Acid catalysed cyclisation of N-(4′-benzyloxy-β-methoxyphenethyl)-3-benzyloxy-4-methoxy- N-methylbenzylamine (18) gave (±)-cherylline (1), one of the Amaryllidaceae alkaloids. Fusion of 4-hydroxybenzyl alcohol (22) with 1, 2, 3, 4-tetrahydroisoquinoline (24) also gave corgoine (5).