This week we were invited to go to The Magic Castle in Hollywood. Originally I thought it was something like Chuck E Cheese’s, but alas not. It bills itself as the world’s most famous club for magicians and magic enthusiasts and is an “exclusive” members’ only club. However, on the Saturday night when we visited it seemed it was strictly limited to half the population of L.A.

We were invited to go as guests of a friend of a friend of a friend of a member. Or something like that. We weren’t that fussed about going if truth be told, but our friend was very persistent about us going with them. Unfortunately there was also in our party a couple who were perhaps the most odious un-christian christians we’d ever met. Needless to say that took the edge of the evening.

Other than that, what did I think of the visit? After being relieved of $50 just to get in to the place, we headed straight for dinner. The food was overpriced and over-salted but palatable. After dinner we fought through the crowds to a ticketed magic show in an intimate theatre. It was interesting but nothing I hadn’t seen performed by Paul Daniels on Saturday night tv when growing up.

We had an unpleasant incident with the obnoxious Christians that bought us to the end of our magic-mojo and had us heading to the door earlier than we’d have liked.

All in all we came out around $200 worse off.

We’ll put this one down to experience, although I’m still traumatised from the hand-holding saying of grace in the restaurant (really? People do that without any thought for others?). If I never again get to hang out with the alpha-Christians it won’t be too soon.