last week with overseas guest speaker Andy L. Hickman.

Mr.

Hickman, who delivered the keynote address to the survivors of the Oklahoma City bombing, is a magician and a professional speaker who spoke to 160 business owners, and Government representatives about "The Magic of the Future is You.'' He did magical illusions with audience participation along with telling the message that "to have magic in our future we must take personal responsibility for it with the choices that we make.

"I talked about the change in the market place, with the recession, and how to embrace it by breaking out of the mould,'' Mr. Hickman told The Royal Gazette .

He added: "I also challenged parents in the room about just how much time they spend as a family. If you aren't proud, change things.'' Before becoming a professional speaker Mr. Hickman owned and operated three businesses and after accomplishing this he went in a totally different direction with becoming a professional speaker.

And while working with David Copperfield's "Project Magic'' he realised that others could be profoundly moved by the art of magic.

Mr. Hickman will be returning to Bermuda in February for the National Speakers Association.

*** Agape House will be holding their "Tree of Life'' ceremony in front of City Hall on Friday November 29 at 6 p.m.

The lighting of this large Christmas tree will herald the switching in of the City's Christmas lights that evening. The Corporation will be displaying more than 15,000 lights throughout the City this year.

Agape House is arranging to have a choir singing traditional Christmas carols accompanied by the Salvation Army Band, and we encourage the public to come out and support this very special event.

There will also be community singing of carols with the choir and band.

Immediately following the ceremony, Santa Claus will be making his official arrival in Bermuda and he will land on the roof of City Hall.

After greeting the children he will be travelling by fire truck through Burnaby Street and down Reid Street to a special grotto on Queen Street in front of the Library for the first night of the Chamber of Commerce Christmas Shopping Festival.

*** A Vintage View of Hamilton Harbour is the theme for the Bermuda National Trust Christmas card this year.

This distinctive card illustrates one of the paintings from the Lieutenant's Portfolio which is a collection of reproduction prints from the paintings of Lt. C.F. Cobb Beresford RE circa 1871.

This sleepy harbour scene is like a Currier and Ives Christmas card Bermuda style.

The National Trust Christmas card is available at Waterville Trustworthy Gift Shop, The Confederate Museum Gift Shop in St. George's, Pegasus, and the Pheonix on Reid Street.