Local, Johhny Geddes, was a magician involved in many areas of the trade.
The publicity ad at the top is from 1980, and highlights his lean towards comedy. Just as well he had a sense of humour because the advert has a whopper of a misprint with his name!
The ad for the Johnny Geddes Magic & Fun shop in Meadowside is dated 1981.
Although I can remember the place ok, I was never in it, but I do recall the masks they had in the shop window, including Laurel & Hardy, old hags and a Maggie Thatcher one too!
Johnny Geddes was actually a professional magician who toured regularly around UK as well as places further afield such as America.
Needless to say, he was in the Dundee Magic Circle, before later going on to become president of the Scottish Magic Circle.
He has also appeared on TV a few times alongside the likes of Charlie Drake and Rolf Harris.
In addition, Mr G has written many books on the subject of magic and managed to find time to run the Jay-Gee Variety Agency too.
In fact, oor man of magic had quite a few tricks up his sleeve it seems!
Is he still alive? I remember being in that shop in the early 80's but he seemed very old even then.
ReplyDeleteFuck me! £5.15 , 30 years ago for a Rubik cube ,cost about £3 now , i feel so guilty now swapping all the stickers about when my poor mum and dad spent so much of their hard earned cash to give me the IN Christmas present that year along with everything else ,glad i`m sending them on a cruise this year!
ReplyDeleteA wee joke item I recall from my school days was the fake Wrigleys packet.
ReplyDeleteIt looked exactly the same - but when you offered someone a bit of chewny, they'd go to take one out of the packet and a springed metal clamp would crash down like a mouse-trap on top of their thumb.
Painful and hilarious - well for a 12 year old it was!
Smokin' monkeys, blackeyed telescopes, powder puffin' fags, stink bombs, nudie cards, blackfaced soap, garlic bon bons, sneezin powder etc etc, spent many a weeks pocket money on those things, :) must have made a fortune on a day like today ;)
ReplyDeleteDid anyone ever go through the wee door that was at the back of the shop?
ReplyDelete...er...was that the door where everyone vanished...??
ReplyDeleteMy dad was good friends with Johnny Geddes back in the 70s/80s from his involvement with the Dudhope Air Training Corps where Johnny was a member of the committee.
ReplyDeleteAsked my dad last night whatever happened to him: he lost touch with Johnny a few years back but apparently he suffered a stroke in the early 90s which left him unable to speak. My father reckons he's still alive as he's never heard any mention of his death, whether in the papers or word of mouth. If so, Johnny will be at least 90 now.
£5 for a rubix cube? THey cost a couple of pounds now - thank f for chink imports! I was in Dundee lately and cannae find a pea shooter for love nor money. Sad state of affairs.
ReplyDeleteIn these despairing times we're living in, you just have to resort to what we did when there was a pea-shooter shortage - use an empty biro!
ReplyDeletei was given a "retro " tattie gun as a xmas prezzie last year , at least didnt get a clip on the lug when my mum went to make stovies for ah the holes in the spuds :)
ReplyDeleteI bought an invisible man suit from this shop....but fuck knows where it is now!
ReplyDeleteMy father, Johnny Geddes passed away in February 2000 aged 82. As was mentioned, he had a stroke in the early nineties and lost the power of speech. When he passed, there was little or no mention in the local press.
ReplyDeleteCharlie Geddes, eldest son.
My father had a shop in Perth in the 1950s and I am sure Johnny who was a commercial traveller came there, am I right.
Deletehi
DeleteI joined the Scottish Magic Circle in 1968 or 69 and Johnny was the I think president . Johnny was a great character and their were other member such as Arthur Lawrie, Charlie Black and others who's names I just cant remember. I had a great time learning magic from all of these members and some of Johnnies routines were hilarious. We used to have some great magic at our meetings. I saw Charlie Black a few years or more ago in Broughty Ferry and just wondered if he was still with us as he must have been in his eighties or nineties. I have really good memories of my time in the Scottish Magic Circle and sometimes pull out a packet of cards and practice my tricks.I also was surprised their was little or no mention of Johnny passing as he was a prolific contributor to many conjuring magazines of magic routines, usually comedy magic as well as publishing a number of books/booklets.Johnny also had his own television show on Grampian tv in the 1970s.
Hi Charlie, I came to your house quite often back in the 60's; your brother ian was my best pal from Downfield Primary and then we sort of drifted once we went to Kirkton High. (Roger Perrie)
DeleteHi roger
DeleteSorry but i am not charlie my name is patrick and i knew charlie from 1970 when i joined the Dundee Magic Circle. I was just wondering if Charlie was still alive as he must be. About 90. Thanks for reply anyway. Best wishes patrick
Hias a breakaway grouo of magicians from the Dundee Magic circle. Happy times
DeleteShould read i joined the Scottish Magic Circle which w
hi
ReplyDeleteDon't know what business your dad was in but Johnny was a travelling salesman . I think for Coleman's mustard.
Just a quick note to say, my father was Charlie Black who was in the Scottish magic Circle with Johnny Geddes, Arthur Lawrie and more lately Albert Lawson aka Mr Rainbow. My father died peacefully aged 89 in 2017.
ReplyDeleteHi
ReplyDeleteThanks for the reply.Sorry to hear he has passed away. I have fond memories of your dad as i met him when i was around 16 at the Scottish Magic Circle when i first joined in 1970 and he helped me with lots of magic tricks and gave me every encouragement. I attended a couple of conventions wih him.I hadnt seen him for years and bumped into him in broughty ferry around 10 years ago . He was looking very dapper in his blue blazer and cravat and we had a good catch up.I had great fun with Johnny, Arthur your dad and others all those years ago when magic was pure skill and misdirection. Thanks again patrick
Remember in early 70's Ron Milller organised entertainments during summer school holidays. If raining some shows in Montrose town hall. Was called on stage to "assist" Mr Geddes with a magic trick, a big thing as I was about 10 and very shy. Happy days!
ReplyDeleteback in the mid 50s I entered a talent contest held outdoors at Letham Glen in Leven. Johnny Geddes was the compere and a very patient man indeed, thinking of my own dreadful 'efforts' back then. Also remember his famous Stars of Variety when they performed around the area, Dundee semi-professionals of whom I can only recall the singer, Doris Gilfeather and possibly Ian McLeish the gaelic singer who was manager of Largs,Perth
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