‘Magic saved my life – and now I exploit it to encourage others in tackling their psychological well being’, says inspirational south Warwickshire man

Angus Baskerville wasn’t identified with Asperger’s till he moved again from South Africa to Kenilworth aged 15, by which period he had failed to slot in at 13 faculties and suffered power low shallowness.

Now aged 26, he’s a profitable occasions magician who has vowed to ‘pay it ahead’ by serving to others overcome the challenges of neurodiversity by college workshops.

Warwick-born Angus, who additionally has ADHD, recollects: “Faculty was a significant problem for me. Academics didn’t perceive me as a result of I used to be behaving very otherwise to the opposite college students, and I used to be all the time recognized by everybody because the ‘naughty one.’ I spent a lot time sitting exterior the headteacher’s workplace.

“Bullying was a significant drawback all by college, each bodily and psychological. There have been occasions I might get kicked and punched and boys even tried to strangle me with a rope as soon as. I used to be all the time excluded from all the things and felt consistently remoted.

“I spent a lot time within the naughty nook, at one college the trainer even named it after me!

“Lack of information of Asperger’s Syndrome, when everybody thinks you’re being odd or naughty when in precise truth it’s one thing you’ll be able to’t assist, generally is a first-class ticket to critical psychological well being issues and it’s why I urge individuals to combat to get their prognosis as quickly as doable.”

It was whereas holidaying with household and buddies aged 17 that Angus was proven a easy card trick and first grew to become fascinated with magic.

“Additionally they taught me the way it was completed, and I began going round exhibiting everybody I knew. As a result of it wowed me, I wished to wow different individuals. I grew to become an increasing number of , and I began studying tips on YouTube and asking for magic units for Christmas. I found it was massively serving to my shallowness.

“Rapidly I discovered myself concentrating and focusing for hours on studying and perfecting a brand new trick. It wasn’t till I discovered magic that I used to be capable of make buddies for the very first time. My social expertise improved lots.”

As a Christmas reward in 2014 Angus’ mother and father Neil and Kate enrolled him on a magic course on the well-known Davenport’s in London, bolstered by which he went on to compete in – and win – his sixth type expertise contest. He earned cash by his expertise for the primary time, performing tips for ideas in his native pub.

At 19, Angus joined Leamington and Warwick Magic Society and, in 2020 he was accepted as a member of the celebrated Magic Circle. He’s now in demand on each the magic and public talking circuits, performing for the likes of Richard E Grant, Linda Robson, Peter Jones CBE, Sir Mo Farah OBE, Roman Kemp, Melanie Sykes, Patsy Kensit and Frank Bruno MBE.

He additionally performs at main expertise exhibits, alongside his idol Dynamo, together with Autism’s Bought Expertise and Edinburgh Fringe and has not too long ago been put ahead for Britain’s Bought Expertise.

Angus, who not too long ago moved to Stratford, is a daily keynote speaker at autism conferences and workshops across the nation, and a neurodiversity ambassador for The Institute of Occupational Well being.

However his journey has seen him battle some darkish occasions, together with a spell of self-harming and suicidal ideas. Immediately he’s hoping to convey his magic into faculties which, he believes, might present entry to assist sooner.

“I believe if I had been identified earlier issues would have been completely different,” he mentioned. “I simply felt like I used to be a foul individual and the entire world was in opposition to me. I simply didn’t wish to be right here.

“I felt a lot ache on the within and I believed I’d reasonably really feel it on the surface as a result of typically emotional ache is worse than bodily ache. I used to be additionally attacking myself as a result of I believed I used to be such a loser. Over the course of the years, I got here to understand that you must discover higher methods of coping with it.”

His psychological well being additionally suffered an enormous setback in April this 12 months when, whereas ready for a prepare at Warwick Parkway Station, Angus was witness to a suicide proper in entrance of him.

This harrowing incident made him much more decided to assist others with psychological well being points, by sharing a number of the mindfulness instruments he has developed over time to cope with nervousness and low temper. He additionally signed as much as a course on self-harm and suicide consciousness and prevention.

He mentioned: “Anybody can have suicidal ideas, however to really witness a suicide in motion when somebody jumps in entrance of a prepare like that, is so awfully traumatic. It frightened the dwelling daylights out of me. After I went to mattress that night time, I used to be function enjoying it repeatedly in my head, considering, was it my fault? May I’ve stopped it?

“People who take their very own lives haven’t been capable of open up and be trustworthy about their emotions. They seem on the surface to be effective, even to their very own household, and it’s fully second nature for them to say ‘sure, I’m effective’ even when they’re removed from effective. You’ve all the time bought to investigate cross-check these you care about recurrently since you might be saving any person’s life.”

As Angus continues to forge a profitable profession as a magician, he goals of travelling the world along with his present at some point – and work is already beneath method on his first e book.

He mentioned: “My story exhibits that something is feasible. Certainly one of my favorite traces is from Winnie the Pooh: ‘You might be braver than you imagine, you’re stronger than you appear, and you’re smarter than you suppose.’ We aren’t alone. You may obtain something you set thoughts to.”