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Hi, Rusty!
Well, it hasn't been too bad a day on the whole.......cold yes, but it remained dry.
We should have been having our elder daughter and the boys coming to stay for a few days this week over half term.........but they are all full of cold and coughs, and so we have postponed until they are a bit healthier!
I was watching Eggheads the other day - the Challengers were all authors.
One of them turned out to be someone whose books I have read!
Not your genre though, so I doubt you would have heard of him....Mark Billingham?
He writes detective novels about a character called DI Tom Thorne.
The French Open seems to have progressed satisfactorily despite the rain.
Andy Murray is to play Novak Djokovic in the Final on Sunday.
I think the "Panic Room lady" is in the Women's Finals tomorrow , but I don't know whom she is playing?
The Bryan brothers are in the Men's Doubles Finals.
Did you have any luck with the horse-racing?


Hi, Ros!
Apparently the winner of BGT - a magician - is being accused of his acts not being "original" but similar - or repeats of - other acts.
Hence my remark about it surely being impossible for all "magic" acts to be unique.
I am glad that you agreed in principle anyway - even if not specifically!

Good evening, Elle!
The Times had a clue for me today!
2, Author, one who's apparently broken into Flower of Scotland?(9)
I am struggling with the concept of the South East being cold and wet and us up here getting very pleasant weather?
Very unusual!
Very wise keeping your family away until the bugs die off!
I do not know the author you mentioned.
I noticed the "Panic Room" dame and her opponent were very well wrapped up whilst playing. Playing in leg warmers etc.
Shows what Paris weather is like!
I liked the magician, and completely accept the tricks have been done previously. They were good, though! The man had Talent!
I mean, singers sing songs that have been sung before.
Not a big deal.
My horse ran well, but not well enough!
Maybe better luck in the Derby tomorrow.
One of my granddaughters is getting all dolled up for the racing at Perth on Sunday. Her office has a mini bus going.

Quite often a magician will repeat an old trick, but put his or her own twist on it which is all that can really be done, though some of Penn and Teller's tricks seem original. I think it doesn't matter as long as it is done well and entertainingly. I think I saw the winner of BGT on The One Show, which I don't usually watch. He did a pretty amazing card trick.
Clearly there are few basic ideas- think of a card, chose a card from a pack, chose red/back; spades/clubs: court or number etc. All ways of selecting one card (in fact usually pre- selected). Then it appears inside an orange, stuck on a person's back, even in their wallet. All very clever and requiring hours of practice. But how you devine, as the BGT magician did, a card someone just thought of with no questions is beyond me. Well done that man. I think the detractors are jealous!

Very well put, Rosalind. I agree.
The BGT man was very good, I thought.
I do not know how he worked his magic, but I think there is a lot of preparation going into it.
And, do you have a choice of card, or are you led to it?
Very entertaining, anyway!

A very early good morning, Rusty!
A fine one but definitely chilly, as yet. I hope your weather is warmer.
I can do your clue!
T hacker ay
I had an advantage as The Tay came to mind straightaway!
Ros put that about the magician far better than I did.........and at least we all agreed that there ought not to be a problem there.
I thought he was brilliant!
A pity about your runner in The Oaks but maybe you will have more luck today in The Derby - which horse are you backing?
I have Athletics and tennis to watch today - and even more Athletics and tennis (but they clash) tomorrow!
A good weekend sportswise!
I hope your granddaughter (which one?) enjoys her day at The Races in Perth!



Well done, Ros!
That is exactly what I wanted to convey about performing magical tricks, but you put it far more succinctly than I could.
I think the guy was wonderful and well deserved to win the competition!

Good morning, Elle.
Smashing morning here!
I was reading about the floods in Paris and the article mentioned 250,000 works of art in the Louvre.
That amount astonished me!
"Thackeray" was a good one, I think.
Yes, Rosalind put her points over very well.
I have not a problem with the magician winning.
He was excellent!
I have Moonlight Magic in the Derby, each way.
Kevin Manning is the jockey.
Hopefully get a good run!
La Bamba is going to Perth Races.
She has a new outfit!
It's a great day out at Perth and the weather forecast is excellent.

Thanks for the compliments, folks.

Hope your horse runs very well in the Derby, rusty.

Yes, there are many ways of "forcing" a card, For example I have a complete set of 52 x six of spades! And a large card which has been on view all the time with its back to the audience. "Is your card here?" you say, turning it over. Printed on the face is every card in the pack. This provides a laugh and the opportunity for some skullduggery!
Professionals use much more subtle methods than those above.

There's a doxology whch ends "Don't play cards with anyone called Mac" (no idea what the rest is.) Don't play cards with a magician! For example, with a great deal of practice the second (or bottom) card of a pack can be dealt as if it were the top one, undetectably!

The great Paul Daniels sometimes showed those who knew the secret of a trick that he used a different way. As a small part of a much longer trick, he once disappeared some items from a tray, usually done by reversing it (glue is useful!). However, as he left he casually held the tray showing both sides. Genius.

Hi, Rusty!
We are promised a high of 21C, but apparently it isn't going to hit us until about 5 o'clock!
So not a lot of use!
We shall be home again for the day / evening by then!
It wasn't all that warm out this morning! Maybe just making double figures?
Have you been out yet for your paper?
The British Museum here in London has over 7 million works of art!
(I wouldn't want to move those in a hurry!)
I am trying to plan my day around the Athletics, but will have to settle instead for recording them, I think!
Only two hours of rather rushed Highlights. Coverage so far this season has been exceptionally poor.
What time does Moonlight Magic run?


You are giving us insights into the World of Magic, Ros!
Stripping away our illusions!
I liked Paul Daniels.
Remember his "I like it....but not a lot!"

Morning Everyone,

Hi Elle, Rusty and Ros,

I read somewhere that Le Louvres is housing nearly 400,000 works of art, which is less than it used to house since the Musee du Quai d'Orsay has taken over the care of most Impressionist paintings -
There are also two or three other Museum for more modern art pieces (Musee des Arts Nouveaux and Musee du Trocadero) - and of course three of these museums are close to the river Seine.

It seems an enormous of number for the British Museum - does it include other things than just Art pieces?

Here this morning : grey sky, temps now around 16C and perhaps a bit of sun (what's that?) this afternoon.
Yet, they have already changed their minds as to the nice weather we were supposed to have next week - More thunder and more rain ! I am going to emigrate to Scotland !

Hi, Pigale!
According to Wikipaedia, the British Museum houses nearly EIGHT million objects! I was a teeny bit out in my estimation!
It's a massive building - I've only been to a few individual rooms.... I find it best to visit a room or two at a time per visit, or else it proves overwhelming!
It exhibits cultural art objects and antiquities.
Try this link
http://www.britishmuseum.org/