Banned from Blackpool for my "Safety"

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Richard Kaufman
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Re: Banned from Blackpool for my "Safety"

Postby Richard Kaufman » August 30th, 2009, 3:36 pm

I don't think this back and forth is getting anywhere, and I don't think Derek Lever is going to post a message here, so I think we should let this issue rest until there's some actual news.

(As to altering a photo to portray someone as a Nazi, I had this done to me in MAJOKE years ago, and I wasn't the least bit amused by it. Turning anyone into a Nazi is about as offensive as you can get. Since the Nazis murdered many millions of people, and Derek Lever hasn't murdered anyone, I think there are better dictators you can align him with if you feel you must.)
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Re: Banned from Blackpool for my "Safety"

Postby Nathan Muir » August 30th, 2009, 5:49 pm

Richard Kaufman wrote:I think there are better dictators you can align him with if you feel you must.)


Any suggestions? I'm intrigued by this league-table concept of totalitarianism.

:grin:

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Re: Banned from Blackpool for my "Safety"

Postby Richard Kaufman » August 30th, 2009, 7:15 pm

I don't think that came out quite the way I meant it. If you wish to portray someone as a dictator, then there are dictators who don't carry the baggage of having tried to exterminate large quantities of people.

Hitler is a special case, of course. He always will be. Comparing someone to Hitler always carries additional psychological issues.
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Re: Banned from Blackpool for my "Safety"

Postby Seuss » August 30th, 2009, 7:45 pm

Agreed. It also seems as of late that the Hitler and Nazi comparisons get thrown out a bit more often (easier?) than in the past.
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Re: Banned from Blackpool for my "Safety"

Postby Jonathan Townsend » August 30th, 2009, 7:54 pm

Still calling the coalition government "national socialst" + "german workers" party by that name? How can we outgrow the evil while hiding behind such things?
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Re: Duncan Trillo Magic Week Reply Collin Richardson Council Member Surrey Society UK

Postby C Richardson » August 31st, 2009, 8:19 am

Hi, All.
I would like to say before I start this post that Duncan Trillo, Magic Week, as the owner of the site has every right to decide what he will and will not put on his site.

As stated by himself Magic Week is a window into the UK and international magic scene.

When I decided to run the Southern England Magic Convention I contacted Magic Week with the view to advertising and occassional write ups. On the convention website I decided to run a forum page where people could voice their opinions on the convention and other matters. One of the letters posted on this forum was from Carl DeRom. It was a single page letter and was on the site for the very beginning. Derek Lever, Blackpool Magic Club, phoned me and demanded I remove the letter from the forum. I told him we live in a democracy and I would not be dictated to what I had on my convention website. I then receive a phonecall from Duncan Trillo who informed me having talked to Derek Lever he was removing all references to the Southern England Magic Convention from MagicWeek. I now found myself in a very difficult decision,I was running a major convention in Southern England and had no outlet for advertising ie MagicWeek. It was suggested to me by Duncan Trillo and Derek Lever that they may well reconsider their position if I remove the letter. I duly remove the letter from the website and closed the forum part of the website down. I also apologized to the magic fraternity for any distress this letter may have caused. This was also published on a number of forums in the UK. Duncan Trillo then phoned me up and said having spoken to Derek Lever, Blackpool Magic Club, he is reinstating my presence on MagicWeek. I then phoned Derek Lever and asked him if I was now able to attend the Blackpool Magic Convention. His reply was I changed my mind, you are banned.

To address points made on this forum by Duncan Trillo, MagicWeek,
1. I had briefly met Carl DeRom in Blackpool some two years earlier for approximatel 10 to 15 mins. I had no idea of the history and problems between himself and Derek Lever. So to call me a friend of his is totally inaccurate. To associate myself and my website with Hitler photographs, I am appalled. At the very least Mr. Trillo owes me an apology for what he has written. (My father lost his 4 brothers in World War II). In the civilized world no one would like to be associated of anything to do with this part of our history.

As Duncan Trillo has made reference to the Daily Mail which is a national newspaper here in England, I would like to point out the following: I phoned the Daily Mail, they sent out a reporter plus cameraman to investigate the story. They also contacted Blackpool Magic Club, they then went away and wrote the story. I have carbon copied Duncan Trillo's comments about this story to the Daily Mail and I think at the very least he owes them an apology.

But I suppose that if you are running national and international stories on MagicWeek and you do not want any adverse stories about Blackpool Magic Club this is the kind of excuse you will come up with, that I, Collin Richardson, told the Daily Mail what to write! If anyone believes you can tell a national newspaper what to write then you are living in cuckoo land.

After the convention I decided to register a number of domain names to which Duncan Trillo complained to Nominet. Having gone through arbitration period he withdrew his complaint. I telephoned him and he told me on the phone that he would not associate MagicWeek with myself, my convention or people that I am associated with. And he did not want to talk to me again. Which he has every right to do so.

Derek Lever and Blackpool Magic Club have brought on themselves most of the problems that have occured and are occuring here on the UK. Banning people from running a competing convention, banning dealers including one of the oldest magic dealers in the world and then tried to ban people including myself from attending Fism, this was bound to create controversy. I wish Fism every success in Blackpool and though we all have different agendas we should work for the betterment of magic. Finally, I would like to say please be careful what you write as national newspapers are following these forums and the Fism story and any adverse publicity will only affect all of us as magicians as we rely on the general public for our income.

The Southern England Magic Convention is a very complicated story and so earlier this year I was approached with the view to making a film entitled The Making of a Convention. I agreed on condition that all parties will be asked to take part in this film which is due for a release at the end of this year.

Collin Richardson Council Member Surrey Society of Magicians UK
Southern England Magic Convention

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Re: Banned from Blackpool for my "Safety"

Postby mrgoat » August 31st, 2009, 12:13 pm

Seuss wrote:Agreed. It also seems as of late that the Hitler and Nazi comparisons get thrown out a bit more often (easier?) than in the past.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwins_law

:)

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Re: Banned from Blackpool for my "Safety"

Postby CARL DE ROME » August 31st, 2009, 2:14 pm

I take your point on this 100%

But Lever was the one that issued a photo of myself with a gun to my head,
Requesting that I blow my head off in front of everyone there attending his convention last year....

