juggling.tv

Paddy trying out one of the new Juggle Dream Top Hats.

Home movie footage of Rob Murray practising in a garden. In his later years, Murray was known for his laid-back style of comedy juggling, so it is interesting to see him working on more technical tricks here, including 6 & 7 balls. Music is "Ultrafox" by Django Reinhart, tacked on purely because it was the right era, and the right length. Much thanks to Topper and LP for helping to bring this clip to light. Believed to have been filmed by Tex Glanville.

the very eccentric and sadly the late topper martyn genius of the comedy gentleman jugglers as seen on the paul daniels show

The hatstand made its debut at chocfest 7, where I was compering. After a period of prototyping and refining, I built the version that worked. I demoed this a couple of times then it broke. I replaced the elastic and set it up for the big day, used it on stage and it worked, then broke next time I used it. Be prepared to spend significant tinkering time in between uses, and for frequent breakdowns. That said, it's never let me down when I've needed it. All in all I've found it a great way to get chicks[1], if you don't count the long evenings spent honing the design and strewing the house with geeky construction equipment, and the fact you'll be laughed out of most nightclubs if you go in wearing a topper. But on stage it works, and it has drawn admiring glances from fellow jugglers and even won us a bag full of croissants on one occasion. Sweavo, June 2003 [1] facts may vary From the TricksWithHats archive