Following his 89th birthday at the weekend, the Wizard of Christchurch has taken on a new role - spiritual advisor to a bakery.
On Tuesday, the Wizard began his new job, which includes "pastoral care of management and staff; coffee tasting; casting out of evil spirits; and upsetting fanatics of all kinds as required".
After more than two decades as the city's official Wizard, Ian Brackenbury Channell saw his $10,000 annual Christchurch City Council contract go poof in October.
So, in response to the Wizard being cast aside, Kidd's Cakes and Bakery owner Martin Meehan decided to approach him with an offer to take up the role as its spiritual advisor, which he accepted.
The Wizard sprinkling some star dust into his birthday cake. Photo: Kidd's Cakes and Bakery
Meehan said his remuneration will be free coffees for life.
"This is not a new association between the Wizard and Kidd’s Cakes and Bakery, who with his mother, have been customer since the business opened in 1986," he said.
"The Wizard also performed a blessing when the business expanded and opened a new cafe/bakery in January 2014, next door to their first premises."
The Wizard with his cake. Photo: John Cosgrove