I think my mum and dad would have been very offended,
That is if they both were still alive to have seen it.

Thats just about close enough in my book ?


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Re: Banned from Blackpool for my "Safety"

Postby Richard Kaufman » August 31st, 2009, 2:33 pm

I said that we're done unless someone has something NEW to add.
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Re: Banned from Blackpool for my "Safety"

Postby Richard Kaufman » August 31st, 2009, 3:51 pm

Here is something new to add; I received this from Paul Daniels this morning.

Hello Richard,

Someone directed me to your pages of 'anti-Lever' messages. Most interesting. I cannot tell you how many emails and letters I get asking me if I will be at the B'pool convention. My answer is always the same. 'No'.

The reason I will not go to Blackpool Convention is Derek Lever. As with all such opinions, mine is personal to me and I don't like being in his presence. He did not build up the Blackpool Convention to what it is today. The groundwork was done by two Blackpool members, Tom Owen and Bill Lamb, who did a phenomenal job and raised the level.

When Derek Lever left the Order of the Magi in Manchester (I wonder why :)) and started his take over through the World Championships of Magic, something that produced a lot of rumours and dubious results, I was left wondering why the Blackpool lads let it happen.

A very nasty attack on the late Ali Bongo by the untalented Lever really got to me and I did something I rarely do, I responded. Ali was 100 times the man that Lever was or is.

When I heard the news that FISM was coming to the UK I thought that was really good. When I heard it was going to Blackpool my heart sank. Please Please Please, if you go to Blackpool do not think that this country is like that. Blackpool, now, is a sad place for those of us who remember it as it was. Now, it's rough, tasteless, bawdy, scruffy and you have to accept that, treat the place as it is, and find your own fun. Like I say. It's sad.

If you look at http://www.blackpoomagic.com/ those are not actors in that video, they are real people and that is not parody or any other comic comment. It's REAL. The only error in the funny programme is that I will not be doing the Chimps Tea Party. I will not be going to FISM, in my own country.

Sincerely
Paul Daniels
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Re: Duncan Trillo Magic Week Reply Collin Richardson Council Member Surrey Society UK

Postby DPT » August 31st, 2009, 4:55 pm

I am afraid that Collins account above is simply not at all accurate, and in some places just not true.

I do apologise to anyone wading through all this, but I have to respond and hope forum members will understand.

Key facts, in chronological order.

Early March 2008

Collin Richardson phones me to tell me about his new convention, I run this:
http://www.magicweek.co.uk/backissues_0 ... 9/0402.htm
and wish him all the best with it on the phone.

10th March 2008

Collin Richardson contacts me regarding advertising, I email details.

13th March 2008

Payment arrives, I issue a receipt, and confirm dates.

21st March 2008

I send this email to Collin:

Hi Collin,

Many thanks for the link to MagicWeek on your homepage, but please could you remove the link from the dealers page, as it may look like MagicWeek will be there with a stand.

Hope Saturday's news generates some good interest.

All the best,

Duncan
MagicWeek

Note: (Collin had placed a MagicWeek mini-banner under his page titled Dealers I am not a dealer, I hadnt asked to be placed there, it would have looked like I would be there, with a stand. It was misleading. In my email I politely thank him for the link he has placed on his homepage, although in a way it looks like an endorsement and is slightly misleading as well. i.e. if you visit a sports website and see the Nike logo at the bottom of the page you assume that Nike are sponsoring or supporting or are behind the event in some way. But it was no big deal at the time so was no real problem.)

I continue to promote his convention in MagicWeek, see links in my earlier posts.

15th July 2008

Mike Danata (Note: Mike Danata produced the evening show at Collins convention) forwards me an email and attachment that he has received from Carl De Rome on 14th July 2008. Carl De Rome is sending it out to various people including Collin Richardson. The attachment is a word doc which includes a mocked-up advert for the two convections, one above the other. It is 3 page word doc that features two disguised images of Derek Lever as Hitler. These are photographs which have been manipulated on a computer. In one a swastika tattoo has been applied to Derek Levers neck.

I have known Mike Danata for years, always really liked him, but am stunned at his poor judgment in forwarding this sort of trash to me.

By now Collin Richardson has a page on his convention website that he refers to as a forum but it isnt a forum as we understand it by the use of the term on the internet. It is a normal html page that content is manually added to by the webmaster. Not a live forum such as this one at all. There are about 3 emailed letters on it (from memory), including a rant type emailed letter from Cark De Rome, lambasting Derek lever and the Blackpool Convention.

6th August 2008
Note: This is a key date.


Mike Danata forwarded the homepage of Collins Convention to a whole list of magicians via email, he also send a personal copy to me. It reads, at the top, in large bold red:
[color:#CC0000]
STOP PRESS!

At 12:30am in the early hours of 6th August 2008 Collin Richardson, one of the organisers of this event recieved a phone call from Derek Lever, the organiser of the Blackpool Magic Convention, in an attempt to dictate the content of this website, and stating that he was refunding monies spent on tickets for the Blackpool Convention 2009 and all organisers of the Southern England Magic Convention have been banned for life from the Blackpool Convention. On the basis that England is democracy, Collin Richardson declined to submit to any attempts to intimidate or disrupt the legal operations of the Southern England Magic Convention.

GCR PROMOTIONS

(Collin Richardson, Geoff Pescud)
[/color]

In co-operation with the Surrey Society of Magicians

Then lower down near the bottom

The Convention organisers highly recommend www.magicweek.co.uk [together with a clickable MagicWeek logo as well]

So now we have a situation where the organisers know full-well about the vile hate mail type Hitler images sent out by Carl De Rome, yet they choose to align themselves with him by allowing him to publish his writing on their website.

