BEING the first woman president of the Modern Mystic League is just magic for Anne Walmsley.

Anne, who works in the community development section of Burnley Council, is the only woman among the 60 plus magicians in the Blackburn-based magic group which has members from all over the North West.

She is one of only four women ever to become a member of the League in its 87-year history. The League meets once a month at headquarters in St Silas Street.

In a role reversal, husband David acts as her assistant.

At her home in Thursby Road, Burnley, Anne said: "When we go to various venues David is always approached and asked if he is the magician.

"I tell them no and that he is my assistant but does not look good in tights."

The 55-year-old community assistant was accepted as a member of the League, the fourth oldest magic group in the country, after a successful initiation test four years ago.

She caught the magic bug from her brother Tony Peach, who has had an interest in tricks since he was a boy.

Tony is a former driver for the Chief Constable of Surrey. Anne said: "He still lives down South but he came up to visit and we went out for a meal together.

"He took a lighted cigarette from a friend, put in into his hands and just made it disappear. I wanted to know how he did it. I caught the bug and it's gone on since then."

Her interest has grown into a magic act which she performs to all kinds of audiences from nursery school children to pensioners mainly for charity with David as assistant. The couple perform under the name of MAGIK-AN and concentrate mainly on entertaining children who particularly enjoy seeing doves and rabbit, Rosie.

She said: "I don't produce the rabbit out of a hat but from a wizard's wardrobe, a small box decorated with stars and moons.

"I show the audience it is empty ask one of the children to say the magic words and there is Rosie.

"But my favourite trick is producing the doves, one from a silk hankie and the other from a book only one eight of an inch thick."

Anne was introduced to the Mystic League when she went to retired Burnley magician Maurice Howarth for advice.

The League meets once a month and members do a lot of fund-raising work for a variety of worthy causes.

"Before I was accepted I had to perform tricks in front of the League members and it was one of the most nerve-racking things I've had to do," said Anne who is also a member of the International Brotherhood of Magicians.

She added: "Twenty years ago the only woman allowed to league meetings was in the kitchen making tea. Now I am honoured to be the president."

She added: "It is curious there are so few women magicians, they think it is a man's domain. I get an absolute buzz from entertaining especially the children and pensioners. It really is magic."

Anne explained there was no real difference between the Mystic League and the internationally known Magic Circle other than the Magic Circle was centrally based in London and attracted magicians from all over the world.

The Magic Circle is the third oldest magicians' group in the world formed in 1911 and the Blackburn-based Mystic League is the fourth oldest, being established three years later.