I was delighted when Carole Foster invited me to perform magic at the beautiful church of St Peter and St Paul in Winderton, South Warwickshire. This elegant Victorian edifice has been cherished by the local populace for over a century and continues to be utilised for special events. Despite being declared ‘redundant’ in 1976, the community rallied and conserved the building for future generations to enjoy – a truly tremendous testimony to their collective spirit.

This was to be a mysterious night of magic, ghostly tales and shadowgraphy. The locals were treated to the exceptional knowledge of Civil War expert Martin Russell. Dressed as a seventeenth century soldier, Martin recounted the details of the Battle of Edgehill, which was fought close to Winderton, on 23rd October 1642. This would mark the start of the First English Civil War, and the ghosts of the fallen are still said to haunt the highways and byways of the county…

Shadow master Drew Colby was also on hand to mesmerise everyone with his incredible talents. As a professional hand shadowgrapher, Drew amazes audiences throughout the world, and his exceptional act has to be seen to be fully appreciated. The Winderton audience was captivated from start to finish by his wonderful performance, and his unique interpretation of ‘The Highwayman’ was truly breathtaking. Find out more about Drew now at: www.shadowgraphy.co.uk

It was a tremendous privilege to share a stage with Martin and Drew, and to perform magic for such a warm and friendly audience at Winderton. Thank you again to everyone in the village for making it such a magical occasion, and I do hope to have the opportunity to return in the future. A special thanks to Carole Foster for both directing the event, and for being such an outstanding Master of Ceremonies.

David Fox is a professional magician and freelance writer who is based in the East Midlands. His website is: www.davidfoxmagician.co.uk and his telephone number is: 07946686258.