run them and everyone joined in and shared ideas. I really did enjoy the day, it would have been nice to have a few more attend, we ended up with twelve people so thank you to those that came along.
PLUS, thank you to all those that have attended any of the balloon days we have run over the last 21 years,
so many amazing memories that will stay with me forever. So thank you to everyone XXxx
I have started to post the pictures from the day here but oops! I forgot to take my camera with me so took pictures from my phone. We have only just started to post them so please come and look back again in a few days, Sutton Balloon Day.
The Worldwide Association of Twisters.
We have our first balloon event coming up next year, it’s a two day event on 23rd/24th June in Birmingham with a mystery International star lecturer. If you book till the end of November the cost to attend both days is just £80. After this the price will be going up. From 1st January when we announce who the star lecturer is the cost will be £120. So please be quick to grab a bargain. Star Lecture Day.
Here we go then with Chapter 5 from my novel… he he on the Care & Share Balloon Days and My Life in Latex.
Chapter Five.
I found this chapter the most difficult to write when talking about myself, trying to write about how things evolved and the reason why they happened etc. And definitely not trying to, as they say “blowing your own trumpet”… it is difficult, those who know me know I prefer to be sitting at the back of the room quietly observing things.
Anyway, here goes…
After rehearsing the balloon magic act so many times and trying a few different effects, off we went to perform the act for the very first time. I remember getting inside the balloon at my local magic club at the time in South London and then going over to Ireland with Pearse for a magic convention where we had both been booked, I did a balloon lecture and said I was trying out the large balloon and would bring one along to try. Now writing this I remember we also did the same at the Blackpool Magic convention where I did a balloon lecture and then got inside the balloon… now was this before or after performing the balloon/magic act, my guess would be before so I was getting a feel for inflating the balloon and getting inside and out of the balloon live on stage and in front of an audience.
I also remember doing the act at the Stage publication showcase, this definitely was after the first three shows and a couple of years down the line. The showcase used to be on over 5 days in its heyday, I was trying to get the act into a production show at the time but that never came about unfortunately. Also, another funny story about the stage showcase, I used to attend and twist balloons in the foyer so agents could see me for bookings etc. At one of the events an overseas agency was interested in the balloons, I used to have 8/10 already twisted on a back wall so it made for a nice visual display. Anyway, through an interpreter they asked where they could get the balloons, after a while we realised, they thought the balloons came pre-made and inflated into the designs/shapes I had made. They did not realise I’d twisted the designs from the modelling balloons. We all had a good laugh over that once we realised, it was a talking point for years and still comes up now and again… like it just has here… he he.
The very first time I performed the balloon/magic act fully all the way through in front of a live audience was at The International Brotherhood of Magicians convention at Eastbourne (IBM) in 2006. A little side note here, Shirley Ray was the organiser for this year of the stage competition, and Dave Cass, Shirley’s husband wrote the music for my act. I had a dealer stand at the convention, I remember this as I spent the day making up the balloon table/stand that the act would sit in beside me while I was performing. And as the day went on people kept asking what I was making, and I was trying to keep a little mum about the situation, many suggestions and the most popular was a rocket. Goodness performing in front of magicians was even more stressful than you could imagine, I was a little freaked out, would be an understatement.
I used to have a stop watch in the stand as the first three events we performed at were competitions, so you had a set time to keep under otherwise you got disqualified. I know I kept looking at the stopwatch and commenting on this during the act, which I thought was funny…
The act from my memory went really well, I was getting a few laughs and titters which is always a bonus. I was pleased with the way it went for the very first time. Although I thought the act was funny and would work until you try it out in front of an audience you never can tell. Unfortunately, I had dropped a pin during the act onto the stage, now what was the pin for, all these years later I have no idea, so getting inside the first balloon and it popped, not sure why. I did have a backup balloon all ready and inflated as we were on a tight time frame. I got inside the second balloon and was about to do the finale section and the balloon popped as I walked across the stage inside the balloon, now was it because of that said pin that I had dropped onto the stage earlier. Was that the reason, we will never know, I was a little annoyed that the balloon popped so we could not perform the finale of the act, as the say… the joy’s of latex, he he.
