The 31st Annual Convention of I.B.M. British Ring No.25 takes place 13th–17th September 1967 in Southport, with Convention Headquarters at the Prince of Wales Hotel and events at the Floral Hall, the Cambridge Hall, the Victoria Hall and the Odeon Theatre. Under the presidency of the Rev. Michael Seacome, and with International President Syd Bergson and the Mayor of Southport, Alderman J. Simms Mitchell, sending their welcome, the programme features the Houdini Chinese Water Torture Cell Escape outside stunt, The Harold Taylor Show, Close Up Magic, the Civic Reception, the Mammoth Dealers' Demonstration, lectures by Piet Forton, Billy McComb and Anverdi, the Competition for the New Silver British Ring Shield, 'Thanks for the Memory', the Convention Banquet, 'A Night at the Music Hall', the Micro Magic Contest, Children's Playtime and the Pharos Gala at the Odeon Theatre.
President the Rev. Michael Seacome welcomes members and visitors back to Southport, where the British Ring has enjoyed very happy Conventions in 1939, 1955 and 1963, the last in the most glorious weather. He extends a cordial welcome to all joining from home and overseas, asks new members and first-time attenders to make themselves known to the Stewards, sends a special greeting to sick members and absent friends, and thanks the Mayor of Southport, the Civic Authorities and all the Officers, helpers and artists who have given four days of fellowship in magic. Syd Bergson, President of the International Brotherhood of Magicians, sends the warmest greetings and best wishes of the officers and Board of Trustees, regretting that he cannot be present in person. Alderman J. Simms Mitchell, J.P., Mayor of Southport, offers a sincere welcome on behalf of the Citizens of Southport, with a particular welcome to those visiting for the first time. Convention Headquarters is the Prince of Wales Hotel; events are announced on the fixture boards at the Registration Office in the Cambridge Hall, and the rule 'Admission only by badge' is strictly enforced. Professor E. Duployen, Official Interpreter to the British Ring, is at the disposal of any member or visitor. Overseas visitors are expected from Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Germany, Holland, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Switzerland and the U.S.A.
The Convention opens on Wednesday 13th September. The Grand Dealers' Magical Trade Fair ('Your Shop Window'), directed by Eddie Dexter, runs from Wednesday to Sunday in the Cambridge Hall and its Assembly Room with nineteen dealers, and the Dealers' Trophy presented by Mystic Craig for the most attractive stand, currently held by the Supreme Magic Co., is judged at 5 p.m. by W. J. Rushton of Forbes Keir Ltd. At 11.45 a.m. Timothy Dill-Russell presents the Houdini Chinese Water Torture Cell Escape as a sensational outside stunt in the Floral Hall Gardens, and at 2.40 p.m. the President officially opens the 31st Annual Convention in the Floral Hall, followed at 3.15 p.m. by 'The Harold Taylor Show' with Bob Heath and Paula Scott and the Tommy Nightingale Quartet. At 5 p.m. Francis Haxton presents 'Close Up Magic' in the Ballroom of the Prince of Wales Hotel with Jack Avis, Ted Daniels, Piet Forton, Fred Lowe and Gus Southall. Overseas visitors are formally introduced in the Floral Hall at 7.30 p.m., and the evening ends with the Mayor and Corporation's Civic Reception, with dancing from 8.30 p.m. to 12.30 a.m. and a cabaret of Ken De Courcy, Norman George, the Showliners, Niven Miller and Joanne Moore.
Thursday 14th September begins at 9.45 a.m. with the Mammoth Dealers' Demonstration in the Floral Hall, arranged by Eddie Dexter, in which sixteen dealers each take an eleven-minute slot from Diamond Enterprises to Murray. At 2.30 p.m. Piet Forton, the Swiss children's entertainer and first-prize card magician at this year's F.I.S.M. Congress at Baden-Baden, lectures on 'Children's Entertaining' in the Floral Hall, while the Ladies' Afternoon in the Ballroom of the Prince of Wales Hotel offers Mary Seacome and Rosemary's talk and demonstration 'Bustles, Crinolines & All That', a Table Cover Competition, tea, raffle and bingo. At 4.15 p.m. Wilfred Tyler's Hospital/Homes Shows take magic to Peacehaven, the Bradstock Lockett Special School and Hospital, the Children's Convalescent Home, the Salvation Army Children's Home, the School for Partially Hearing in Birkdale, the Hatherlow Homes and the Infirmary Children's Ward, and Bobby Bernard's 'The Clinic' begins in the Victoria Hall. At 8 p.m. Alastair introduces the seventeen entrants in the Competition for the New Silver British Ring Shield in the Floral Hall, judged by Geoffrey Buckingham (Chairman), Duncan Fletcher, Henk Vermeyden, Ronnie Rex, Harold Morton, Mrs. Zina Bennett, Alec White and Harry Francis, with Anthony List as Stage Manager and Alfred Gabriel as Musical Director.
