Magician quits over allergy...to rabbits
A MAGICIAN has had to quit performing for children because he is allergic to the rabbits he pulls out of the hat.
Ian Wragg initially thought he was suffering an attack of hay fever as his eyes started streaming when he first performed the trick 28 years ago.
But when he began experiencing the symptoms every time he reached into his magic hat, he realised the bunnies were to blame.
Now, after battling the condition since 1990, Ian, 47, has been forced to give up his children’s shows and his furry assistants Tibbles and Bess have been given away to good homes.
The father of one, from Esh Winning, County Durham, had a thriving business as a children’s party entertainer but has finally given up on advice of wife Sue, 41, a nurse.
He said: “I tried various medications, but nothing worked. I carried disinfectant wipes so I could wash myself straight after handling the rabbits. I even trained them to hop into their hutch straight after the shows so I did not have to touch them.”
The family moved the pets from the living room when the allergy affected his respiratory system and his breathing became heavy. But Ian’s Ian had to give up his bunny business sense of humour is still on show with a joke about the episode.
He said: “I was wheezing so bad that I didn’t like to use the phone, in case someone thought it was a dirty phone call.”
Years ago, he was delighted to discover that the allergy did not run in the family when his son Daniel volunteered to handle the rabbits for him.
But Daniel is now 25 and has left the magic business.
Ian will now be focusing on magic at weddings and mind-reading.
He said: “It’s sad because I have always been known as a children’s entertainer.”