Well, it’s been a long time – 38 weeks, to be precise – but I’m back to doing what I love the most: making children laugh.
It was Saturday 5 September when I’d last pulled on my red braces and dusted of my red hat to perform for a group of children. But earlier this month, the braces and bowler were back on when I performed my first birthday party in what seemed an age. The audience was just as small, as the COVID restrictions were still in place, but that small group of children in that sunny back garden welcomed me back as if I’d never been away. I think they needed a party as much as I did. Certainly Sarah and David were pleased they were able to mark their son’s birthday with something approaching the celebrations we used to hold.
Of course, we were all looking forward to today, 21 June – the so-called Freedom Day – when all restrictions would be lifted, as I set out on my Magic Peter Comeback Tour blogpost. Of course, as we all know, that has been delayed, and this morning I watched as my glasses fogged up as usual in the queue in the Post Office! The delay has meant that some planned larger shows have been postponed until later in the year, and now the weather has kicked in, so the outdoor parties this weekend may be an ‘adventure’ to say the least!
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Looking Ahead
The new date for lifting restrictions has been set as 19 July. Until then, very small parties or outdoor shows are the order of the day and my diary is pretty full for the coming month. (Hopefully the weather will improve!) But I am by nature an optimist, and I’m looking further ahead than this summer.
It has been an extremely difficult year for schools, and for school fundraisers, which means I haven’t performed my No -Risk FUNdraising Show for nearly 18 months. As we approach the end of this school year, I’m already planning a brand new fundraising show for the next academic year for all those schools and organisations who’ve found it so difficult to raise much-needed funds during the pandemic.
By the end of the summer, we all hope that large gatherings will be the norm again, so if your school is looking for something new, something different, to raise cash for your PTA, then reserve a date now and we can plan the details nearer the time, when we can be sure of a big crowd and a big return for your fundraising efforts.
The Magic of Christmas
Looking even further ahead, I sincerely hope we’ll be able to celebrate Christmas in style this year, and I’ll have a brand new Magic of Christmas show ready for all your parties this year. Although I continue to work for Waitrose until we’re completely back to normal, I’m in discussions with them to reduce my hours in order to make more dates available for Magic Peter’s shows. I’ll keep you posted.
So, until then, look after yourselves, and as Roald Dahl famously wrote: “Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.” So keep believing – as I do – that the magic will return sooner rather than later.