Paul's magical life of travel does the trick
MAGIC has been a huge part of Paul Freeman's life ever since he was a young boy. He caught the bug when he was given a magic set at the age of 11 and his passion has continued to grow ever since. A founder member of Scarborough's Magic Circle, Paul has done numerous stage performances and has even been known to saw a woman in half. Reporter Susan Stephenson found out more about his magical life on and off stage.
SCARBOROUGH'S Magic Circle will celebrate its 30th anniversary next year and Paul Freeman has been with them since the beginning.
Now into his eighties, Paul gave up major performances a couple of years ago, but still does a trick or two at meetings.
His love of magic has also led him to research the history of magic, with a particular focus on a German magician called Adalbert Frikell, who died in Scarborough in 1889 under mysterious circumstances.
Paul, who lives in South Cliff, said: "Frikell was living in Sandringham Street at the time and had been performing on the pier off the Marine Drive, which is no longer there.
"He was eating a meal at home and went outside as he began to cough. His landlord went out a few moments later to see if he was all right and found him in a pool of blood."
A search of the home revealed 10 copies of a letter, handwritten by Frikell, which stated that should he be found dead, it would be to due to self-administered poison.
However, a post mortem examination revealed that he had died from an aneuryism of the aorta and his death was not in fact caused by poison.
Paul gave a lecture on the subject last year at a magician's convention in Berlin.
He has also given presentations for the British Ring of the International Brotherhood of Magicians in Southport and Eastbourne.
He said: "The mystery Frikell's death created at the time was greater than any magic illusion. For me to be able to take the story of a German magician back to his homeland was a great experience."
A self-taught magician, Paul recalls that his first magic set was an "Ernest Sewell no. 2". He was hooked straight away and used his new skills as a way of stopping bullies from picking on him at school.
He was also inspired by going to theatres and watching magicians perform live on stage, an experience which he described as "unbelievable".
Paul has given shows all over the world – at Scarborough's Royal Opera House, for schoolchildren in Iran and even at a leper colony on an island off Hong Kong.
The latter came about when Paul was in the Navy and had been posted to Singapore.
He was given the opportunity to go to Hong Kong and got to know the padre of the Missions to Seamen, who was a keen amateur magician.
Paul said: "He arranged for me to perform a show at the leper colony, which was on a little island whose name translated as 'the isle of happy healing'.
"I must say it was my first ever magic show to lepers but we had a great time!"
Originally from Gillingham in Kent, Paul's travels began in 1944 when he was called up to join the forces at the age of 18.
He was stationed at Brussels and in Germany, where he stayed until he was demobbed in 1948.
At the start of the Second World War, Paul had trained as a shorthand typist and on returning home he went to work in local government.
He joined the Writer Branch of the Royal Navy at the age of 26 and was one of only four writers in the whole of the Navy.
He said: "I had postings at sea because WRNS were not allowed to go to sea at that time."
He was stationed in Singapore and later Uxbridge, and was always on the personal staff of the commander in chief of that particular area of the Navy.
Paul said: "Basically it was an office job – I took minutes from meetings and verbatim notes during court martials. My father put me into commercial college and it stood me in good stead for the rest of my life."
An important part of Paul's career abroad was when he was stationed at Aden, at the top of the Persian Gulf, which was the location for an RAF and naval base.
Paul joined the Aden Forces Broadcasting Association as a newsreader and also co-hosted a radio programme called Forces and Family Favourites.
He said: "I enjoyed it tremendously – that is why I enjoy being a reader for the local charity Talking News."
Paul reads extracts from papers, including the Scarborough Evening News, which are recorded and made available as audio files for those with sight problems.
He said: "I tend to do it about once every three months and I love it. The only thing is that I'm a great giggler, which often causes problems!"
Paul also spent time working in Iran as an executive secretary for the Development Resources Cooperation of New York. The company was working on developing the natural resources of the Khuzestan province and built what was, at the time, the sixth highest dam in the world.
He said: "The company brought hydroelectric power to the area which also gave controlled irrigation. This brought agrobusiness to the Khuzestan Province – once known as the bread basket of Iran."
But when the Iranian Government fell in 1979 all foreign workers were deported, so Paul had to pack what he could into two suitcases and leave as quickly as possible.
He came to stay with a good friend in Scarborough and they bought the Londesdale Villa Hotel, which they ran together until Paul decided to take a secretarial job in Saudi Arabia.
Paul came back to Scarborough in 1984, but as he was not yet ready to retire, he went to work at the Town Hall where he became the personal secretary to the late Peter Barton, who was director of legal and valuation services.
He also spent time working for the chief executive, John Trebble, so in Paul's words he was "exec sec to the chief exec"!
Paul then spent a couple of years running the Hackness Estate Office of Lord Derwent when he was away and finally retired at the age of 68.
More recent achievements include being made an Associate of the Inner Magic Circle in London in June this year, owing to his "knowledge and long standing in the world of magic".
Paul said: "To be given that honour was really wonderful."
And how does Paul react when he performs a trick and people ask how it's done?
He said: "I just say 'With great difficulty'! I never tell people how a trick is done.
"Sometimes people try and guess, so I let them go away happy thinking they have worked it out themselves – even if they're wrong!"
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Friday 10 February 2012
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