I will deal with the questions I have heard most during my many years in magic. These are real questions asked from the young and not so young. 

Q: WHERE DO I START, HOW DO I LEARN MY FIRST TRICK? 

A: At this early stage there is no need to spend money, in fact I would advise against it. First read a good general description of what magic is all about. There are plenty of sources of free magic tricks out there. First stop should be your local library or have a look around the internet. Here's a free card trick to get you started!

Q: I DON'T KNOW WHAT FIELD OF MAGIC TO GET STARTED IN. I KNOW A COUPLE OF CARD TRICKS , CAN YOU HELP ME?

A: When you are starting out in magic try everything including close up magic, stage magic, card tricks and silks, watch as many magic shows as you can or buy some videos or DVD's. Many web sites that sell magic also let you view videos of tricks before you buy, but these give you little idea of the presentation skills needed. Also read as much as you can. It wont be long before you find that you enjoy performing one type more than any other, and if you enjoy performing it your audience will enjoy watching it. As a whole if youre having fun it will rub off on the audience!

Q: HOW DO I GET STARTED? DO I NEED TO KNOW SOMEONE IN THE MAGIC CIRCLE?

A: You certainly don't have to have a friend in magic to get started. There are thousands of books, DVDs and videos on magic. These can be found on the internet and if youre lucky you might find a magic shop in your area, have a look in your local telephone book. Or have a look on the net at one of the directories aimed solely at magicians.

Q: WHICH MAGIC BOOKS WOULD YOU RECOMMEND FOR A BEGINNER?

A  There are a lot of books in your local shops that will help you to learn  the basics of magic, here are some of my favourites:

Mark Wilson-Complete Course In Magic, Mini Encycyclopaedia of Magic by Bruce Smith, Card Tricks-Louis Canasta, and any of the books by Paul Daniels or Peter Eldin. I also recommend Learn Magic by Henry Hay and any of the books by Karl Fulves. Fulves works include, Self Working Coin Magic, Childrens Magic Kit, Self Working Paper Magic, Self Working Handkerchief Magic, along with mental magic, number magic, and coin magic. Have a look on Amazon , they carry a huge selection of magic books.

Q: IVE LEARNT SOME TRICKS AND THINK IM READY TO PERFORM, HOW DO I GO ABOUT GETTING MYSELF SOME SHOWS?

A:   It sounds like you are just starting out and believe you have  an act ready to show the world.

Well, there are hundreds of people out there that would love to see your magic act. Try your local hospitals or senior citizens' homes, there are hundreds of charities that could use your act, from entertaining the patients to helping raise funds at their next fair. This not only helps the people in your local community but will give you the most valuable thing of all, experience. You will learn which trick works best for opening your show, which trick really is angle free and so much more, this is the way that most, if not all magicians start.

Q: I AM JUST STARTING OUT IN MAGIC I HAVE LEARNT A FEW TRICKS AND HAVE BEEN ASKED TO DO A MAGIC SHOW BY MY FRIENDS MOTHER FOR HER DAUGHTERS SEVENTH BIRTHDAY AND I WANT TO KNOW HOW MUCH TO CHARGE.

A:  I am guessing that you are still at school and as yet not doing this for a living, but this is always difficult.  If this chap is your best friend I think you should do it for free and don't forget there will be lots of other parents there who might want you for their children's birthday parties, so look on this as a way of gaining experience and advertising your act.

Q: WHO DO YOU THINK IS THE BEST MAGICIAN EVER?

A: This really is an impossible question to answer as there are many different fields of magic and I have favorites in all of them from close-up to stage magic. But dont mistake popularity for quality or showmanship for skill, perhaps Criss Angel is a favorite of yours but I dont think many magicians would have him high on their list.

Here are some I most admire, some old and some new but they all have one thing in common not just their love of magic but their ability to entertain. Melbourne Christopher was the first magician other than my father that I saw perform, and boy what a show. I can remember it to this day and it most be some forty years ago! I only wish I could have seen some of the greats from earlier days like Houdini .

Michel Ammar, great DVDs and it showed me youre never too old to learn new tricks. And what about Lance Burton, I just love his silent act, one of the best ever, if you really want to do a silent act you must watch his.

Richard Osterlind, his mind mysteries series are great if youre into mind reading, what an inventive magician he is.

Of course everyone knows Siegfried and Roy , two of Americas finest entertainers. Their show was known thruout the world for their tigers and flamboyant presentation. They took the audience into a world of magic that was totally outside of day to day life.

And what about Slydini, Max Maven, Gregory Wilson, Paul Daniels or Jay Sankey.

And last but not least Dai Vernon: his card skills were just out of this world. And this is by no means all of my favorites, I could fill a couple more pages!

Q: SHOULD I JOIN MY LOCAL MAGIC SOCIETY, HOW DO I FIND IT AND HOW DO I JOIN?

A:   You will find your local magic club or society on the internet or your local library. You will find that nearly every country in the world has a magic society and it is rare not to find one close to where you live. To join your local society, if you don't know someone who is already a member, contact the  membership secretary, they will tell you the minimum age you are able to join at and what you will have to do to became a member. Usually you will be asked to perform your favorite tricks in front of council. Now don't be put off, don't forget that they to were beginners at one time, and all they are looking for is someone who has a genuine interest in magic and who has taken their time practising the tricks they perform. They will not be looking for a two hour stage show with ten assistants. I myself have served on such council and have voted for the person to become a member even tho one of the tricks may have gone wrong, because they turned up on time and had taken time to make sure their shoes and clothes were tidy and they had a genuine interest in the magic they performed.

Q: I HAVEN'T GOT A LOT OF MONEY TO SPEND ON MAGIC TRICKS AND WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW TO GET STARTED.

A: Some of the best tricks I have seen and performed cost no more than a ten year olds allowance! Look at some of the magic tricks and downloads on the internet and you really can pick up a good trick for very little, in fact there are a lot of totally free tricks and downloads to be found. Its a fact of life in the magic world that you can pay a huge amount for very little. Two cards stuck back to back with a photocopied instruction can cost you a fortune! You have to remember that you are paying for the secret and not the item. But there are companies who tell you how to make the trick youself and for a really low cost.

Q: ARE THERE ANY MAGAZINES ON MAGIC THAT I CAN BUY AND WILL THEY HELP?

A  Yes, and they are an excellent way of keeping up with all that's new, not only in tricks but where you can see magic shows locally. You can also read the news from around the world of magic, who is performing and where. Plus most give the secret to a trick that one of the readers has sent in, and often the cost of the magazine is covered by such tricks. Dont forget that the magazines are always looking for people to contribute a trick, a thought,or what's going on at your society, special events and anything of interest.

GOODLIFFES ABRACADABRA the worlds only weekly magic magazine, I believe is a must. The price is outstanding for what you get as from April 2005 the cost is 70p UK (about 40c).

And how about  " Magic"  the US glossy mag, its just great and I look forward to receiving this one every month. Its a little bit more expensive at £5 but  packed with news, revues and all the latest tricks from around the world. There are many other magic magazines out there covering a whole world of magic and entertainment.

Q:  I AM NOT TOO BAD AT MAGIC EVEN THO I HAVEN'T BEEN DOING IT FOR TOO LONG. BUT I GET VERY NERVOUS PERFORMING IN FRONT OF STRANGERS.  IS THERE ANYTHING ICAN DO TO STOP THE NERVES?