And what appears at the bottom of their home page and mailing? This:

The Convention organisers highly recommend www.magicweek.co.uk

together with a clickable MagicWeek button!

Anyone reading this would instantly assume that I was supporting their views!

THAT IS THE REASON WHY I REMOVED COLLIN RICHARDSONS LINKS FROM MAGICWEEK.

I then sent this email (below) to Collin Richardson to inform him, and CCd it to Mike Danata and Derek Lever. It was MY DECISION. (Carl De Rome and Collin Richardson would try and have you believe otherwise)

Dear Colin,

Although we have never met you will remember that I was very supportive when you contacted me to tell me that you were going to launch a new magic convention. In fact MagicWeek is very supportive of all magic events in the UK, and I wished you well with yours.

This morning Mike Danata emailed me your Convention home page titled "The Southern England Magic Convention - Home.htm". The opening paragraph being:

"STOP PRESS!
At 12:30am in the early hours of 6th August 2008 Collin Richardson, one of the organisers of this event recieved a phone call from Derek Lever, the organiser of the Blackpool Magic Convention, in an attempt to dictate the content of this website, and stating that he was refunding monies spent on tickets for the Blackpool Convention 2009 and all organisers of the Southern England Magic Convention have been banned for life from the Blackpool Convention. On the basis that England is democracy, Collin Richardson declined to submit to any attempts to intimidate or disrupt the legal operations of the Southern England Magic Convention."

I have just finished reading through your "Comments" page http://www.semagicconvention.com/7.html and more specifically those by a "Carl De Rome" (I've never met him either).

Frankly I am stunned that you should allow such drivel to appear on your website. To quote:

"I'm hoping that this new convention with the line up already booked might just get the organisers and God himself Sometimes referred to as Derek Lever to sit up and take notice, of just how bad the Blackpool Convention has got over the last few years, I'm not sure how many of you will agree with me, but last years Blackpool fiasco has to go down in the magic books as the worst Ever in the history of our fine art, closely followed by the crap they had the year before, with such great ideas as that Magic X Factor."

I was at last year's Blackpool convention - it was as excellent as ever - and great value for money too. Every year they book many magic stars and smoothly handle 3,000+ registrations - one can only imagine the work that must go into making it the success that it is.

To post the sort of negative and rude comment that you have posted up on your website is beyond me. If anything you should be fostering good working relationships with fellow convention organisers, instead you have chosen to attack. Quite bizarre.

Please remove the MagicWeek banner that you have placed on your website, it implies endorsement.

I will remove your advertising on Friday 8th August at 12 midnight at the end of your current period. I have decided not to offer you advertising in the future.

I have removed you from the 'Conventions' page and 'What's On' page in MagicWeek.

The Blackpool Convention is a much-loved piece of Britain's magic scene and I have no intention of featuring or linking to a magic convention website that is so hostile towards it.

Yours sincerely,

Duncan Trillo
MagicWeek

c.c
Derek Lever, Blackpool Magicians Club.
Mike Danata."

Following that email, the same day, BOTH Derek Lever and Collin Richardson phoned me.

THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT DEREK HAD PHONED ME REGARDING ANY OF THIS MATTER WHATESOEVER.

Collin tried to make a deal with me, a bargain, that if he removed Card De Romes email I would reinstate his links etc.

I told him very clearly that I would not make a deal with him, but that if he decided to remove the offending Card De Rome rant from his website for himself then I would of course look at the situation again.

I simply didnt want MagicWeek to be associated with that sort of stuff.

7th August 2008

Collin Richardson sends me an email in the evening of August 7th, which, as it is nice, I hope he doesnt mind me reproducing here:

Hi Duncan

I have in the last 30 minutes, having had a two hour discussion with Mike Danata, taken the following steps on the SEMC convention website.

1. The comments on the forum page have been replaced with an unconditional apology

2. I have also, as requested by yourself, removed the magic week logo.

I hope very much that this will bring this unintentioned occurence to an end. I further hope that all the players involved in this unfortunate incident are honourable enough to put matters to rest and bring everything back to the status quo.

Regards Collin
C Richardson

8th August 2008 (just after midnight on the 7th)

I read Collins email, take action, and reply:

Hi Colin,

Many thanks for your email.

For me, now, your site is back to what it should be; a positive website to promote your upcoming convention.

Therefore I have reinstated your links on both the 'Conventions' page and the 'What's On' page and will include your convention under 'News' from time to time, as normal, as I would with any other magic event.

I am cc'ing this email to Mike and Derek, as I want them to know what action I've decided to take.

Best wishes,

Duncan Trillo
MagicWeek

I really thought (perhaps naively) that that would be the end of it.

I continued to promote Collins convention as I would for anyone else (see my posts above). But a week after it had taken place he suddenly went on the attack and registered magicweekly.co.uk (as I wrote earlier, I couldnt believe it). He also tried to register a variant of magicconventionguide.com too, as I mentioned in an earlier email.

I started a case to prevent him owning that domain name via Nominet, the UK domain name authority, and feel that I would have easily won my case, but didnt follow it through as in the middle of it registered more variants of the magicweek.co.uk domain name. This can literally go on forever..... Id had enough wasted time.

Collin wrote in his post:

As stated by himself Magic Week is a window into the UK and international magic scene.

I did NOT state that. (MagicWeek focuses on UK magic news in the main)

To associate myself and my website with Hitler photographs, I am appalled.

But that is what you did Collin. You knowingly left Carls emailed rant on your website despite the fact that you had seen the Hitler material he sent out. Why would you possibly want anything to do with someone who sends out that sort of material.

As Duncan Trillo has made reference to the Daily Mail which is a national newspaper here in England, I would like to point out the following: I phoned the Daily Mail, they sent out a reporter plus cameraman to investigate the story. They also contacted Blackpool Magic Club, they then went away and wrote the story. I have carbon copied Duncan Trillo's comments about this story to the Daily Mail and I think at the very least he owes them an apology.

