Grand Master's medal for magic man

Ken Bates is a past master at prestidigitation but now we'll have to call him a grand master as well.

Mr Bates' skills as a magician and entertainer are well known in this neck of the woods but at the national magicians' convention in Palmerston North over the weekend he received the highest accolade being named Grand Master of Magic.

The medal recognises "masters of the art and craft of magic" and goes to performers of the "highest standard".

It's another feather in Mr Bates' magician's hat which he first put on as young boy in war-time England.

His grandmother ran a bed and breakfast. Entertainers used to stop there and a magician was there one time when Ken bates was visiting.

"This magician came in and showed me some tricks. I gave him a penny and he turned into a half crown. From that moment I was hooked," Mr Bates said.

While his magical performances are winding down after about 35 years in the game he and his wife Shirley are occasionally a working duo, performing at conventions like the one in Palmerston North.

Mrs Bates may be part of the stage act but she doesn't get sawn in half.

"We stopped doing that because I always ended up with the wrong half," Mr Bates explained.

Some of his earlier stunts have long gone. Like the time he tried to impress his wife-to-be at their engagement party with a bit of fire-eating.

"In those days you put cotton balls doused spirits in your mouth and exhaled and lit the fumes.

"Problem was I'd had a few beers and I'd also overdone the spirits which dribbled down my chin. So instead of blowing flames from mouth I spat out the cotton balls out which bounced across the carpet, burning holes as it went."

That effectively snuffed out the incendiary section of the Bates' act.

Mr Bates is not an illusionist. He entertains kids and grown ups more with comedy.

From the time the Bates' arrived in Wanganui in 1972 Ken's been involved in magic.

And while his double act, with wife Shirley, happens very occasionally, they have not gone unnoticed.

At a convention in Wellington in 1995 they were approached by a man who invited them to do some work at his restaurant.

What the man didn't say was his restaurant was at a resort in Vanuatu. So the Bates' have been going there every year for the last 12 years with all their expenses paid.

His magic is close up kind, involving sleight of hand. He showed this reporter one, turning a $5 note into a $20 note. It's something any Minister of Finance would love to master.

As with all his tricks, he's learnt them from books, videos and attending lectures.

The magic runs in the Bates' bloodlines with one of their sons, Paul, working professionally as Zappo.

Both Ken and Shirley are members of the Dure Hill Bowling Club and he still takes his bag of tricks with him to entertain the members.

"What I enjoy is listening to people laugh because people don't laugh enough these days.

"Magic's been very good to us. We've met great people and had some great fun," he said.