I've got lots of stuff planned for this year and the long awaited promo video – code named "project Deathstar" will be arriving in Feb. I'm also going to Vegas later in the year and hopefully popping to LA again to appear at The Magic Castle. As well as that, I'll be doing my fair share of gigs around the country at a bunch of different functions.

This week I'm in a rehearsal room with everybodies fave Magic Dragon working on some new material and finding time to do my tax return. Yeah, that's right, I'm a rock star.

It had it's problems but I enjoyed FISM. I got to hang out with my magic friends and I witnessed some awe inspiring magic from the world best. Lots of late nights of card tricks and chatting crap about magic but thoroughly worthwhile.

At the conclusion of the magic conference it was decided that the next one would take place in Italy in three years. I've already signed up, it should be fantastic.

On a work front, things have been very busy and I've been in the West Midlands, Gatwick, Crawley and of course a few gigs in the bright lights of London in the last few weeks.

Just a quick note to thank everybody that booked me for events in December. It was a great month which seen me darting all over the UK to bust out miracles for discerning spectators at a wide range of events. I’m taking it easy for a couple of days now and munching my body weight in quality street and watching more animated movies than is right to watch but if you need me I’m only an email away. Here’s to 2012!

I spent a fair amount of time performing outside for the dirty smokers and hamburger quaffers as inside the bar was very loud. Most of my close up magic works with very limited words but I always need to be heard for certain parts. It’s a real push to perform miracles with House of pain blearing out of the massive speakers. Anyway, it was a great night and a lot of fun working with a pickpocket and silent act.

Over the weekend I got a few hours sleep total and I managed to stay off the booze and drank water the whole weekend. That said, I did get a terrible cold the next day and lost my voice for a few days afterwards. I’m used to going to these type of events and I know that you are always a bit “beaten up” afterwards but I wouldn’t miss it for anything…roll on next year.

I was based in the restaurant performing cool magic for the people taking a break from the games. I didn’t know really fancy approaching people who had lost money as I didn’t think they would be as receptive to the close up magic but they loved it. The whole night was Las Vegas themed with an Elvis impersonator and showgirls dotted around the place. Hopefully I will be back to show those croupiers a thing or two about shuffling cards and to amaze their patrons of the casino.

The party was a celebration for a couple who’ve recently got married. Several of the guests only spoke Russian with very limited English so I had to perform a lot purely visual close-up magic. I try and concentrate on performing funny close up magic and sometimes purely visual is the way to go, in this instance I had to drop all my hilarious repartee to rely performing hard-hitting magic without a lot of banter. My formal close-up magic show is a lot of fun to perform, in it I get to perform a lot of magic routines I can’t do in my table or walk around sets because of length of time they require.

It was a very small party of 10 guests and i performed some close up magic and some larger pieces for the whole table from my formal close up magic show. For those interested in such things, yes she is as crazy a box of frogs but charming as well.