These days, we gather once a month at the Conservative Club in Harrogate.    Over sixty years ago, the six local magicians who founded the club held meetings in each other's homes.  In due course, as numbers grew,  sessions moved to a local hotel and, within a year, the fledgling  society was able to hold its first "Evening of Magic", in aid of the Royal National Lifeboat Association, at Harrogate Grammar School.

Over time,  the venues changed and, not surprisingly, given the vagaries of life, numbers fluctuated. 

In recent years, we have begun to grow again, attracting many new and enthusiastic members - some from other clubs, and as far afield as York, Leeds and Bradford.

Like most clubs, we are a healthy mix of amateurs and full-time professionals, run internal competitions, play host to fellow-societies, visit others and put on public shows, raising money both for ourselves and other good causes.

Back in 1947, when 16-year-old George Fowler met his friend Brian Knowles (too young to join an existing club), and persuaded an older local man, Wilfred Hartley - who loved magic - to help found a society, they could hardly have imagined the ups and downs the club would face over the years, nor, perhaps, having at times left the area to pursue their careers, that they would one day help celebrate its sixtieth birthday.

That celebration took place in December 2007, with members, their families and friends enjoying an evening of food, magic and other entertainment at Pinocchio's restaurant, Harrogate.   A building that had seen many changes over the years, it was, between 1910 and 1931, the Empire Theatre, home to a variety of acts, including such notables as Sarah Bernhardt and Fats Waller.   Our celebration itself took place on the former stage.

Several Presidents,  past and present, were able to join us, including George Fowler and Brian Knowles, our two founder-members who, 60 years on, remain as enthusiastic as ever.   Brian's particular contribution to the club was formally acknowledged when, in 2006, he was made our first and, to date, only Life Member.

Paul Daniels sent us a goodwill message and, as you can see from the photographs below, a photographer from the local newspaper was despatched to record our rugged good looks for posterity.