Wokingham PROBUS Club
ON Wednesday, October 3, Wokingham PROBUS Club members met in a new location, the Coppid Beech Hotel, Bracknell, to learn about a little known facet of author Charles Dickens. This was his interest in performing as a conjurer, the story of which was told by Ian Keable
Ian, a member of the Magic
Circle, has researched Dickens’s fascination with the conjuror’s art, and published a book on the subject. In his talk Ian related all this to real life contemporary professional performers and references to such people in the author’s own works of fiction.
Ian gave a lively, humorous description of the author’s exploits in performing the magic arts.
Dickens appeared onstage at Bonchurch on the Isle of Wight under the stage name of Rhia
Rama Rhoos in 1849. Dickens had grandiose descriptions of all his tricks which were all guaranteed to amaze and wonder! The usual degree of Dickens humour was also injected: for example Rhoos was alleged to have been educated in the Ocean caves of Alum Bay.
The entertaining presentation ended with Ian performing two of Dickens’s actual tricks, but the audience was none the wiser about how they were done.
Our photograph shows Ian, left, with PROBUS Chairman John Briault, who is holding Ian’s book entitled Charles Dickens – Magician.
PROBUS is a meeting place for retired or semi-retired professional and business people of either sex who assemble monthly in an informal and friendly atmosphere for social chat, a pleasant lunch and a talk on a general interest topic.
New members will be most welcome. Fees are modest, lunches good value and the company friendly with a wide range of experiences and interests from their varied working lives.
Meetings are on the first Wednesday of the month at 12.30pm for 1pm lunch, with a talk usually following. The meeting place is now Coppid Beech Hotel, John Nike Way, Bracknell , RG12 8TF
The next talk in our programme, on November 7, is an audio visual presentation by our member Tony King, entitled A Tribute to British Comedy.
Prospective members will be most welcome to come and meet us, by prior arrangement please, and try us out without obligation. Please contact our Secretary, Hugh Dempster, on 01189 730332 or e-mail hughdempster66@gmail.com
DAVID HUNTER