Broken Wands :: Hal Roach & Martin Breese remembered by Neville Wiltshire
Tuesday, February 28, 2012 at 8:41PM 
Neville Wiltshire kindly sent us the following kind words. You can read the RTÉ report of Hal Roach's passing here.
"Two recent deaths give me personal sadness. Martin Breese, whom I never met face to face, but had many long phone conversations particularly about the contribution of Jack Rees and the Boys Magic Club to the development of a whole generation of magicians in the years immediately after the Second world war. Martin has left an invaluable resource to Magical historians by digitalising the British magazines of the 20th century.
Hal Roach (pictured left) with whom I worked many times, started out as an assistant to the Great Beynon in the 1940s. He toured the British Variety circuit with a very funny cod Magic act featuring the Passe Bottles and the Linking Rings before establishing himself as a stand up comedian. Due to personal family circumstances he did a lot of work for the Mentally Handicapped and he often asked me to come along. He showed his appreciation of this when I took a group of German relatives to Jurys Cabaret. Not only did he thank me from the stage but when I asked for the bill the waiter told me that `Mr Roach had arranged for it to be placed on his account`.
Best Wishes,
Neville"
