Tributes have been paid to a Manchester-born magician, who performed professionally for more than eight decades. Mark Raffles died, aged 100, last month.
Mark was born as Albert Taylor in Harpurhey on January 22 1922 and had a career spanning 81 years, until his retirement just three years ago. He struggled at school due to a debilitating stammer and left when he was just 14.
After taking a keen interest in magic and being taught by his uncle, Mark turned professional in 1938, performing a silent magic act at the Queen’s Park Hippodrome, in Manchester. At that point he was called Ray St Clair but changed his stage name to Mark Raffles after perfecting a pickpocket act, covering his stammer by a unique manner of speaking on stage.
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He met his wife Joan, a dancer, at the Theatre Royal, Bilston, in 1947 and they were married and were together for over 60 years. In the 1980s, Mark and Joan took over a well-known variety act called The Wychwoods.
They had 12 live poodle dogs, which were seemingly produced from thin air. The act played during summer seasons, pantomime and television for 12 years.
Throughout his career, he appeared on more than 30 TV shows and performed alongside legendary acts such as Max Miller, Sandy Powell, and Ken Dodd. He worked until he was 97 with his final act 'Lord of the Rings' and was regarded as the oldest working magician in the world, prior to his retirement.
Mark also passed his magical knowledge onto his children Tim, Jacqui and Wendy. Tim told the MEN: "He was a great father and we were vey lucky to have a really diverse childhood.
"He has helped, encouraged and taught magic to aspiring young magicians, myself included. He is regarded by all magicians as a legend and the true gentleman of magic, the many birthday cards and telegrams received on his 100th birthday are a testament to this.
"He always said he wanted written on his headstone, ‘Mark Raffles, Vanished for the Last Time’ which is exactly what it will say and we will miss him greatly."
One of Mark's closest friends was fellow magician and TV presenter Paul Zenon. He said that he first met Mark when he was working in Blackpool as a teenager.
"What Mark understood is that magic is not about the secrets, it's not about the tricks, it's about the performer, it's about the character - and what a character," Paul said.
"I first met Mark when I was about 12 or 13-years-old, in the House of Secrets, where I used to work as a kid on the Promenade with my mentor Bill Thompson. So meeting him in real life, as an aspiring magician, was amazing.
"A lot of older performers can be quite disparaging towards up-and-coming acts but Mark was the opposite - he was positively encouraging and was a complete inspiration. Whenever you mention Mark's name, the words 'dapper', 'gentleman', 'twinkle in the eye' can all be written for him.
"He lived to be 100-years-old but that wasn't long enough in my book. People say it was a good innings but I just wanted to spend more time with him."
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