Friday 15th September opens at 10.30 a.m. with the Annual General Meeting and Election of Officers in the Floral Hall (members only) under Chairman the Rev. Michael Seacome, with Rex Reader as Returning Officer. At 2.45 p.m. Peter Warlock presents 'Thanks for the Memory', looking back at the magic of Professor Anders, John Calvert, Chris Charlton, Douglas Dexter, Harry Houdini, Lionel King, Edward Maurice, Herbert Milton, Alan Stainer, Hans Trixer and Edward Victor, with performances by Alan Alan, Jack Avis, Frank Boynett, Fred Buttress, Alan Fraser, Edward Love, Billy McComb, June Merlin, Pat Page, John Shearer and Harold Taylor. The Convention Banquet is at the Prince of Wales Hotel at 6.30 for 7 p.m., with Mr. P. Graham as Toastmaster and toasts to The Queen, the County Borough of Southport, the British Ring (proposed by Henk Vermeyden, Acting President of F.I.S.M.) and the Ladies and Visitors (answered by Syd Brockman, Past President of the Pacific Coast Association of Magicians). At 8 p.m. 'The Clinic' is repeated in the Assembly Rooms, and at 10.30 p.m. 'A Night at the Music Hall' is presented in the Floral Hall under the personal supervision of Geoffrey Robinson, with Terry Herbert and Averil, Piet Forton, Elinor Heslop, Freda and Fred Finnegan, G. H. Stephens, Geoffrey Buckingham and Bill and Ann Williams, with John Morris in the chair.
Saturday 16th September starts at 10 a.m. with the Micro Magic Contest for the Zina Bennett Trophy, organised by Fred Lowe in the Ballroom of the Prince of Wales Hotel, with eight competitors working table to table before judges David Budd, Donald Crombie, Rovi, Miss Tarbot and John Salisse. At 10.30 a.m. Wilfred Tyler presents and devises Children's Playtime in the Floral Hall, hosted by Jack Mayes with Piet Tovenaar, the I.B.M. Clowns, Percy Best, Roy Grout, Terry Seabrooke and Piet Forton, and at 11 a.m. the Mayor of Southport invites all overseas visitors to a Cocktail Party at the Mayor's Parlour, Town Hall. Unsold goods on the Welfare Stand are auctioned at mid-day, and at 2.15 p.m. Billy McComb lectures on 'Forty Two Years in a Portuguese Straitjacket' in the Floral Hall, with the Zina Bennett Trophy presented by Suzy Wandas Bennett, widow of the late Dr. Zina Bennett, at the start. The Pharos Gala is presented twice at the Odeon Theatre, at 5 p.m. and 8.30 p.m., arranged by Wm. G. Stickland and stage directed by Paul Graham, compered by Harold Taylor, with Delphine y Domingo, Campbell McRae, The Rosinis (Germany), Morine, the Roger Stevenson Marionettes, Van Buren and Greta, Richard Ross (Holland), Billy McComb, The Pharos, Mr. Joe (Belgium), Fred Sherry (Austria) and Jeffery Atkins and Company in 'The Illusions of the Masters'. After the Gala, 'Thanks... to Suzy!!' in the Ballroom of the Prince of Wales Hotel presents Suzy Bennett's colour films of Dr. Zina Bennett's Giant Card act, her own act and the Abbott's Get-Together at Colon, introduced by Eddie Dexter, and at midnight Ken Green and the Krazy Kounts present 'The Late Late Show' in aid of the British Ring Welfare Fund.
The Convention closes on Sunday 17th September with the undenominational Convention Service at 10 a.m. in the Floral Hall, conducted by Ringer the Rev. Michael Seacome, M.A., A.R.C.M., Vicar of Barnwood, Gloucester and Official Chaplain to the British Ring, followed at 11 a.m. by Anverdi's lecture 'Magic My Way'. At 12.15 p.m. Geoffrey Buckingham is installed as the new President at the Prince of Wales Hotel, followed at 12.30 p.m. by a Cocktail Party under the direction of Mr. and Mrs. Eddie Dexter and the close of the Convention: au revoir until we meet again in 1968. Throughout the Convention the Welfare Stand in the foyer of the Cambridge Hall offers dozens of novelties at very reasonable prices, and refreshments, alcoholic and coffee, are served at the Victoria Hall adjoining the Dealers' Exhibition, where ladies are invited for their 'elevenses'.
Event Organisers: Gala Show — Wm. G. Stickland and Jeffery Atkins. Registration — Jeffery Atkins. Banquet and Close-Up — Francis Haxton. Dealers' Exhibition, Demonstration and Films — Eddie Dexter. Outside Attractions and Publicity — Tommy Rowe. Tombola — Helene Strachan. Lectures, 'Thanks for the Memory' and Souvenir Programme — Peter Warlock. After Banquet Show — Geoffrey Robinson. Ladies' Afternoon — Mesdames Warlock, Dexter, Rowe, Gabriel and Haxton. Shield Competition — Alastair. Children's Playtime and Hospital Shows — Wilfred Tyler. Micro Magic — Fred Lowe. The Clinic — Bobby Bernard. Cocktail Party — Mollie and Eddie Dexter. The Convention Committee comprises Jeffery Atkins, Eddie Dexter, Paul Graham, Francis Haxton, Dr. E. McF. McKee, Geoffrey Robinson, Tommy Rowe, Wm. G. Stickland, Wilfred Tyler and Peter Warlock, with Dr. McKee as Chief Steward, assisted by Jock Armitage, Ken Bamborough, Gilbert K. Barker, Harry H. Benson, Bernard Brown, Sissie Entwisle, Jack Griggs, G. N. Hatton, Charles McAffee, H. Matthews, Colin Normanton, Bob Orr, Harry Postlewaite, Trixie Queen, Ann Rose, Robert E. Scott, Bob Thompson and Les Woodcock.
