Our first suggestions are in honour of the recently deceased legend that is Paul Daniels. With his passing, the UK has lost one of its all time great magicians and entertainers.  I’ve written in the past about some of my own experiences of the great man. But of the many routines he made his own, the Chop Cup is surely one of the finest.  This wide mouthed Ickle Pickle chop cup is quite close in style to the Ken Brooke style cup which Paul used. £36.99

Chop Cups come in many sizes and styles – if you want to see some alternatives, have a look at the spooky Sea of Skulls cup, the streamlined modern Leather Chop Cup, or the unique space-saving design of the Harmonica Chop Cup.

And if you want to learn from the master, then you can’t go wrong with his wonderful Bravura DVD set in which he teaches some of his trademark routines (including the chop cup routine).  £119.99.

Although the Scotts don’t always like being associated with the UK, our next suggestion is by that talented Scottish magician, Dave Forrest.  He’s has put out numerous brilliant releases over the years, and one such very recent example is REM. This is very powerful close up mentalism where you are able to show the spectator has correctly imagined every part of your dream. Wonderful. £28.50 (you can read our full review here)

Next up is one of the greatest hits of the recent Blackpool Magicians Conference, at least – in the eyes of Jeff McBride – and he knows a thing or two about magic!  Dave Loosley’s Inflexion is a super-visual two card transposition which is easy to do.  Conceived and manufactured in the UK! £28.50

And last, but not least, Nick Einhorn is one of the nicest pros working in the UK at the moment – and anything with his name on it is guaranteed to be a worker.  I love the thinking behind his Bill to Marker – a totally ‘organic’ approach to the ‘bill to impossible location’ plot. Think ‘bill tube’ but in a logical form which fits the routine perfectly.  This is a real winner and would also work really nicely with any bill change routine you do.  £65.99

There it is – a variety of effects with a UK link – to help me think of home in the coming weeks.  I’m looking forward to doing some work on my Cups and Balls routine while away – watch this space for some interesting reflections on that classic of magic.  And let us know what you’ve seen that’s new and interesting in the world of close up magic.

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