Adventures of Romany - July 2006   May, June and only a bit through July... First memorable gig of May was performing for the last party at The Arsenal football ground just before the team moved lock stock and footie barrel to their new home. Exciting for my football mad friends that is... but where's the photo? Erm... well, I was definitely backstage with the whole team but since I'm such a football ignoramus I didn't know who was who and didn't like to ask for a photo in case I was snapped with the caterers rather than the players. So, eek, I didn't get one, you'll just have to believe me.   Fabulous Magician Gaeten Bloom

Les Freres Taquin Then a trip to Germany to visit a good friend from Les Freres Taquins, www.lesfrerestaquins.be, a really fabulous variety act playing in the Friedrichsbau-Variete, who just happened to be rooming with one of the most respected and beloved magicians in the business, Gaetan Bloom.   Between watching the wonderful variety show over and over, dancing 'til late and burbling magic until so much later that it became the next day, it was a fabulous couple of days in Stuttgart. But what happened to the Queen's birthday bash in the Palace that I mentioned in the last adventures?

Some of you will have seen the reports of the garden party for 3,000 which truly looked amazing. But that day I was far away entertaining in the United Arab Emirates. Had to turn down Her Majesty to catch a fortnight of 50 degrees heat, ascending mirrored high luxury towers, turquoise seas and a fascinating cultural mix in the new cosmopolitan city of Dubai. I couldn't resist a visit to a new country, lodging in the brand new 5 star Kempinski hotel, www.kempinski-dubai.com, performing close-up magic and cabaret for guests in their restaurant overlooking the ski resort, that's right - ski resort. 50 degrees outside, ski resort inside.

Real snow, real chair lifts, real large black overcoats for the ladies, the lot. A brain twiddler if ever there was one. The ski centre is attached to the hotel and to the 'larger than 77 football pitches' shopping mall that the King of Dubai came to visit while we were there. We were advised if entertaining him not to make any sudden movements and to keep our hands out of our pockets... A challenge for a magician if ever there was! It was an interesting 2 weeks. Audiences from every nation, including locals dressed in the national Arab dress of white for the men and black for the gals who covered their designer outfits with their even more designer 'abaya', the elegant black outfit on top. New Cabaret pic

New Toastmistress pic The people in Dubai were wonderfully friendly and hadn't been over-exposed to magic. Adventures? Of course. One night or rather early morning, after dancing for hours in a great salsa club, my new dancing partner suggested that a dip in the sea would be just the thing to finish the evening. Really? OK then. Off to the nearby beach and zip, clothes left on the beach we dived into the very salty and very hot sea. Lovely, bobbing about under the stars in the black night, me hoping that nothing untoward would come and nibble my toes and keeping a right hook in readiness in case my new friend thought about nibbling anything else.

After a good while, we were about to get out when he casually remarked, "Oh, be a little careful as you get your clothes. Police patrol this beach so if you see anyone, run back and hide in the sea til they're gone. It's a month's imprisonment for mixed skinny dipping..." Now he tells me. Cautiously I wibble out of the sea, advancing slowly towards my stack of clothes, when 3 figures appear out of the darkness. "Quick! Back in the sea!", he shouts. Panicking, I fling myself back and execute an ungainly belly flop into the nearest stretch of water. Water that is only about half a foot deep. I must be more than half a foot thick, or at least as daft because Boof! and OUCH! Bruised knees, scratched elbows, bashed nose. Up and plonk forwards into deeper water. Of course the 3 menacing figures were just tourists out for a night stroll and not the police at all. But in hindsight a nice little adventure to remember Dubai by. And... I'm going back for the whole month of November, booked to do street/cabaret shows as well as close-up magic at the same hotel, sharing the spot with 3 opera singers, another 2 magicians and a juggler, looking forward to seeing again the great people I met last time and having some more and hopefully not so bruising adventures. For now, for the summer, I'm back home in Brighton working an eclectic range of gigs such as Jeffrey Archer's ruby wedding celebration and a Teddy Bears' Picnic in the woods. I should consult my diary, maybe it's the same gig...have a fun-filled summer yourselves! With love and sequins, Romany P.S. New photos attached, hot off the press by fab photographer Toby Amies www.tobyamies.com plus more which will soon be on my web site, watch this space...