Dates

• Existence: Born 22 January 1922

Biography

Mark Raffles aka Ray St. Clair, was born Albert Taylor in Manchester, England on 22 January 1922.

Mark came from a family of performers and started to get involved in show business from an early age. He showed a special interest and talent in magic and by the time he was sixteen, he was a full-fledged performer travelling the music halls of England as Ray St. Clair, The Silent Magician. He adopted the name Ray St. Clair from an ancestor.

During the Second World War Mark was assigned a post in the home front building air raid shelters and performing other air raid related services. He also worked with the Entertainments National Service Association (ENSA) to raise the morale of military and civilian personnel both in the UK and Europe. In ENSA Mark developed his famous pickpocket act, which he performed by standing in the foyer among members of the audience before the show and later producing stolen items on stage. In 1945, Mark was awarded a Veteran’s Badge by the Minister of Defence for his wartime services.

After the war Mark started to travel the British music hall scene once again and became increasingly famous. His popularity gained him regular TV appearances expanding the three decades between the 1960s and 1980s in shows and game shows such as 3-2-1.

Mark married Joan (1925-2009) and had three children Jacky, Wendy and Timothy, who followed their parents footstep into variety performance forming the vocal act Golden Brandy. Mark met Joan while on stage at the Theatre Royal, Bristol and soon became Mark’s on stage assistant in 1948. They had a whirlwind romance that culminated in their marriage six months later. The couple formed Mark Raffles and Joan, an act they travelled for many years. They also presented ‘The Wynchwoods’, an act involving toy poodles, which was first presented by their friends Jack and Audrey Shaw. Mark and Joan made this act very successful and appeared in TV, pantomime and variety theatres for over a decade during the 1980s.

When Mark and Joan had their first child, Jaqui, they continued touring, taking Jaqui with them, however when the second child arrived, Joan left the act, devoting herself to the business side of Mark's work. She and her husband also dealt in property, and at one stage Joan ran a guest house.

In 1997 Mark celebrated sixty years in show business by producing a book called Diamond Jubilee Memoirs.

Mark enjoyed a long and fruitful performing career which expended 81 years. During his lifetime he received many awards and honours including, membership of the Inner Magic Circle with Gold Star, President and Honorary Life Vice-President of the Blackpool Magicians Club, The Magic Circle Carlton Comedy Award, Winner of the First Grand Prix Champion of Magic, The Murray Award, Champion of General Magic, Larry Spencer Pro of the Year Award, All Winners Magical Championships, Best of British Performers and Service to Magic Awards.

Mark retired in 2019 to Llandudno care home were he celebrated his 100 birthday in 2022.

Found in 5 Collections and/or Records: