Thanks to all those who visit my website. If you are a repeat visitor, you will probably know that I like to keep the posts varied with different content.
Some regular readers may know that I am into magic and I have been running a separate website on that subject for four years. This site is a little newer and is the sister website, allowing me to blog about everything else.
All blog posts are written by myself – Martin Brophy. I have shared some information about me in the section here. I also thought it may be of interest to share a few extra pieces of information, some unusual life experiences.
Born in Surrey and now living in the Midlands, I am married to Nadine and we have a daughter Amelia and our cat Molly. I work in logistics/IT remotely from home for a forward thinking web/app development company. I overcame a challenging life threatening illness and believe in living life to the full and making most of opportunities.
I surprised myself as to how many facts may be interesting life experiences and whittled them down to those that I consider to be the best and most entertaining or memorable. And if this post gets you thinking about your own experiences, please share in the comments as it would be fab to know about others life experiences.
My rare violin
I love music but I admit that I am better listening to music than playing instruments. I enjoy most music with the exception of Country and Jazz. Otherwise you will hear me listening to rap, 80’s, pop and anything that takes my fancy. Artists that I enjoy listening to include Texas, and I like going to see live gigs.
As a youngster, I was encouraged to play the violin and reached grade 3. The problem though was that I was just not that into it. I became a bit more interested though when I discovered about 8 years later that the full sized violin that my parents bought for £200 was actually worth £8K. That was my get out clause to stop playing and let’s say, quickly sold on.
The odd thing was that the violin was valued as my uncle died who played and owned many violins. His violins were valued at normal sums and then mine came back valued at £8k. This same violin that I would drag behind me up and down the stairs turned out to be extremely rare. Experiments with Casio keyboards in the 80’s never grabbed me either.
Appeared in a TV advert
As a teenager, I did always like a bit of drama. Anything to get out of normal school lessons. When joining a theatre school in the 80’s and attending weekly lessons on a Saturday morning, I quickly lost interest after being cast as a chess piece. The most boring play called “Chaturanga” that ran for about 5 nights in Woking. This non speaking role entailed playing a part of a chess piece and moving across a massive chess board. For some reason it required weekly rehearsals and must have been even more boring to watch.
Finally in my mid twenties I gained my claim to fame. When working for a well known travel agent in the UK at the time called Thomas Cook, I worked in Bureau de Change. The branch that I worked at was in Chertsey, Surrey and was quite near(ish) many TV/Film production companies.
It was quite the production, camera crew, track laid for the camera, a massive light placed in behind me and extras playing shop customers who featured in “The Bill” amongst other shows. Four or five hours of filming with my Thomas Cook colleagues and what happens, we are seen for about two seconds at the end of the ad. But at least some who knew me recognised that it was me. It was a fun experience to get a small taste for being in front of a camera.
My moment of fame in 1996 is right at the end of the advert, after a boring section with money flying around at a US style campaign. Below for your viewing pleasure.
Hunted by the Police
That got your attention didn’t it! It is true – kind of.
As a young 16 year old drinker pretending to be a little older I was drunk on a few shandy’s as you do at that age. It didn’t take much. I actually feel really bad about this now as my Dad cycled a few miles on his bike to meet me at pub closing time. I told him I wouldn’t be long and would be off home soon. That was my intention but I got distracted…
I then went off with friends to party and crashed on a strangers sofa. The next day, (which was Christmas Eve), I turned up to my Saturday job wearing the same clothes as the night before. While working, the shop was visited by the Police checking that I was safe. Mum and dad had called the Police as of course thought the worst had happened.
Appeared on a fete float with Bernard Cribbins
As a child, the local newspaper “The Surrey Herald” ran a kids club called the Professor Bullseye club. Members of that club were then invited to go on a float as part of a local Summer fete procession. On the float was Bernard Cribbins, who I think was supposed to be Professor Bullseye. He lived nearby where I grew up between Addlestone and Weybridge.
The fete was called the Black Cherry Fair which still runs to this day and started in 1440 in Chertsey Surrey. A nice memory from childhood that of course featured in the local paper.
I don’t recall chatting to him or actually meeting him as such but it was an amazing experience and he was just a couple of metres away sat on his chair waving to all.
Nearly killed by lightening
I would have been frightened but for the fact that my lucky escape bypassing death had happened before I realised!
My sister Maureen and I were visiting Universal Studios in Florida. After entering the park and walking past all the entrance shops, a thunderstorm and lightening started. We went for cover and managed to get into the doorway of a jewellery/watch shop. Shortly after, we heard a massive hit/crash sound. Looking up above us, we realised that a hanging ornate clock directly above our heads had taken a lightening hit. Absolutely with no doubt, had that clock not been where it was, I would have been frazzled as soaking wet. Most likely with others in the doorway. Thankfully Maureen and I lived to tell the tale.
The lesson here is that you just never know what is in front of you, life is unpredictable.
Travel competition winner!
My mum called me back in the late 90’s to advise that I had won a Concorde trip to New York. Brilliant news but I had not entered any competition until I discovered my mum had entered a School raffle on my behalf! What a prize and memorable experience. Concorde is very small and seating was 2 by 2. Adjacent on the other side of the aisle was the actor Stephen Tompkinson and Dervla Kerwan. I was briefly able to chat to him when he noticed I had a magazine that he was due to feature in.
Later in the mid 2000’s my place of work nominated employees that they wished to thank and took us on an all expenses paid trip to St Lucia. What an experience with business class travel, luxurious accommodation next to the beach, wonderful food and experiences like swimming under a waterfall, walking on a volcano, visiting cocoa and banana plantations, catamaran sailing and many first time experiences.
Assisted magician Troy at The Magic Circle/Magic
On stage with Troy at The Magic Circle Theatre in London
I am a magic enthusiast, promotor and collector magic. I am also into learning the history and theory and own effects that I perform in private. Last year (2023) while attending a Magic Circle Gala show, I had the opportunity to assist Troy the magician on stage. This was a memorable and fantastic experience to get on The Magic Circle stage. An audience that included the most famous magicians in the land like Fay Presto, Laura London, Marvin Berglas, Craig and Ryland Petty, Magic Singh and many more.
A couple of years ago I also helped put on a magic show and was responsible for the promotion and some behind the scenes support. Anything magic, I love it!
Visited the Ponderosa ranch set/theme park in Lake Tahoe
Growing up in the 70’s and 80’s, weekends used to feature a lot of Westerns and the TV series “Bonanza” which featured the Ponderosa Ranch. My uncle John in America took us travelling all around the West coast of the US and this particular trip was in the early 80’s. While we visited many memorable and exciting places, I loved visiting the Ponderosa Ranch near Lake Tahoe. A proper massive TV set which was purpose built and used during the final seasons of the show. Then later on it was run as a theme park.
As we watched the show Bonanza as children, it was an amazing experience and very memorable. We even saw the map in the office that you see burn in the title sequence and the church. We visited in 1981 and the set by then was no longer used for filming, but was a tourist attraction until the early 2000’s when it closed.
STEM CELL TRANSPLANT
The stem cell Battle Droid
I won’t bore you with the details about why but thanks to stem cell transplant I am still alive and kicking. Quite the experience, having your stem cells harvested and then cryogenically frozen before being fed intravenously back into your blood stream. Then while in hospital, receiving care as you gain strength and build up your weakened immune system and placed in isolation. Of course a lot more to it but this is a marvel of modern medicine that many will not have experienced. The container that held my stem cells was quite strange to look at and had the appearance of a R2D2 style battle droid. Thank you NHS and Battle Droid.
I hope that you enjoyed this post. Have you had any many amazing unusual experiences? Do comment.
