September usually heralds the start of a new magic season after the summer break, and we intend to launch you back into things with a strong issue of great features, advice and entertainment!

It’s a pleasure to welcome fast-talking, smooth-working Ryan Schlutz to our cover this issue, and there’s even a rumour that he treated interviewer Graham Hey to a coffee when they met up to talk at a Denny’s restaurant recently. Hyper-active though Ryan is, even he pales in comparison to the amazingly full workload of Neil Kelso who, we discover, has more strings to his bow than a top end Stradivarius violin.

Wookey Hole in Somerset attracts 250,000 visitors a year, and these days it is the home of Gerry Cottle’s amazing Circus and Magic School. We sent Bob Gill down to find out more about this unique project. Somerset is also the county that is the home of Bath, famous Roman and Georgian city, and where Noel Britten has for the last 27 years been performing his fantastic Bizarre Bath Comedy Walk. Paul Preager and I go along to watch and report on an outdoor attraction that is billed as ‘more hysterical than historical’ and which keeps you laughing long into the night.

We love to try and surprise you with random bits and pieces too, and in this issue you’ll find Magic Bingo, in which Shahid Malik tells you numbers that are significant to him, and why, there’s the latest Lookalikes sent in by readers, we have A Dip Into The Wealthy Magician, with inspirational quotes lifted from the book we reviewed last time, and we present some more One Liners to cheer you up if you are feeling a bit down after your holidays.

Plus…..Keith Fields offers you 3 Simple Steps to improve your performing, the Masterclass has effects from John Archer and cover star Ryan Schlutz, there are loads of honest product reviews, as well as In The Phonebox and Letters….yep, we like to spoil you, and we know you like to be spoiled, so we hope you enjoy the fruits of our latest endeavours!