As I wait to board the plane back to London I use modern technology to post these comments.
People who know me will appreciate what a thrill it is to be able to do this.
I love gadgets!

I liked the convention overall and I thank all those people who worked so hard for so long so I could enjoy the Stockholm FISM. If I knew exactly what the convention would be like I still would have come. I must say that at the start otherwise what follows will seem like one long moan.

I spent over nine hours just getting to and from my hotel (The Grand.) For me, who does not usually use public transport, this was a huge waste of time.

I would have liked the opportunity to see all the events. Here you simply couldn’t do that. It seems to me that this is the basic requirement of a convention.

I don’t care what the so called reasons are…having bloody television people waltzing into a FISM convention and taking over both back stage and front of curtain is OUT OF ORDER. Show me where it said on the adverts that this was to be the case…did it say anywhere that, because a handful of people had decided to “raise the profile of FISM world wide our entertainment ” (for which we had paid.) our enjoyment would be compromised. We might have some brilliant mentalists around but how do the TV people KNOW seventy million people will watch the resulting programme (no doubt starting with a load of brightly coloured rabbits, top hats, cards and wands motifs.)

I would have liked the “Banquet Party Night” to have gone on a little later than 11pm. Ok I do get tired sooner these days but even I could have managed a bit more partying…

We plan to fill in many of the “gaps” in this FISM rambling later but please bear in mind I have a huge Genii article to finish as well as the proof reading and tweaking of Topper’s book as well as the Bizarre Bath show to do…

Well, Rick Merrill has Opus the wrong way up…


Paul Kieve

Wolfram (of Junge Junge) with Family



Harold Voit.

Max Maven and Kyoko

David Sousa was runner up in manipulation, many congratulations…superb..

Rick Merrill is the close up World Champion…this fact makes me very, very happy…he was brilliant.

Jerome Helfenstein from France was totally ignored despite having the most magical hand shadow act I have ever seen. No doubt this was because he didn’t have any coloured hankies etc (ie, that old chestnut “not enough magic…”) Never mind Jerome, many, many people LOVED your act and it will be booked all over the world…remember, there was a time when Lennart Green was ignored by a FISM jury

Yesterday I went with Luis de Matos, Vanessa, Paulino and Eduardo to visit Topper Martyn’s Memorial Park. It was peaceful but in no way morbid…

Anger amongst the audience who were in the theatre to watch the Close Up Final live (as opposed to us who had to watch it on a big screen in a different part of the convention centre.)

Nothing to do with the result but to do with being used by the television company as an audience and being asked to clap and cheer ect. at the director’s command just as they do in television studios. The thing is this isn’t a television theatre where people have come (free) to watch them make a programme. This is FISM where people have paid top dollar to be part of the biggest convention of them all. Frankly a disgrace…

After the five finalists repeated their acts (more later) the winner (clearly and without dispute) was

RICK MERRIL from USA

Refreshing, talented, skillful and very, very funny.

A dubious bunch, (Standing, Guy and Chris)
(seated) Derren, JJ, Noel, Paul, James and Angelo.

Johnny Lonn

Bill Walsh get his Opus.

Bill “the Man” Herz.

I understand the close up/card magic finalists to be…

Shawn (Purple Suit) Farquhar, Canada, Micro Magic.

Martin Eisele, Germany, Micro Magic.

Rick (I was home schooled) Merrill, USA, Micro Magic.

David Stone (even has his own promotional stickers and tee shirts), France, Micro Magic.

Helder Guimaraes, Portugal, Card Magic.

therefore Opus predicts that Helder Guimaraes will win FISM 2006 Card Magic prize.

I am thrilled and delighted to announce that the favourite act of me and many of the Opus Gang and several others, the totally unknown David Sousa (from Porto, Portugal) has won through to the finals of the stage competiton taking place at 7.30 this evening. If my memory (which is dreadful) serves me right only five acts out of the hundred odd acts got through. They will now repeat their acts in front of as many of the 2800 magicians as can get in (disgracefully not everyone will be able to watch.)

Having lifted my heart with his gentle, classy, original manipulation act I am so very, very pleased for him and the magic world. Acts like these don’t come alopng that often. I suspect he won’t win the Grand Prix as the modern trend probably points towards the Korean Act…(I have to sign off for two hours now as they are about to shut down the site for two hours for “maintenance”…back later

No picture of Saturday’s breakfast out of protest…no beans again…why not? They had beans on Wednesday…what is up with the Grand Hotel’s Management?

But not wanting to upset the thousands of people world wide who are checking on the meal photos, here is a picture of the meal offered to the vegetarian FISM 2006 registrants and the Banquet.