🎩 The Foundation
Stage-obsessed from age 5. Lancashire, 1972. While other kids were playing football, Christian was practicing sleight of hand and planning magic shows.
That wasn't normal. That was neurodivergent hyperfocus before anyone knew what to call it.
30+ years later: Member of the Magic Circle (MMC), UK Children's Entertainer of the Year 2018, performed everywhere from cruise ships to Las Vegas, Blackpool to Bristol living rooms.
The education: Tarbell Course in Magic - the encyclopedia. Eight volumes. Everything. The Royal Road to Card Magic until the pages fell out. Strong Magic by Darwin Ortiz for presentation theory that actually works.
That's how you earn the Magic Circle ring. Not shortcuts. Not YouTube tutorials. Actual study.
🎪 The Venues
Cruise ships. Captive audiences. Different show every night. You learn tight pacing when you've got 500 people who can't leave.
Las Vegas. The real deal. Where magic is serious business and sloppy work gets exposed fast.
Blackpool. UK magic capital. Blackpool Magic Convention every February - that's where the real magicians gather. Dealers, performers, collectors. That's the culture.
Bristol living rooms. 50+ kids, parents watching, chaos barely contained. That's where you learn if your magic actually works or if you're just fooling yourself.
👶 Why Kids Are The Hardest Audience
Kids don't lie. If you're boring, they'll tell you. If your trick doesn't work, they'll call it out. If you lose control of the room, they'll eat you alive.
UK Children's Entertainer of the Year 2018. Not given lightly. That's peer-voted. That's recognition from people who know how hard it actually is.
Corporate audiences are easy by comparison. Adults pretend to be interested. Kids don't have that software installed yet.
30 years performing for kids = 30 years learning to read rooms, manage energy, recover from mistakes, and connect with humans under pressure.
That's not just magic. That's performance psychology. That's what Doc Strange teaches corporations.
🎯 The Crossover: Magic Meets Hip Hop
1982-84: Breaking in Blackburn town centre. Popping. Robotics. Lino on concrete. Memorized every move from the film Breakdance.
Magic and breaking have the same DNA: precision, practice, performance. You're manipulating perception. Making the impossible look effortless.
1997: Beatboxed for DJ Kool Herc in Newport. The founding father of hip hop. Christian on stage with a mic, earning the nod from a legend.
2003: Met Daryl DMC backstage. Run-DMC. Talked about the crossover between performance arts. Magic, hip hop, breaking - it's all the same hustle. Make people believe.
📚 The Library
Close-Up Magic:
Expert Card Technique - If you're serious about cards, this is non-negotiable.
Mark Wilson's Complete Course in Magic - Beginner-friendly but comprehensive.
Performance Theory:
Magic and Meaning by Eugene Burger - Why magic matters beyond tricks.
Our Magic by Maskelyne & Devant - The classic. 1911. Still relevant.
🔮 Magic-Oid Project
NOW LIVE! magic-oid.co.uk
AI-powered magic trick identification for collectors and dealers. Upload a photo, get the effect name, method, recommended learning resources, dealer network connections.
Built for the community. Coffeeware model. Dealer passes for people who help others.
Major launch at Blackpool Magic Convention (February 2026).
📸 Gallery (Coming Soon)
Photos from 30 years:
Cruise ships. Las Vegas stages. Blackpool conventions. Bristol birthday parties. Kids' faces mid-wonder. That moment when the impossible happens and they actually believe.
Christian's currently digging out the archive. This section will be receipts central.
The Truth
Magic isn't about fooling people.
It's about showing them wonder still exists.
Even when life's hard. Even when they're cynical.
For 3 minutes, anything's possible.
That's what 30 years taught Christian.
That's what the Magic Circle ring means.