Milton Woodward might have become a household name in Leamington as the second generation of the family who owned Woodwards department store.

Instead he chose a career in showbusiness, from entertaining troops at the end of the First World War to becoming president of the British Ring of the International Brotherhood of Magicians.

Retired Leamington printer David Budd, himself a member of the Inner Magic Circle, learnt his first tricks from Woodward and is writing a book about his former mentor.

He said: "He was well versed in the art of magic. He taught me all I know.

"He was very knowledgeable because in his early years he had seen all the great magicians such as Carmo, Goldin and Maskelyne and Devant."

Born in Eastbourne in 1900, Woodward's first fascination was building model theatres, but when he was given a magic set during a bout of measles his attention turned to learning new tricks.

The family moved from the south coast to Leamington in 1908, and his father took on the premises in the Parade.

Milton Woodward went to Warwick School and was later apprenticed into the drapery business.

He gave his first magic performance at the age of 14.

Although the war was over, he entertained troops in 1918 and also performed to raise money for the Belgium Relief Fund.

He married Stella Watson-Mill, whose father owned the Theatre Royal, giving him access to performances by top-flight magicians, but he stayed in the drapery business with magic as a sideline.

In the 1920s he was part of a concert party called the Popular Purple Pierrots, based at St Leonard's on Sea, Sussex, and turned semi-professional with the Fete Follies, an entertainment group who performed in Jephson Gardens.

In 1937 he formed a professional group called the Red Admirals, and was soon performing at large theatres in major towns.

When war broke out Woodward switched to the music hall circuit, where he was successful until the halls began to close.

His assistant throughout his career was the 'vocal mannequin' Millicent Cooper, a striking woman with mauve hair who lived in Brunswick Street.

In 1949 he and Cooper devised a new act, the Wonderbar, based on 'any drink called for' which he launched in 1950 at Leicester Palace.

Continuing to tour the music halls, he appeared on the same bills as entertainers such as Nat Jackley and Benny Hill.

As music halls closed, Woodward adapted the act for cabaret, and went on to perform the act on television in the early 1960s.