A WILLITON retired teacher who has also been a successful magician and illusionist from the age of eight, has been invited to join the Magic Circle’s exclusive Inner Circle, which has a maximum membership of only 300.

Pete Rawlinson, who joined the Magic Circle aged 17, combined a career as a maths teacher and computer programming lecturer with entertaining audiences around the country with flying violins, talking rabbits, burning money, and mind-reading, under his professional name of Peterjon.

He was asked to join the Inner Circle in appreciation of his work in supporting magicians and other entertainers during the Covid pandemic.

“It was a complete surprise, and a great honour,” Pete said.

“Many Magic Circle members were unable to work during the pandemic and it was decided to try to keep everybody in contact through the computer communication system Zoom and I offered to help because I had taught computer subjects.”

Soon, Pete was regularly demonstrating and performing tricks on Zoom to Magic Circle members and became such a key member of the team that after the Covid crisis was over his work was recognised by an invitation to join the Inner Circle.

“There are at least 1,500 fully-qualified members of the Magic Circle from around the world and 500 UK and overseas associates, but only 300 members of the Inner Circle.

Pete said: “When I went to London to receive the honour I was asked to do a half-hour demonstration of table magic involving coins and cards and other tricks, so I was highly honoured twice.”

A still-active 80-year-old, Pete remembered that after being taken to his first magic show at eight years old he began devising his own conjuring tricks, and as a teenager he could copy tricks he had seen on television performed by magician stars of the day such as David Nixon.

“When I was a teacher I would work out how Paul Daniels did tricks on his TV shows and perform them next day at school.

“By then, I had the confidence and the experience to work out how they were done.”

Later, he was able to slot a conjuring career alongside a busy professional life as a teacher and lecturer featuring in summer seasons, Christmas shows, and children’s entertainment.

Retiring to Williton, and now a member of the Somerset Magic Circle, Pete still does charity fund-raising shows and performs for local youngsters in Williton Library.

“After 70 years, magic is still fun, and it keeps me young,” said Pete.