A kind of magic
One dream one soul, one prize
One goal, one golden glance of what should be
It’s a kind of magic

Open Sesame!

It looks as though the words of the Queen song are going to be fulfilled for local magician Roy Davenport as work starts on the construction of Davenport’s Magic Kingdom at North Walsham.

The ambitious venture – expected to cost in the region of one million pounds – is going ahead at a disused factory site on Cromer Road.

The building will have a museum section to contain the huge collection of memorabilia that has been accumulated by four generations of magicians in the Davenport family. There will also be a theatre where magic shows will be perfomed on a regular basis. A café will also be provided for patrons, plus a shop where visitors will be able to buy items related to the art of the magician.

The creation of such a museum has been the ambition of the Davenport family for many years. Roy’s father, Fergus Roy, initially investigated creating a national museum of magic in London in 1982, however, due to the huge costs involved the project had to be shelved.

The site selected for the building is ideal. It has easy access, adequate space for car parking and a large open frontage. Being next door to the recently opened Waitrose store and the new building that serves as the headquarters of the Victory Housing Trust, the construction of the new museum will conclude the restoration of the entire disused factory site, thereby turning an eyesore into a prominent tourist attraction.

This new venture will bring with it much-needed employment opportunities for North Walsham, and will also help to attract more visitors to the North Norfolk holiday area.

Roy Davenport is elated that the project is finally underway. He stated: “It’s been a long road to get to where we are today and after all those years of work it’s just amazing to see something tangible happening. There is a truly dedicated team behind this project made up of family members and outside professionals. So many people have been asking in recent months how things are progressing, now we can actually show them. This is a wonderful day for all of us.”

When Davenport’s Magic Kingdom opens for business this summer it is thought that it will be one of very few museums solely dedicated to magic in the entire world.