With so much of this “doom and gloom” in the media it’s a common complaint that recessions, dips and downturns can become self-fulfilling prophesies. My business in particular seems to be a veritable barometer for the mood of the nation; after all, no-one needs a magician and certainly, when we have a particularly cheerless economic round-up, the volume of my enquiries pretty much drops overnight.

That’s why I thought I’d share with you that the first three months of 2012 has been my best Q1 ever. Only by a few quid mind, but in the midst of our apparently bleakest economy since the 1930s, maybe that’s a small indicator that things could be on the up.

Hope things are picking up for you too and, if they are, share the good news.

“So,” you say to your chum in the local bar, “I bet you fifty pence that I could drink the beer from your glass, click my fingers and it will magically and immediately reappear in the glass.”

You pause for dramatic effect before continuing.

“Not only that but I’ll even let you cover the mouth of the glass. You could do it with your hand, with a beer mat, even hold it beneath the table if you want. All I need to do is click my fingers and the beer will magically reappear.”

Now your friend is quite rightly going to be sceptical. But hey, it’s only fifty pee … surely it’s got to be worth it just to see how the trick is done? So he will inevitably take your bet.

Taking his glass you proceed to draw long, leisurely sips until it’s empty.

Hand the glass back to be covered in whichever way he sees fit. Staring intently at the glass, click your fingers theatrically and pause … of course, nothing happens. Furrow your eyebrows, looking confused before clicking again … nothing happens.

Shrug your shoulders nonchalantly before conceding, “Oh well, you were right… here’s your fifty pee!”

Don’t underestimate this little hustle. Played with plenty of drama and theatricality it’s a fantastic way to get a pint for fifty pence. It’s particularly good when performed on someone with notoriously deep pockets. Have fun!

A glass of "Wizard Beer" which I given as a Christmas gift, which is very loosely related to what we're talking about here!

Friday 10th Febraruy was the culmination of a lot of planning and prepartion by Gary Wales, Creative Director of Direction Group Ltd and me, as we embarked on a twelve-hour film shoot at Fleetwood Film Studios in Mortimer. The brief was to create a ninety-second commercial (yes, twelve hours filming for ninety seconds of footage!) To promote a range of business hardware peripherals (mice, headsets, web-cams and keyboards) for a blue-chip IT corporation. (All very hush hush at the moment.)

The footage will have a cool “Hustle” vibe and will be edited by the end of this week. The ad should air within a fortnight and I’ll post a link when it’s out.

Preparing for a twelve-hour shoot at Fleetwood Film Studios

Will and Phil from The Plant Room Ltd line up the shot

Making a card fountain for filming in ultra slow motion

Not my most attractive shot as I strain to spray these cards as high as possible into the air!

Some fun shots by Corporate Photographer Geoff Durrant of me in action at a Christmas Party in St Ives. Thanks Geoff.

I have no idea what I'm saying here but it looks like I'm having fun!

A thorn between two roses.

Caught on camera in mid-cuff-link-steal!

This is the A1 mounted canvas that I have on my office wall.

It gives me an enormous sense of wellbeing because it reminds me of being seven years old when I was deeply in love with these colourful characters. More than that though, it was painted by my best mate at that time, Dan Avenell.

Dan now makes his living painting superheroes … while I make my living pretending to be one. There’s a certain karma (or something) to that that I like.

You can see (and buy) more of Dan’s work at Dan Avenell’s Website

On Friday 27th January 2012, South Street Arts Centre in Reading hosts REALITY VACCINE!

Following a successful run at the Edinburgh Fringe, my good buddy, Dr Ian Souch, brings his unique brand of mentalism, mind-reading and mayhem to Reading town centre.

Close up magic in the bar at 7pm is followed by Reality Vaccine Mentalism show at 8pm.

Cost £ 8.50.

Yes, seriously, Just £8.50. About the price of two coffees and a cake at Starbucks!

Box Office: 0118 960 6060.

Check out the trailer for my new DVD, Cool At The Card Table: View Trailer Here
the unashamed instructional DVD for people who want to show off with playing cards. Fifty-four minutes of footage for Absolute Beginners.

This DVD teaches an introductory selection of basic to intermediate level card manipulaton especially for the card table.

The tutorials are shot in multi-angle-ultra-slow-motion so that you can learn the moves in the easiest possible way.

The DVD normally retails at just £7.95 plus p&amp. Visit: http://www.simonalexander.net/cool.htm for more details.

Close-up and stage magic are great ways to ensure that your end-of-year party goes with a swing.  If you haven’t yet confirmed a magician for your office party, it may not be too late; particularly if you’re looking at a mid-week affair.

Email me at enquiries@simonalexander.net or call on 07730 585 874 to check availability. Even if I’m booked, I’ll happily put you in touch with one of my very talented colleagues.

Michael Jackson once said to me, “Simon, never name-drop.”
So it’s with a little embarrassment that I report that last weekend I had the great pleasure of sharing my magic at the wedding reception of Simon and Dorothee Middleton, which was held at the beautiful Bay Tree Hotel in Burford.

The reception was an intimate and relaxed affair for forty or so close friends and family members, including Kate & Pippa who, before you ask, were both delightful and charming.

Shortly afterwards I received this lovely note from Simon and Dorothee.

We just wanted to thank you for your involvement in our wedding celebrations last Saturday. You stunned everyone with your silky smooth magic. Our guests commented on how professional and non-intrusive you were, whilst being friendly and approachable. Everyone is still talking about it, and your tricks helped everyone feel relaxed and added great fun to our day. You managed to stun everyone, mixing with our French and English guests and entertaining both old and young members of our party. You really wowed them all and we’ll certainly be recommending you to people in the future.
So, many thanks again in helping us making our day so special!

If you fancy a little free close-up tomfoolery, I’ll be showcasing my shenanigans at the fabulous Monkey Island Hotel’s Wedding Open Day on Sunday 30th October from 11am to 4pm.

Enjoy a free glass of bubbly upon arrival and experience the Hotel’s tranquil island surroundings. If you’re planning a wedding yourself, this will be a great opportunity to try out a wonderful venue (where Mrs A and I were married at the dawn of pre-history) and get some fresh ideas for your big day from the hotel’s very talented suppliers.

Hope to see you there.