You forget to mention the background to the situation though. That is why in a court of law in the UK one is expected to state the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth if you leave out crucial chunks of a story it rapidly becomes a distortion, a lie.

After the convention I decided to register a number of domain names to which Duncan Trillo complained to Nominet. Having gone through arbitration period he withdrew his complaint. I telephoned him and he told me on the phone that he would not associate MagicWeek with myself, my convention or people that I am associated with. And he did not want to talk to me again. Which he has every right to do so.

You telephoned me about 4 or 5 weeks ago out of the blue to tell me some news story for MagicWeek about a holiday chain exposing magic secrets. I told you that Id prefer it if you didnt call me at all. I did NOT say or people that I am [you are] associated with.

Best wishes,

Duncan Trillo
www.magicweek.co.uk Magic in the UK online

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Re: Duncan Trillo Magic Week Reply Collin Richardson Council Member Surrey Society UK

Postby Paulie » August 31st, 2009, 9:14 pm

Very interesting thread and very amusing!

Little did I imagine that my first post on the esteemed Genii website would concern two of my magical betes noires, which in itself is an interesting phrase meaning 'something hated or dreaded', or as in my case, something hated AND something dreaded. The convention being the former and the town being the latter. I no longer go to the Blackpool convention and nor will I in the future but I must go to FISM, what a dilemma. I will therefore suffer my feelings of hatred and avoid what I dread. I will explain.

My hatred is not for Mr Lever himself, bless him, and I will not comment on him. I do not know him personally and I do not usually direct my hatred to any individual that I do not know. Enough seems to have been said above from which I might think, partly because thinking is an innate action, and also if I were so inclined, that Mr. Lever contributes in no small way to my hatred of the convention itself. I could be wrong and that's another matter.

When I first went in 1982, and for several years thereafter, I loved it for what it WAS, and for what it meant to me personally. I found it to be cosy, traditional, intimate, and the best convention around, top class acts and .most of all the comfort of SPACE, I gasp for air as I write! It had an air of nostalgia, something to be looked forward to. In the ensuing years it felt as if some esurient force was behind the wheel with Joni Mitchell playfully strumming at its side, relentlessly it seemed, paving my paradise. I saw profits soar and value for money suffer. I am sure that this 'a sign of the times' and many conventions have suffered in this way, but it spoils it for me. Ron's, for example, still remains just that.Ron's. It seems to retain his spirit after all these years. Enough said.

As an aside, heres a brain tickler. How do you make D + MC = C out of BLACKPOOL FISM solution at foot, think about it dont peek.


On to a more serious note, my 'dread' is Blackpool itself, Blackpool today, it used to be different. Especially the hotels. Nowadays they are generally dire. When you exit your room there is always a sign on the wall telling you to wipe your feet! Sorry for that nostalgic lapse, but curiously when that gag was first told in Blackpool in 1942, it didn't work!

OK, I confess to insisting upon a very high standard when choosing my hotels and have for this purpose have drawn up my own simple FOUR STAR Michelinesque checklist which I apply rigorously even today. I applied it on my last visit to Blackpool, which was three years ago, and for what its worth you will find the results of the star tests below. Most of the hotels in Blackpool are, according to my star tests found to be ONE STAR hotels. The criteria are limited to the room area only and not to the hotels culinary expertise or guest environment, which are subject to other proprietary tests.

May it help but one magical brother in his hour of need then my task was worthwhile.

STAR 1: On entering the room, check the carpet - is it clean?
Result: FAILED. There were hairs of various colours and bits of fluff mostly around the corners of the room and some sticky 'gel-like' substance just under the bed (which, by the way, I did not discover with this initial inspection, but later in the week when kneeling down to pray for almighty guidance). Tip! Wear thick denim pyjamas.

STAR 2: Turn down the bed sheets and examine.
Result: FAILED. A pube was readily observed. Luckily I had the sleeping bag, (TIP! Courtesy of BLACKPOOL FOR DUMMIES all good retailers check it out).

STAR 3: Check the sanitary area for cleanliness and pay close attention for rapid movement of any kind.
Result: FAILED. I will spare you the gory details here but it failed on all fronts. However, if you are of an entrepreneurial spirit then its not all bad news and suffice to say that theres money in mushrooms. (Kudos again btw to BFD for the invaluable help with yeast infections.)

STAR 4: (Switching over to survival mode) Are there enough sheets to make it from the bed to the door?
Result: PASSED. So I made a pathway out of the sheets from the bed to the door, and to the bathroom thereby negating the adversary health effects of the carpet.

Some may think I jest. But please brethren, try it out and report back after the event. Lets see if we can find that elusive four star in there

Paulie.

Where;
D = Derek
MC = Magic Convention
C = Controversy.............. I can't wait, how many nights to sleep????? ramble ramble

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Re: Banned from Blackpool for my "Safety"

Postby CraigMitchell » September 1st, 2009, 2:34 am

To Paulie above -- you have a sublime sense of humour ;-)

--------------------------------

Paul Daniels: "The reason I will not go to Blackpool Convention is Derek Lever ... I will not be going to FISM, in my own country."

If ever there is a sad indictment of the polarising force that is Derek Lever this has to be it. Truly a sad state of affairs.

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Re: Banned from Blackpool for my "Safety"

Postby Nathan Muir » September 1st, 2009, 4:13 am

Richard Kaufman wrote:I don't think that came out quite the way I meant it. If you wish to portray someone as a dictator, then there are dictators who don't carry the baggage of having tried to exterminate large quantities of people.

Hitler is a special case, of course. He always will be. Comparing someone to Hitler always carries additional psychological issues.


I was being facetious. I know what you meant. The point I was making was that pretty much most of the totalitarian dictators I can think of have been responsible for the deaths of thousands if not millions either directly or via neglect: Mao, Stalin, Hitler, Pol Pot, Great Leader and Dear Leader, Mugabe, Saddam Hussein, Assad Snr, Pinochet, Castro.

And I agree with the other commentator. Calling someone a Nazi is a popular method to shut down debate on the Internet, and is lazy and dishonest.

