One of the things I love most about my job is getting to visit new places each week. The travel itself isn't such a joy, particularly the trip I have to take around the M25 most days but when I arrive in a new place it's always fun to explore. I always like to arrive at a venue a few hours before performing to give myself time to set up. This is usually far too early so gives me time to have a look around the area. Last week I found myself driving through a very rural part of Surrey, with the occasional traditional English village. Driving through one, I have no idea what it was called, I notices an antique/junk shop. Many years ago I worked as an antique restorer and will always stop at an antique shop when I see one. My great passion is for antique books, my house is full of them, with creaking shelves in every room. I've got to the point where I have to sneak books into the house as I've been forbidden from buying more!
The shop itself was a veritable treasure chest of junk, they had one small shelf of books and sitting amongst them I found a first edition of The Magician, The Witch and The law by Peter Edwards for a mere 50p! I've been after a copy of this for a while. A few years ago I performed for a law society who asked me to give a brief speech as part of the show detailing how the law effects performing as a magician. This book came to my attention whilst researching that performance but I never managed to get hold of a copy
The book looks at how magic in the middle ages was associated with heresy and sorcery and how the magician and the witch could be punished for such. It's fair to say the book is fairly dry in style as it is written from a scholarly point of view and therefore only for those truly interested in the subject of the occult in the middle ages. Ultimately what I take from it is if I had been performing at this period I almost certainly would have been burnt at the stake! With that in mind, how can I resist buying more books when on my travels around this world, if I was to ever be sent back in time I've learnt it's very important not to tell people I can read minds, this book may have saved my life!
Edward Crawford is a full time professional magician and mind reader (known as a mentalist). In this particular case he was performing in Surrey so if you're after a magician in the Surrey area feel free to go to the Surrey Magician page. For everyone else, click the Home button in the top menu.
