It had to happen. I just got back from a show and for the first time in 35 years of performing - no-one in the room of over a hundred people had a cigarette.

Normally, I borrow a pack of cigarettes and reproduce a signed silk handkerchief from them, but no-one had a pack on them.

No-one even pointed to a smoker and dobbed him in.

Thank goodness for MagicSports. I had someone select a bread roll from the table and produced the silk from that instead. Then I improvised a three minute routine to replace the sequence I normally do with the cigarettes.

As much as I love doing the cigarette tricks, I guess I'm really going to have to phase them out. Even Al Cappuccino is having to use dummy cigarettes in his act nowdays.

Luckily I have a lot of new material in the wings that's been waiting for an opening like this... who knows what trick is going to get it's big break next: Jumbo Sidekick, Linking Coathangers, Virtual Card Trick...

It's just so hard to say goodbye to a routine you've been honing for so many years... and especially one that blends so seamlessly between two others.

Words fail me at a time like this.

There's really nothing left to say but