Two very cool things about New Zealand
Item #1 is that New Zealand has an official Wizard:
More
here,
here and
website
And #2 is that Queen Elizabeth awarded him the
Queen's Service Medal:
Wizard of New Zealand awarded Queen's Service Medal
It nearly knocked him off his soapbox.
Christchurch's Wizard was today named as one of 75 people awarded a Queen's Service Medal for services to the community.
He admitted he could not have predicted a QSM in his wildest dreams.
"I would be the last person in the world. I am in shock, I still can't believe it. It's not possible, I am not the right sort of person for it," he told NZPA.
The Wizard, 76, who was born as Ian Brackenbury Channell, was included in this year's Queen's Birthday Honours and was "notable for reviving the ancient art of rhetoric and was most often seen in The Square in Christchurch synthesising the ideas of famous philosophers".
He is also renowned for his wizard's gown, casting various spells, including one to help the Crusaders rugby team, and trying to avoid being counted on Census night.
The Wizard said awards normally went to sportspeople or people who did good works.
"I am not a sportsman, I don't do good works. I am just an entertainer who tries to get new ideas across. So maybe someone who has got ideas has done it (nominated me) because I am really an ideas man."
Nevertheless, he was delighted.
"It's lovely to see an award given for someone who has lived essentially a life of putting as much fun as possible into the world and as much thought as possible.
Posted by DaveH at May 31, 2009 9:25 PM