New Quaker centre opened in Newark by magician The Great Soprendo

Newark's new Quaker centre has been opened by the television and stage magician, The Great Soprendo.

The Great Soprendo, real name Geoffrey Durham, is an author, consultant, director and a Quaker.

Geoffrey gave a talk in the Town Hall on Why I am a Quaker after the opening.

The new centre, which is at Queen’s Head Court, was recently converted from a clothes shop.

As The Great Soprendo, Geoffrey appeared in many children’s television shows, including Crackerjack, and appeared in theatres all over the country.

His catchphrase was ‘Piff Paff Poof!’.

He was a regular performer in Newark.

He was also a regular contributor to the Channel 4 game show Countdown, and his Newspaper Tear featured on the Fifty Greatest Magic Tricks on the same channel.

In 1994, he went to a Quaker meeting and became a member of the Society of Friends two years later.

He has described his life with Quakers as the single most inspiring, moving and rewarding thread running through the whole of my adult life.

He was involved for many years with the Quaker outreach programme Quaker Quest, and he remains a regular speaker at Quaker events.

He has written The Spirit of the Quakers and Being a Quaker: A Guide For Newcomers.

His latest publication What Do Quakers believe is set for publication in March next year.

Before the opening on the new centre, Quakers who lived in the Newark area travelled to Brant Broughton, Mansfield or Nottingham for their meetings.

Quakers are a Christian denomination that started in England in the 1650s.

In Newark, they now meet every first, third and fifth Sunday and at lunchtime every second and fourth Wednesday.

All are welcome to attend for the shared silence in the Quaker tradition.