Okay, back to FISM Blackpoop.

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Re: Banned from Blackpool for my "Safety"

Postby CARL DE ROME » September 1st, 2009, 5:17 am

Duncan Trillo.
I have just read over your reply to Colin Richardson,
On your reply you have printed just a small amount of the letter that I originally wrote to
The SEMC that was posted on there web site, This letter that I sent was accepted and posted up by them and could have been rejected but it was not, also on this letter there is NO reference at all to this dictator that keeps popping up now. No mention anywhere.
at the time of this letter, I did not know Colin Richardson or Geoff Prestgood the organisers of the SEMC at all, Except it turned out that I did have a drink and hamburger with him a few years earlier at a Blackpool Convention.

You Included a very small snippet of that letter up in you post. This letter I still insist was not anything or anywhere near as nasty as you and others that follow lever are making it out to be,
I have taken it upon myself to include this original letter in full, as this is what you seem to do in your posts, so that readers of this can read exactly what I put in writing, and apart from calling
Derek Lever God there was not else much wrong with it, and certainly there was a hell of a lot of truth in what I have said,
The problem is I was THE ONE that dared to stand up and say what was needed to be said.
And I'm so glad that I did it, and would gladly do it again and again, I am proud of being able to stand up to a man who UP TO NOW has thought he can get away with anything he likes, and ban anybody he feels like banning. For silly petty things,
Even telling great man just to mind his own business is more than enough to get you banned as a dealer from the BMC, if you dont believe me then ask The good old Magic dealer Peter Diamond as he was placed on Levers banned list for doing exactly that.

And yes it was TOM OWEN whom I have known since I was 8 years old, and BILL LAMB who where and personally are still responsible for making the Blackpool Magic Convention what it is today.
So to TOM and BILL congratulations and Thank You on behalf of the many for what you did.

Below now is my original letter, this time the full post with nothing taken away.
You decide if this is really as bad and disgusting as some people are making it out to be,
I personally have stated many facts and stick by it, I do hope that people that attended the 2006 and 2007 conventions can remember the shows..X Factor, Stu Francis, Tie a yellow Ribbon ???

Hi I'm Carl now living and performing professionally for the past 30 years here in Norway,
and all over Scandinavia I'm originally from Blackpool, yes the city where GOD runs that
convention every year, Anyway I'm hoping to be able to get to this New event, as the
Convention crisis in the Uk seem to warrant something new. And down south in such a great
venue as the Lakeside WOW, bit like the old great conventions of yesteryear in the Horseshoe,

I'm hoping that this new convention with the line up already booked might just get the organizers
and God himself Sometimes referred to as Derek Lever to sit up and take notice, of just how
bad the Blackpool Convention has got over the last few years, I'm not sure how many of you will
agree with me, but last years Blackpool fiasco has to go down in the magic books as the worst
Ever in the history of our fine art, closely followed by the crap they had the year before,
with such great ideas as that Magic X Factor.
Thank goodness they never did that again last year.
Small mercies at least, Anyway this New convention at only 28 quid, everyones going to have
a great time, a bargain with the convention, dealers, lectures, The Gala show and also the after
show party it has to be the magic bargain of the year..
Compare Blackpools rip off prices to this, well its 25 quid just for the Sunday gala show only,
For those that remember last years fiasco in Blackpool?
Especially the Friday night fiasco, Im still having nightmares every time I hear
Tie a yellow Ribbon, and to make it worse it was my late mums favorite song.
God rest her, ( this time I mean the real god not Derek )
Also whilst Im ranting about conventions, if any of you think the same way about the BMC the
last few years, Please DO NOT put in a complaint as you will get banned from attending, if there
is one thing they do not like Is criticism about anything they do. But they do like nice comments and
if you are willing to go that step further And kiss there asses, well then your well in with them.

As you might have guessed by now I did complain, I did not hold back At all on letting them know
how disappointed I was with the crap they seem to dish up, and yep Im banned, surprised? Not really.
But to be honest I do not think I will miss it as for the fee they are now wanting, its a rip off.
Last year I spent 45 mins in the dealers hall 104 dealers. Most of them selling the same crap, but all at different prices,
And we all walked out of the Saturday night show way through,
and the Sunday Gala we all left after the second interval.

My wife and assistant in the show Merete was so happy last year when I said next year were not attending Up to todays date every single convention for the next 10 months are advertising who is booked to perform, Where as Blackpools web site is asking for everyones 70 quid or 90 quid if you want to be a VIP. But Still on there web site is NOTHING at all listed of what is booked.
But rest assured Doddy will be on the show,
Some kind friend did point out with reference to last years artist that were booked to perform on the bill, That it looked they got a special deal on a buy one act get one free basis,
as it sure seemed like that. Lastly Derek Lever you can be sure. Will have his name mentioned as many
times as possible during the whole weekend.

Anyway to the organizers of this new convention on 31st January, make it a good one, And next year will be a 2 day eventIt will save loads of people a fortune and. will also save all the poor sods from ever having to travel up the M6 and onto the M55 Ever again in February to attend something thats going down hill every year.
BUT the good news for any magicians attending Blackpool in 2009, is if you want to leave any of the
shows early this year, that is if they are as bad as the last few years, then I will highly recommend A great cabaret place down South Shore situated in the Viking Hotel,
they do have a fantastic Cabaret venue there called the TALK OF THE COAST And you can have my guarantee the Cabaret there will be excellentit always is,
Great entertainment and I think its under a fiver to get a table.

HILSEN as we say here in Scandinavia
CARL DE ROME

THIS IS THE WHOLE UNEDITED LETTER THE S.E.M.C POSTED, MAKE UP YOUR OWN MINDS AND PLEASE READ IT AGAIN, THERE IS NO REFERENCE AT ALL TO ANY DICTATOR ANYWHERE,
Carl DE ROME
never let others dictate to you,

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Re: Banned from Blackpool for my "Safety"

Postby IrishMagicNews » September 1st, 2009, 6:33 am

OK I have tried to stay quiet on ths thread as I believe this discussion and the "Shape of my heart" debacle are only diminishing our art. We really need some good stories I think. Having said that I feel compelled to comment.

