Now that was magic...

Well, I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed the Britain's Got Talent Final.

I was delighted with the eventual winner too - Richard Jones is such a talented magician, and his act for the final show was touching and I'm sure brought a tear to many an eye, mine included.

I think he was a worthy winner and a far more suitable act for the Queen and Prince Philip to watch than Alex Magala and his scary descents down scaffolding poles onto drills or chainsaws.  What was left for him to nearly land upon - crocodiles, or a tank filled with man-eating piranhas perhaps? 

I loved Wayne Woodward's amazing voice - his spoke like a Cockney, but his singing was pure Sinatra.  Special mention also for the dancing Storm Troopers, who made me laugh out loud with their Dirty Dancing tribute.  I'm pretty sure we haven't seen the last of Beau Dermott either, such a talented young girl.

I think Richard Jones's act reminded those of us of a certain age of what Saturday night TV used to be like, when we just had three channels from which to choose.

Paul Daniels' Magic Show was Saturday night telly for us for many years.  I still remember some of the performances - I liked the 'Bunco Booth', which was a weekly feature - and there was also the guy who blew bubbles and then filled them with cigarette smoke making shapes inside them.  I can't imagine that being shown anywhere on television these days, not unless you can get the same effect from vaping, which I somehow doubt.

I'm hoping that there's some of you reading this thinking 'Yes, I used to watch that, and I got a magic set for Christmas!' - and remember those were the days when magicians did tricks that we might have some hope of emulating, like making the little ball 'disappear' from the red cups or joining the three metal rings together.  Altogether simpler, less complicated times.