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"Just pick a card, any card..."

Maurice Roberts, aka Ratty Roberts ("ratty by name and ratty by nature"), has been a member of the Huddersfield Circle of Magicians for more than 25 years. When we meet at the Lawrence Batley Theatre he tells me the Circle is somewhere where many different kinds of magicians come together: "There's stage magic, there's close up magic. Close up magic is the sort of thing you'd see done at tables, card tricks, sponge balls, tricks with jewellery, watches, things like that. Stage magic is obviously illusions, then you've got children's entertainment which can include Punch and Judy." This leads on to other related activities: "You've got things like juggling and fire eating...These are the allied arts to magic itself."

"Ratty by name and Ratty by nature"

Maurice describes himself a close up magician and a children's entertainer and he's brought along some of the tools of his trade - balloons and playing cards. After leaving school he got a job with the Yorkshire Electricity Board. When a fellow apprentice told him about a magic show in Halifax, Maurice decided magic was something he wanted to do and he joined the Circle of Magicians to meet other enthusiasts. He says: "They can be from all walks of life. They can be refuse collectors, solicitors, doctors, lawyers. You just get such a hotchpotch of people. The one thing that's common to all of them is just a love of magic."

But, as Maurice points out, the Huddersfield Circle is, in fact, a society: "To be honest there is actually only one Magic Circle, and that's the London one. All the rest are actually societies but some of them call themselves magic circles." With famous magicians like Houdini getting together, it's perhaps not surprising that in 1949 enthusiasts in Huddersfield decided to do the same thing.

Maurice shows me some of his card tricks and somehow or other we end up with the random cards I've named - I've no idea how. But if you think magicians closely guard their trade secrets from each other, then think again. Being in a Circle is all about swapping ideas: "If somebody comes up with a new routine or handling and they want to share it, we'll all sit down and talk about it...One or two people can be fairly secretive about what they are doing but generally most magicians will share with other magicians."

Then there are the magic conventions. Maurice says: "If you are a complete magic nut you spend 24 hours a day for two or three days with no sleep. You go to everything."

High Jinx from Scapegoat Hill

Sixty years on, the Huddersfield Circle of Magicians has around 34 members but would certainly welcome more - anyone who is interested in finding out about magic and magicians should get along to the anniversary celebrations on Saturday, June 27th. Members have to be over the age of 16 but if enough young people are interested The Circle may consider starting a junior section.

And, it seems, some of the best of British magic can be found within the Huddersfield Circle including past British champions Patrick Maddison and John Holowka as well as several medal and cup winners.Μύ One of these, Michael Jordan, is one half of High Jinx, a brother and sister act from Scapegoat Hill who are taking part in the 60th Anniversary Spectacular Show. Another member, Paul Hallas, has written several books on 'mentalism' and card tricks - Maurice says some of Paul's material has even been used by Paul Daniels.Μύ As for Maurice, magic has taken him all over the world: "I've been to Hong Kong, to America. I've been down the back streets of Pakistan, Tunisia, Vietnam, Cambodia. I've entertained people and I've seen magic done."

But, having heard about all the different kinds of magician there are and witnessed Maurice's card tricks and balloon modelling, I ask Maurice, "What is magic?" He says: "That is a difficult question. Magic, I don't know. I wouldn't like to try and explain it. It's just great fun to do. You get to see, you get to hear, you get to watch, you get to perform and then you actually get to see the look on somebody's face. That to me is magic."