As I was walking off stage I threw my shoes down, I had to take them off when getting inside the balloon, plus I did think I was off stage enough so no one would see… ooops! Some friends who were sitting right at the side of the stage on the opposite side did say after that they saw what I had done… and still to this day some 19 years later still bring it up now and again… he he., that’s showbiz.
I was on third in the competition, and I got placed third in the stage act but also won the most original magic act for 2006. Most original magic act… I was well chuffed with that, as you can imagine.
Paul Dabek was the first act on and was also placed first in the competition, Paul is now a very successful magician/entertainer if you wanted to look him up.
I then went over to America in 2007, this might have been my first time at a balloon convention in America, we went to Diamond Jam that Ed Chee used to run. This was in Phoenix and always in January, this was before the Florida Super Jam started. We had to borrow an inflator for the large 6foot balloon and had this pre-inflated as it took over 10 minutes to inflate with the small inflator that we had borrowed, unfortunately we could not get hold of a leaf blower to do this live on stage. Again, performing in front of your peers and fellow balloon artistes with the act was VERY stressful, you are always looking for that perfect show especially in front of other balloon artistes/entertainers, more so than ever. The act from memory went OK with laughs along the way and generally in the right places as well, he he. Did I get inside the balloon, yes, did I do the finale… I think so but not 100% sure. I do have the DVD of the act but as I’ve just moved house these are all boxed away and in the loft, so would be difficult to find at the moment. Others must have thought the act was not too bad as we did come back with a little trophy which was a nice surprise and won the Diamond Jam stage competition for 2007.
We then come to The Millennium Jam… Drum Roll Please, wink and the reason I had put the act together, they had a competition for the European Balloon Entertainer of the year. You had to enter three competitions during the event. I decided as we were entering the stage act, we might as well enter two more, I did the one balloon design and then the medium balloon sculpture. The one balloon Origami Rose I made won which was rather nice, I entered a love heart sitting on a mirror with smaller Origami Roses and then my stage act.
Goodness performing at The Millennium Jam was up there as the most stressful thing I have ever done, most definitely, even more so than at the magic convention the previous year. I expect as the event holds a special place in my heart and for the years we had been attending with David and all the friends we had made over the years. Hard to explain the emotions but going on stage there, wow, what a memory and experience. After the first effect and a gentle laugh I’d calmed down, it was a little difficult performing the act as we had to use a stand mic and not a headset. We got by though and I remember people laughing and that certainly helped the nerves. Also, the audience at a balloon convention want you to do well so are extra appreciative. Another funny thing with me shoes… this time I forgot to take them off and was halfway through getting inside the big balloon… ROFL, shock horror. So, I had to shout for someone to come and take them off for me, at first people were laughing as they thought this was part of the act, he he but it was not… I’d forgotten to take them off… so up stepped Alberto Nava to help me out, a nice gesture to get me out of trouble. We managed to get inside the big balloon and… YES also performed the finale of the act which I’m pleased to say went down really well with an international audience.
And the act, we came second and for the first time ever and I was amazed, we got a standing ovation, wow, one for the memory books and as I write this the hairs are standing up on the back of my neck and my body is tingling from an amazing memory that I have from all those years ago. And the overall competition, what an honour being awarded the title…
“European Balloon Entertainer of the Year” for 2007 by Leo who ran The Millennium Jam.
Tomate who I think is from Argentina won the stage competition and has a fabulous act, you can look him up on YouTube.
Then to make the trip even more memorable, when I went up to receive the award, we got another standing ovation from those attending, goodness what a memory to have and keep with me forever. It was very emotional and a cherished memory that will be with me forever.
So to everyone that was there… THANK YOU XXxx.
TO BE CONTINUED, next week back to the care & share days.
P.S, To any balloon convention organiser… I’m still looking to run a workshop on all the Magic/Balloon effects
we have come up with over the years. Thought I’d mention that, just in case xx.
