Ken, 85, a leading light, life member and twice president of Blackpool Magicians' Club, died just days before this weekend's Blackpool Magic Convention.

Last year's event was the first he had missed, through ill health, in 40 years. He was the convention's publicity officer for almost a quarter of a century and his fellow magicians have decided to pay tribute to their friend during proceedings at the Winter Gardens.

Ken was best known for entertaining thousands of sick, disabled and underprivileged children in hospitals, schools and orphanages over the years as Clown Charlie, thanks to late Tower Circus star Charlie Cairoli who allowed him to use his exact make-up.

Ken, who always carried a clown's nose in his pocket on the off-chance of brightening someone's day, once told The Gazette: "To permit another man to use the same make-up was a huge honour."

His tribute started in Morecambe when a group of profoundly disabled youngsters sat gloomily watching entertainers at a charity event.

The mayor challenged Ken to make them laugh.

So he took off his jacket, put on his nose, hastily improvised a Cairoli face with borrowed lipstick, seized the stickiest trifle he could find and things soon turned into a free-for-all of flying flans and custard.

The children screamed with laughter, but a few days later Ken was summoned to Charlie Cairoli who had heard about the incident.

"I thought I was for it," admitted Ken, who later became secretary and official lookalike of the Charlie Cairoli Appreciation Society.

"But instead he gave me his blessing to use his face."

Part of a theatrical family, Ken moved from Bradford to Blackpool at eight.

Squadron

His father William was a Golden Mile spieler in the 1930s, his sisters were both in variety, his brother a stuntman.

As a teenager in 1941, Ken joined the Air Defence Cadet Corps (later the ATC), the first colour bearer of Blackpool's 177 Squadron.

More than 60 years later he went back to the HQ and donated a trophy to the squadron, given out to those who do something special in the community.

Ken did his war service in the Navy and finished up on a minesweeper in the D-Day landings, where he celebrated his birthday with a tot of rum from each of his mates.

He met the love of his life, a Coventry girl called Marjorie, on holiday with her family, when was home on leave after being hit by shellfire.

They were married for 56 years until her death.

Magicians' Club president Harry Greenaway said: "Ken was so well liked within the club,was one of the original organisers of the convention and entertained generations of children."

When made an honorary club member, Ken told The Gazette: "There's nowhere to beat Blackpool but now we need real magic to save the town. My dream would be to open a Palace of Magic.