IAN ‘Zippy’ Lees has been working his magic on Warrington for more than three decades.

The entertainer has recently been back in the spotlight for appearing on BBC’s Big Family Cooking Showdown but he is also marking 35 years as a magician.

So we caught up with the well known Warringtonian to have a look back at his colourful career.

Ian had a brief stint as a pastry chef at the Lord Daresbury Hotel before he began to make a name for himself in the entertainment world.

He said: “It’s mad. That’s 40 years ago so appearing on Cooking Showdown was almost like going back to the beginning.”

Ian then worked as a bus driver by day and a DJ by night in the late 70s at Warrington haunts like Chevys and the Carlton Club before being picked up as a presenter by Greenall’s for a touring show called Classic Rock Radio.

Ian, who got his nickname Zippy from the character from the children’s show Rainbow because he ‘never shuts up’, added: “That was the making of me. They probably wanted me for the job because of my personality. I was crazy, I was daft, I was doing stupid pub games but it was fun.

“I was into the Motown and soul records that were coming through at that time.

“It was a great era. The 80s were massive then I remember in the late 80s when The Hitman and Her came to Mr Smith’s with Michaela Strachan and Pete Waterman. I used to go on a Friday night when it was live on telly. A lot of the dancers were from Greenall’s.

“I remember when Pete picked Rick Astley up from a group called FBI. They played at the Ring O Bells.”

So how did Ian go from music to magic?

He said: “I wanted another string to my bow. When I was a DJ I started getting picked up for birthday parties and that’s what got me into the magic.”

So Ian joined the Magic Circle in 1983 and the first trick he learned was the magic colouring book.

The 56-year-old added; “We used to have meetings in Salford. There were about 300 or 400 magicians in there but only about six children’s entertainers because all the others were doing table hopping – close up magic.

“It was all behind closed doors like the Masons and you had to audition to get in. It was nerve-wracking at first but all the other magicians would help you along.”

Nowadays Warrington shows are Ian’s bread and butter.

He is never far from the Apple Jacks site in Stretton as he does magic shows throughout the year as well as at Spooky World.

Ian also works his magic at Warrington Market and the Cockhedge Centre among many other venues. But he has also had many brushes with fame along the way.

Ian, who has a twin brother Mark, did a Christmas show for Manchester City last year while many moons ago he presented a talent show with Phillip Schofield at the Cockhedge Centre. His zany personality has also seen him appear on numerous shows like Wipeout and Golden Balls while he won Celebrity Squares presented by Bob Monkhouse.

His future goals are becoming a CBeebies presenter and being a guest on The Chase.