A Black Country magician will have to stub out a popular trick he has done for 40 years because of the smoking ban which will come into force on Sunday.
John Milner has entertained people for decades with his ability to make a cigarette disappear in a jacket borrowed from the audience after he stubs it out in the folds of the material.
The cigarette than reappears by magic and the jacket is undamaged. John, the owner of The House of Magic in Brook Road, Stourbridge, says, “I have been vanishing lit cigarettes for 40 years and now I am banned by the no smoking laws.
“I don’t smoke myself but have performed the trick using a volunteer’s jacket thousands of times.
“It was something I liked doing, as it fitted in a 10-minute slot.
“It takes a long time to perfect an act and I will have to come up with something else. It’s the end of an area.”
The smoking ban comes into force across the UK on Sunday following on from restrictions already in place in Ireland and Scotland.
In the 1980s John toured the working men’s clubs performing seven days a week, 50 weeks a year where the trick was one of the most popular in his act.
John Milner began his career at an early age and is a member of the Inner Magic Circle with a gold star. In September 22, 2001 John finally achieved his goal of opening a shop with fellow magician Tracie Hughes.
The aim of the shop is to encourage new blood into the magic business.
The Government has earmarked £5.8 million to promote the smoking ban which comes into force on Sunday.
Public Health Minister Caroline Flint said that the money was being used for an “extensive communications campaign” to inform smokers about the ban on lighting up in pubs, clubs and workplaces.
The new law means that virtually all enclosed and substantially enclosed public places and workplaces must become tobacco smokefree – this also applies to work vehicles.
5 Comments
He wants to check - think the law allows smoking if it’s in the form of an act or drama - ie Diedre Barlow in Corrie can still smoke on screen after the ban - but ITV are making sure it follows the law in reality - ie she won’t be smoking in the Rovers !!
I wonder if thats the same for smoke machines a dj uses?
Oh well. Perhaps if Mr Milner has been doing the same magic trick for forty years, it’s time he found a new one anyway!
Sad day for democracy and comedy - and at this point in time they are very much intertwined !!!
Andy is quite right. If the cigarette is ‘integral to the performance’ then it is still allowed.