You see thread's like this, naturally, voices the opinion of the critics louder then others I think. Those who complain, in any area of life always seem to have the loudest voice as those who are positive torwards a certain topic tend not to cooment.

Given all the negative comment on this thread re The Blackpool Convention I think it is only fair to point out the following.

There are thousands of magicians, who are either ignorant to or couldn't care less about the issues discussed here, that attend the Blackpool convention every year and love every single flipping minute of it.

Sure blackpool has it's idiosyncrasies...but the overwhelming majority of those who attend thoroughly enjoy the convention and come back year on year.

I usually don't like to single out one person for criticism but I have to say having read Carl de Rome's posts and letters on this thread I am not surprised he is not welcome at Blackpool convention.

In the above post Carl seems to pick at nearly every aspect of the convention...price, content, dealers, quality of shows etc and then goes on to say what a rip off it is. Yet he doesn't like that he is not welcome. Does anyone else see the incongruity in this.

How a weekend full of magic with that many dealers and lectures and the chance to catch up with so many friends can be bad value at $100(ballpark figure) is beyond me.

I should also mention that the Sunday after the Gala show I (a regular no-name gigging magician) was sat at a table in the Ruskin with Jeromme Murat, John Archer, Paul Wilson, Noel Briten, The Nardini'd and other notables. The Buck twins and company were at the adjoining table. Josh and Andy hanging nearby. Other "star names" were floating about too. It's not many places you get this.

All said, will I be going next year?

Heck yes, wouldn't miss it for the world. And I'll be going the year after that and the year after that and the year after that and.........

Brendan
Brendan

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http://www.IrishMagicNews.com

Shenanigans the irish magic convention 2-4 May 2014 Dublin
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Re: Banned from Blackpool for my "Safety"

Postby John McDonald » September 1st, 2009, 2:11 pm

Irish Magician wrote:There are thousands of magicians...... that attend the Blackpool convention every year and love every single flipping minute of it.


Good Post Brendan. Couldn't agree more.
Best John

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Re: Banned from Blackpool for my "Safety"

Postby Richard Kaufman » September 1st, 2009, 2:46 pm

The magicians who attend the Blackpool convention are those who have not been banned. The banned folks are mostly commenting here. I assume the magicians who are allowed to attend have a good time, otherwise why would they go?

In my opinon Blackpool is a success because it costs so little to attend:

* The registration is ridiculously low-priced.
* The hotels are cheap as dirt (and with a few exceptions like the Ruskin, Best Western, and Hilton) of the same quality.
* Most people drive or take the train.

Put simply, Blackpool is probably the least expensive 3-day convention on the planet with the best quality performers and that's why 3500 people go. It certainly isn't the town--it's a [censored] plain and simple. Just ask yourself this question: of all the people who attend the Blackpool convention, who among them would travel to Blackpool if there was no convention? I've been in remote cities in China that were nicer.

If you don't mind staying in a dumpy hotel, you get a lot at the convention in return for your registration.

The Opera House is enormous, however even in the Winter it's hot in the upper balcony, which is where they generally assign me seats, so I often skip the gala shows because I'm so far from the stage and it's hot as hell up there.

After sitting at my dealer table all day, sitting in a broiling theater for three or four hours would lead only to a long nap. (I didn't take my dealer table last February because business was slow, we were having problems with UK delivery of issues, and it costs a lot for a dealer from the US to come. Mr. Lever has refused to let me have my dealer table again for 2010.)

The real problem with Blackpool is the abysmal conditions for close-up. They suck. Having all the performers lined up next to one another like carnival barkers is an insult to both them and the audience. How anybody can enjoy close-up magic under conditions like that is beyond me.

As far as the quality of performers, it's always good. Everybody who isn't banned and can attend generally has a good to great time and considering how little it costs to go, that's not a surprise.

If I lived in the UK or Europe, I would definitely attend just as a conventioneer, not a dealer. That's assuming that, after this thread appearing on the Genii Forum, I haven't been banned as well. :)
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Re: Banned from Blackpool for my "Safety"

Postby Richard Kaufman » September 1st, 2009, 2:56 pm

Now to the potential problems for FISM 2012.

First, we are being asked to pay a lot of money to register years in advance, when we have NO idea what hotel rates will be and NO idea what airfares will be like.

Since the convention is going to take place just before the Olympics, we can assume airfares will be very high.

Since the convention is going to take place in Blackpool's "high" season (its sole reason for existence is as a summer resort), we can expect hotel prices to be very high (and jacked up even further because conventioneers are all sitting ducks).

There has been a promise of a new modern hotel being built, which will be the official convention hotel, however is this really a certainty during the current ecomonic crisis when many construction projects remain just large holes in the ground because financing has fallen through? And considering the prices at the three decent hotels in Blackpool now, what are the prices in this new hotel going to be like in three years?

Is the Opera House at the Winter Garden air conditioned? I think not. If it's hot during the winter, won't it be even hotter during the summer?

At least Mr. Lever has addressed the issue of the close-up performances, which will be held down the street in a legitimate 900-seat theater (the success of which is entirely dependent upon large video screens--but have they ever been used before in this ancient theater?)

Lots of questions.
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Re: Banned from Blackpool for my "Safety"

Postby CARL DE ROME » September 1st, 2009, 3:30 pm

Mr Irish Magician

and the chance to catch up with so many friends

you hit the nail right on the head there. I could not care less really about the convention,
but there are a lot of friends I love to meet up with every year, have a good chin wag (Talk with) maybe have a beer or two with and enjoy finding out what they have been up to for the past 12 months or so, thats just about It and what the convention really boils down to.
Its the main and really only reason for me for wanting to attending the BMC latley, its the best part of the BMC

Plus the fact that usually there are about 9 or 10 of us that all come over from Norway, we dont just hop into a car Drive for a few hours and arrive for the weekend or for just the one day like many in the UK, this is usually a very expensive and planned trip.
We have to fly over, usually for 5 days or the whole week, on top are hotel expenses, car hire, The tickets , food, plus, plus plus,
on average to come to Blackpool and get back is about 2O.000 for everyone , Over the past many years the Norwegian people I have brought all the way over to Blackpool have complained to me as I was the idiot who brought them over, that the convention was getting worse and worse, And I plus many others agreed with them 100%
2007 plus 2008 were really bad, so bad it was embracing to let people know I was from Bpool,
It got to the stage where really no body wanted to bother with the cost involved.

