Paul Daniels

Most people liked him, but not a lot. Dies at 77 from brain tumour.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-35829251

Gutted.

Met him many times, he was a very personable and warm friendly chap. My kid loves magic and we saw him 4 times on his last tour - small venues but his mastery of the crowd was wonderful to watch. He sat down with my kid and did a few tricks with him then taught him how to do them. The whole family are normal kind people. We have been in contact since the last show and his decline was sudden and unexpected.

He was not only a talented magician but a brilliant engineer, he invented and made most of his illusions - a lot of the ‘big’ hollywood names bought stuff from him.

His closeup work wasn’t quite as good after he cut his finger off but thats not really surprising.

RIP little man

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He cut his finger off? Now thats not magic!

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Yeah , he was making a prop and fret sawed the end of his finger off. he made constant jokes about it. It did mean he lost some of his dexterity.

This was probably the last trick he invented

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Who had one of these as a kid…?

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Mrs Merton asking best interview question ever.

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I had one, MLG.

But I went looking for it one day and it had just disappeared.

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That’s magic! I like that post, but not a lot.

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I remember watching one of his shows on the TV where he was turning something, a duck I think, into a Water Otter.

He did his normal comedic routine and spiel, and he was a funny guy, pulled the curtain off of the box in which he’d placed the duck to show a :-

Let’s give thanks for an 80s entertainer whose only crime was being part of Saturday night tv.

Seemed like a decent bloke, and from the warm tributes he obviously inspired many.

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Cliff Michelmore also passed away.

Both highly skilled in their crafts.

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I heard on the radio that Michael Moore has fallen off a cliff or something. He was like a fat, scruffy, Amercian pap bastard but I always thought his Heart was in Right Place, and I don’t mean in mush at bottom of a cliff RIP.

Last time I saw him I told him that I was more impressed by his mastery of the audience than by the illusion. ‘They are one in the same’ he said with a wink. If you look at that illusion I posted a bit up you will see what I mean he is so relaxed and makes it look so easy.

I know some of the secrets behind his most famous tricks , like the ‘electric chair’ trick which he did many times on TV - also in any arena with any chair. I’ll not ruin it as its great illusion but it could have gone very badly for him at any time and never did, which took amazing skill.

Sorry to get a bit maudlin and not go for the laughs, but I’m actually genuinely upset by this and I know my son will be devastated tonight when he gets home

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