Back in the summer of 1992.......

Started by grOmmet, July 09, 2008, 10:21:47 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

grOmmet


I STARTED OUT COMPLETELY BY ACCIDENT!!

Back in the summer of 1992, I was in the process of completing a BA with it's associated Hons. I was ferociously bashing away at the word processor, trying to make some impression upon the required 30,000 word dissertation.
(This was one HELL of a challenge, because I didn't realise that I even KNEW that many words in those days!!)....

My friend Myles Grogan, who I had taught to juggle a few years previously, paid me an impromptu visit.
Pulling a green 260 from his pocket, he proceeded to blow it, tie it and make a parrot-in-a-swing before my very eyes!!
"Very impressive", said I, "but when on Earth am I ever going to need to know how to do THAT??"....

Several weeks later, whilst sampling some fine cask ales at a local hostelry and watching Rob-the-Bones (AKA Bobby Bonehead) playing with the Boat Band, Myles and I started playing around with some very basic Marvin L Hardy creations.
Week by week we persevered.. giving creations away to unsuspecting drinkers.. until one evening, the landlord bought us both a pint each and passed a hat around!!

Within a year, I had started going into the beautiful city of Chester and set up a busking pitch.
Folk stopped to watch.. and maybe take a balloon. Some even dropped an unsolicited Appreciation into my hat.
Handing out cards and fliers whilst busking soon got me invited to Birthday, Engagement, Namings.. and even Wedding Celebrations.
[Word of mouth is a VERY powerful form of [non] promotion].
Other kinds of engagements then followed...

My presentation style is flambouyant and the speed of my banter matches that of my digits... and somewhere in the days before that infamous Potter fellow... His Flatulence the Balloon Wyzzyrd came into being!!

Not coming from the Magician, Circus or Theatrical fraternities... and having little in common with balloon decorators and the like, I pretty much operated in a vacuum for YEARS, during which I developed my own energy-saving, ergonomic style of hand / twisting movements and then trained friends to a standard worthy of wearing the turquoise Balloon Platoon t-shirt.. little aware of developments in the wider world of Twiddlology....

... until I turned up at one of the Sempertex Care and Share Days in 2006, that is! ...

I have been a Self Employed entertainer since the summer of 1997.
It's been my sole source of income ever since.. and I LOVE it!!
All my work still comes from recommendation and I have no designs on World Dotcomination whatsoever.
Who needs richES when they can have the richNESS of the performing lifestyle???
..... and what IS this "security" which I hear so many desperately seek, anyway???......

In addition to my Balloon Wyzzyrd persona, I also do Meet and Greets as Twizzle Gumboot the Scarecrow, and occasionally one of several other characters including the Good Knights Out, the Wiz of Iz , the Strolling Kippers.. Lost In [public] Space Aliens etc..,

My partner, Anni, is also a Balloon Platoon member... in addition to her own face painting enterprise..
She is also the amazing mother of our son Frank Peter [who joined us in March 2007].

I do hope you've managed to read this far without falling asleep... and look forward to reading about how you found YOUR way into this fascinating and rewarding realm of work / play.....
grOmmet the Balloon Wyzzyrd.     g]http://www.balloonwiz.co.uk[/url]