For your information and also any one else as well, I WAS NOT BANNED from Blackpool because of the last posted letter just above thats on my web site together with everything else about Lever and me going back about 13 years,
I was Banned because I sent a personal letter to Arthur Casson, asking what was going to be on the program show wise for 2009, as NOTHING was put up on there web site,
and I stated that WE HAD NO INTENTION OF COMING if the 2009 convention was going to be as crap as the previous 2 years, and if he did not know who was on the program,
Then we maybe would only try the Sunday night Gala show that is if we bothered to attend,
I DID NOT get a letter back from Arthur Casson, but I did get a nasty letter back from Derek Lever banning me, and also insulting not only myself but also a very good and kind personal magical friend that had just passed away a buried a few months before,
Who was no longer in any position to speak up for himself. He would have loved this.

So please do keep on enjoying the BMC, as I also know most people do, I use to enjoy it myself
When it was run with respect for its attendees, and making a big profit was not the main agenda, when it was run with people who cared about everyone, Like the Late John Todd and his good wife who ran the registration desk for many many good years,
They took great pride in doing the registration desk Job as they loved doing it year after year,
That was until Derek Lever suggested to them to step down and give someone else a chance.

As I said I use to enjoy it myself at the BMC, not the shows, or the dealers,
as I just picked up Pre ordered Illusions and props, and went to JB magic down South Shore.
But I did enjoy meeting up with old friends and people you dont get to see that often,
Then you go on about the RUSKIN ? well let me tell you it was much better at the CLAIRMONT
Bigger rooms, lots more people to mingle with, more space, and a great place for the after convention get together, Ruskin just that bit to small, and cramped, not room for many,

Carl DE ROME
never let others dictate to you,

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Re: Banned from Blackpool for my "Safety"

Postby CraigMitchell » September 1st, 2009, 4:20 pm

Richard - I hereby ban you for dare questioning the almighty Lever.

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Re: Banned from Blackpool for my "Safety"

Postby Tom Stone » September 1st, 2009, 5:29 pm

I can see two goals here.

1. "Getting back" for past injustices.
2. Trying to prevent future injustices.

These two goals are not compatible. While the former perhaps is human and understandable, it is an obstacle in achieving the latter.

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Re: Banned from Blackpool for my "Safety"

Postby Tim Ellis » September 1st, 2009, 7:15 pm

Or drawing attention to past injustices in the hope that they won't be repeated in the future...

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Re: Banned from Blackpool for my "Safety"

Postby Jonathan Townsend » September 1st, 2009, 8:43 pm

History teaches that it's rather difficult if not almost exceptional to stop the petulant pendulum of victimization - the cycle of violence. Imagine a game where the victims who don't get enough of a consistent payout from victim status find circumstance to act out on/against others.

Please folks, let's not enable such games or act as codependents for the players.
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Re: Banned from Blackpool for my "Safety"

Postby danata » September 2nd, 2009, 5:43 am

I have a suggestion to make, & I am quite serious about it.

As we all now know the Blackpool Bans no longer apply to FISM, so that is great news!

There is now the issue of the Blackpool Convention Bans that remain unresolved. SOME of the bans concerning Blackpool are quite legite & MAYBE should remain, ie if someone was caught stealing from a dealer etc & it was proven (although I personally would be soft enough to give anyone a second chance!)

I do feel that Blackpool reserves the right to apply their own rules in this type of incident. However when people have been banned for the most ridiculous reasons (& many have) can we PLEASE at last see sense prevail? many heads need to be banged together, because it is all ridiculous in this day & age to see Adults behaving like this.

Derek, you have made mistakes in the past, so has Carl' D Rome & many other "Key Players" in our "Very Small (& now divided) Magic World". I know that Collin Richardson had suggested going to Blackpool to meet up with Derek Lever, shake his hand & "Sort out their differences" regarding the so called "Rival" Convention (it was never intended to be a "Rival Convention" in the first place!) However the offer of reconciliation was declined at the time. I KNOW that as far as Collin is concerned this OFFER still stands, PLEASE accept it, it's the decent thing to do........

Sometimes it takes a real "Man" to apologise & say "Maybe I was wrong" there is nothing wrong with that, we all make mistakes, but we also should learn from them, & as we learn, we will (hopefully) make fewer mistakes in the future...........

Come on everyone UNITE! the Magic World is divided & weakened enough already, what with the Masked Magician & Youtube exposures etc, Magicians of the world need to stand together, more so now than at any other time in Magical History.................

Mike Danata
"The Magic is in all of us"
www.mikedanatasmagicstudio.co.uk

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Re: Banned from Blackpool for my "Safety"

Postby Tim Ellis » September 2nd, 2009, 6:07 am

"As we all now know the Blackpool Bans no longer apply to FISM, so that is great news!"

We don't know that for sure until Derek tells us. So far, he hasn't said a word.

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Re: Banned from Blackpool for my "Safety"

Postby danata » September 2nd, 2009, 6:48 am

It would be nice if Derek could say something, BUT is it really that important that he does? Seeing as we KNOW from the very top, that the Blackpool Ban list does NOT apply to FISM?

Derek may feel that it is humiliating to make the announcement himself (understandably) surely it is enough that he HAS to comply?

Maybe if Derek were to HIMSELF lift the bans from the Blackpool Convention, then this would go a long way in the eyes of the Magic World..................

