When we were in New Zealand in Christchurch in February 2005, we saw this man preaching in front of the cathedral. My daughter told me that he was called The Wizard and a kind of tourist attraction. I looked for information in Wikipedia and found this:
"Ian Brackenbury Channell was born on 4 December 1932 in London. In 1951-53 he served in the Royal Air Force as a pilot-officer navigator and in 1963 he graduated from the University of Leeds with a double honours degree in psychology and sociology. Shortly afterwards he was recruited by the University of Western Australia Adult Education Board to run their community arts programme. In 1967 he joined the teaching staff of the newly opened School of Sociology at the University of New South Wales in Sydney."
"In 1974 the Wizard migrated to Christchurch in New Zealand and began to speak on a ladder in Cathedral Square. The City Council attempted to have him arrested but through ingenious fun revolutionary strategies he out-manoeuvered them and became so popular with locals and tourists that they made the square a public speaking area. Wearing his costume as a false prophet of the Church of England or his wizard's pointy hat, he has been speaking there at lunchtimes in the summer months ever since and soon become a New Zealand icon featured in the guide books." We can find more if we click on
The Wizard of Christchurch
With thanks to Denise Nesbitt, who created ABC.We started round 8 of the fascinating meme of ABC. For more interesting ABC posts click on the logo in the sidebar or Here. This week we are looking for words beginning with W.
34 comments:
Weird. I've heard of preaching from a soapbox but not a ladder. I wonder what his message is.
he has grown fat, During the earthquake, he fled to another town. He came to my apartment as his true person, and I didn't know he was the wizard. He actually tagged along with a friend to our party. I mean he came to our party without being invited.
Très curieux!
Wish I could hear him speak! Wonderful choice for our W week! :D
Leslie
abcw team
What an interesting little story. Hooray for free speech!
He looks quite venerable, I wonder what his orations are about?
there was this guy in Albany on Good Friday 2011 who reminded me of your guy.
ROG, ABC Wednesday team
Harry Potter extra if I ever saw one! Fantastic. Dxx
I wonder how he has fared since the earthquake.
What a terrific post and what an interesting man!! You do come up with the good ones for the day, Wil!! I love it!
Sylvia
ABC Team
This is so strange but very interesting.
Weird...but freedom of speech and all that.
amazing tale.
blessings.
Think if I were in the area, I'd have to stop and listen, though I am not sure I'd want him coming into my home uninvited like in Ann's case.
Oh wow!
That's dedication to do that at lunchtime every day!
Wow, wonderful, Wil. I've never heard of him.
I'm as curious as the others to know what he "preaches" about.
Very interesting, my friend!
Luv — K
Kay, Alberta, Canada
An Unfittie's Guide to Adventurous Travel
PS — I'm still trying to find our photo of you to include in my W post. I'll add it as soon as I find it.
—K
Nice post! I hope after the horrible earthquake he is still there, climbing that ladder and doing his thing.
What fun!
Someday that will be me!
Aloha from Honolulu :)
Comfort Spiral
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Weird, surely. Wonder what makes people 'tick'. :) Excellent post! Each time I come here, I feel the urge to walk into your header - it's superb!
No, I didn't go and talk to him, I didn't want to embarass him. He has a masters in sociology. He was wearing a suit, and his long hair was briushed to the back, so you can't tell that he was the wizard. My daughter listened to him and says he was very clever.
I didn't listen to him because I can't get over him comin gto my house univited, and every time, we have a census, he takes a group of his followers in a boat so they don't have to be counted.
Of course, the police will wait the next morning to get them to be counted.
He lost credibility when he "ran" away after the earht quake.
Marching to a different drummer - I wonder if it has become habit with him?
I've seen him when I visited NZ years ago..
Absolutely fascinating. What an interesting thing to do each day!
He says no body should be counted in the census. The Government should have no control over the citizenship and want all the private information. That is why he had a boat and sell out to International Water.
During the earthquake, he went away to a small town. That is why some people say he should not have run away. He should cast spells to stop the earthquake. When TV reporters ask," Why you run away, he jokes, some POWERS are stronger than the wizard's,
The world is a more interesting place for having such wizards... of all colors, stripes and persuasions. What is hard sometimes in knowing whether to take them at all seriously or not. Interesting W post.
Absolutely fascinating. I love knowing there are people like this out there.
Thank you.
Wow! This is interesting. If ever I am there I will surely see him.
Oh wow, this is very interesting!
Would love you to peek at my ABC. You are welcome to come by anytime, have a nice day!
Roger, in my tiny island, we don't have big mountain just tiny hills and definitely no waterfall at all. I went across the causeway to Malaysia to enjoy the waterfall there.
He does look like a wizard!
Very interesting post, Wil. The ladder he uses could be seen as 'a stariway to heaven'. Climbing the rungs to righteousness.
Isn't it sad to think that church was so badly damaged in the earthquake?
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