Hull Magicians’ Circle was founded on 5th December 1933 when nine conjurers met at the “Crown and Anchor” in response to a newspaper advertisement placed by Harold Cross and Walter Clarke, who became respectively the first Treasurer and Secretary, an Office which Harold held for 22 years. The founding President was Fred Sowerby, known professionally as Bert Dexter and at one time a familiar perfor
mer at British Ring Conventions. Jasper Maskelyne served as Honorary President from 1934 until his death in 1973 and presented the Silver Wand for Originality that was competed for at the Annual Dinner. Honorary Vice-Presidents have included Chris Charlton, Les Levante, Deveen, De Vega, Sam Sharpe and Bayard Grimshaw, while Peter Casson and Faust (Granville Taylor) are former members. The Circle hosts several competitions. The Connolly Shield for Stage Magic, The Bob Moore Comedy Award usually competed for at our Christmas Party. The Simpson Shield awarded to the person who has the most points after 6 heats on magical themes held throughout our season. The Maskelyne Silver Wand is now presented for the best trick at our Pocket Trick Drive. Although the Circle was never a large Society during the first half-century of its existence, its numbers have increased significantly in recent years it rose to about 80, partly influenced by the beneficial effects of graduation of members of the Young Magicians of Humberside, an organisation for 10 to 16 year-olds which was led by Arthur Setterington, Rex Stott, Richard Morrell, Jon Marshall, Malcolm Bromwich and Tom Wilkinson over the years. In 2001 one of these members, James Long, was a finalist in The Magic Circle Young Magician of the Year Contest held in London at The Centre for the Magic Arts. And several members have become professional magicians. The Young Magicians' Workshop is currently not running and the Circle are developing some other ways to involve young people. Over the years the Circle has been fortunate in possessing a nucleus of performers, inventors, lecturers and authors, who have made their mark nationally and internationally. The late Jon Gresham, who was Hon Secretary for 28 Years, and the late Malcolm Davison were such individuals. Sadly, our longest-serving member, Arthur Setterington, who was both an Honorary Life Member and Honorary Vice-President, died in January 2006 after sixty years’ membership; almost to the end he continued to receive awards for contributing innovative tricks to the magic press, while his literary works were recognised in 2003 by The Magic Circle’s Maskelyne Literary Prize. Jon Marshall with his Magic Carpet Theatre brings magically-themed plays and circus workshops to schools and venues throughout Britain and abroad, and the late Eddie Dawes, a recipient of The Magic Circle’s Gold Medal, Maskelyne and David Devant Awards for Services respectively to British and International Magic, several literary awards in the USA and UK, and who was a member of the Society of American Magicians’ Hall of Fame, presided over our Society for over fifty years. Our Circle enthusiastically embraces the magic of the new millennium and our President is David Hand.