Sometimes to "Climb Down" is seen as an act of strength & NOT an act of weakness........................

Mike Danata
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Re: Banned from Blackpool for my "Safety"

Postby mrgoat » September 2nd, 2009, 7:54 am

danata wrote:Maybe if Derek were to HIMSELF lift the bans from the Blackpool Convention, then this would go a long way in the eyes of the Magic World..................

Sometimes to "Climb Down" is seen as an act of strength & NOT an act of weakness........................

Mike Danata


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Re: Banned from Blackpool for my "Safety"

Postby Jeff Eline » September 2nd, 2009, 8:51 am


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Re: Banned from Blackpool for my "Safety"

Postby Mike Carr » September 2nd, 2009, 10:18 am

"Then he seized the pack."
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Re: Banned from Blackpool for my "Safety"

Postby CARL DE ROME » September 2nd, 2009, 3:45 pm

some of you lads have a great scence of humor, clockwork orange,
Mr Goat and his flying pigs,
Brilliant they must be added to the Gala show next year.

Have you noticed Derek Lever never ever replies to anything said against him....wonder why?

YES MIKE it takes a lot of bottle to do what you suggest, unfortunatly some people dont have that in them, and if he did have the bottle,
some of us also know that some of us no matter what,
Still aint got a chance of attending FISM if we want to or not.
wait and see....call it a prediction and im usually right.

However it would be great to see the BIG BOSS of FISM (not lever)
make a personal post and put it down himself that Derek Levers Blackpool ban list will not be carried on to Blackpol FISM 2012,
and all magicians on this list worldwide are welcome to attend.

Then the only problem will be finding decent digs to stay at.

its also been pointed out that FISM intend to use the Tower complex and ballroom plus circus building and also the Grand theatre during the FISM Congress,
will this really be possible as its slap bang in the middle of summer and the Tower will be in full swing with there summer schedual for all the tourists---- any ideas anybody

LASTLY 2 years ago, Me and LEVER were passing each other in the hallway up by the spanish hall of the convention, we stopped I said are we going to carry on like this for more years, it was agreed we would put it all behind us, and let bygones be bygons.
we actually did shake hands on it MIKE, so its been done,
THAT DID NOT LAST LONG I was banned again the following year.

Carl de Rome
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Re: Banned from Blackpool for my "Safety"

Postby Magic Newswire » September 2nd, 2009, 6:31 pm

CARL DE ROME wrote:However it would be great to see the BIG BOSS of FISM (not lever)
make a personal post and put it down himself that Derek Levers Blackpool ban list will not be carried on to Blackpol FISM 2012,
and all magicians on this list worldwide are welcome to attend.


My impression is that Eric made his statement in the interview that he did with me and won't be posting anything further on this topic.

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Re: Banned from Blackpool for my "Safety"

Postby CraigMitchell » September 3rd, 2009, 5:13 am

Tony Galvin reports:

"I attended the 25th anniversary Blackpool Convention, and paid quite a lot to attend the Jeff McBride Masterclass. A few minutes into the class I was hauled out by four security men and held in a small room for close to two hours. All the time I was worried that something had happened to my three year old son, being minded by a friend. None of the security men would say anything, and I endured two hours of panic.

Eventually Derek Lever marched in with a dealer who had an item stolen from him, and pointed dramatically at me, saying that they had caught the thief. The dealer took one look at me and said that I did not even slightly resemble the guy who had stolen from him. Lever didn't offer a word of apology for having me hauled out of the masterclass, embarassed before everyone, and missing out on a session I had paid for. I am delighted that FISM have decided not to use the banned list of this odious character."

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Re: Banned from Blackpool for my "Safety"

Postby Nathan Muir » September 3rd, 2009, 5:24 am

Unbelievable. If Lever had done that to me, with my young son in attendance, I would have punched his teeth so far down his throat he would have had to chuck a brown eye to smile.

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Re: Banned from Blackpool for my "Safety"

Postby Seuss » September 3rd, 2009, 5:28 am

That wouldn't be done to me. Simple enough to demand being told the issue at hand or summon the police.
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Re: Banned from Blackpool for my "Safety"

Postby TonyB » September 3rd, 2009, 11:57 am

Hi everyone. I joined this forum to share my experience with the odius Derek Lever. I have found him an ignorant man with no people skills and no social graces, and a complete lack of any decency.
My experience at Blackpool a few years ago is summerised a few posts above by Craig Mitchell. All I will add is that I was treated very shabbily, offered no apology, and was not offered a refund on the masterclass Derek Lever caused me to miss. I make no mention of the intimidation I was made to feel, and the panic I was in as no one told me why I was being detained.
Since that time I have only been back to the Blackpool convention once, and I am no longer a customer of Lever's. I have no interest in making Blackpool an annual pilgrimmage, like it used to be, which is a shame because it can be quite a good convention - despite the fact that the town is a grotty and dreary place.
At the time I was furious and wanted to sue Lever and the Blackpool Convention, but a number of Irish magicians talked me out of this. Besides, it is impractical to sue someone through the British Courts when you are not based in Britain.
I wish FISM 2012 all the best, but those good wishes do not extend to the convention organiser. All the best, Tony Galvin.

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Re: Banned from Blackpool for my "Safety"

Postby pilotpete » September 5th, 2009, 7:48 am

Never explain...never complain. Royalty, film and pop stars and oh, Derek Lever.

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Re: Banned from Blackpool for my "Safety"

Postby George Prikkel » September 9th, 2009, 3:59 am

There is a good story over Fred Kaps and magic conventions in Holland...

He had disagreements with the convention organisers through the years. His solution was to go to the same city the convention was in and sit in a caf across the street. All his friends would come visit him there and they would have a drink and a good social time together.

It was a lot cheaper also (we Dutch appreciate that!)

Maybe the banned can band together and have their own little mini-congress across the street in Blackpool?

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Re: Banned from Blackpool for my "Safety"

Postby Tim Ellis » September 9th, 2009, 8:54 am

The FISM Fringe Festival...?



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