Thursday, November 23, 2006

Winter Circuses in England #1 (From Sue Lenz)



Belfast Hippodrome 1948

Hi Buckles:

Just thought I would let you know a little bit of history of Circus in the UK from my memories!

How times have changed for Circuses in England.When I was a young girl in UK we used to have Circuses in the winter months that each show would run about six weeks.

Bertram Mills Circus at Olympia London, Tom Arnold’s Harringay Circus in Earls Court, Belle Vue Circus in Manchester, Kelvin Hall Circus in Glasgow and Chipperfields in Bingley Hall Birmingham. Waverley Market Circus in Edinburgh.

Also in England in the 1940’s & 1950’s there used to be a large number of theaters in most of the big cities and when the tenting Circuses would close, normally the first week in November, some would put on a “Stage Circus” (Very similar to the Medina Temple in Chicago) This would be for one week in each city and that would take us through until March, then a short break and off again for the summer season under canvas.

On the stage there used to be a very heavy coconut mat put down then the ring curb so horses, ponies, elephants, lion act, sea-lions sometimes a bear act could work without any problem. The lions and bears and sea-lions were kept in specially built cages that were kept on each side of the stage, The horses, ponies & elephants were usually taken to stables that were plentiful in those days at a local Pub. The stage would have a nice Circus back drop. These shows were run by, Prince Cox, Don Ross, Dr. Hunter, Chapman’s Hip-Hip Zoo Ray Circus (in the 1930’s) Cody’s Circus, Robert Bros Circus, I am sure many others but that’s all I can remember. Posted by Picasa

Posted by Buckles at 11/23/2006 06:21:00 AM

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

The only cocomat I can ever recall in this country is John Cuneo carried one for his Horse Fantasy. It was OK. But quite heavy. When I spent a season with Howard Suesz Clyde Bros. I recall he had a very nice thickly padded canvas mat, but it was not larger than 32ft. He told me that he bought it from Poodles Hanneford right before he retired from riding and that Poodles carried it due to the number of vaude and theater dates he played. Also when I trained in Tommy's permanent ring in wtrqtrs it was not over 34 ft. Some great riders worked and practiced in those size rings. Certainly 42ft. is nice, but in circus biz. we are always prepared for the curveball or we wouldn't survive.

23 November, 2006 09:02
Buckles said...

The Polack Show had a 36' ring which I think was designed for the 6 Besalou Elephants in 1954 but they were still pretty small.
By the time I started working them 11 years later, it was really a ring full.
When my dad booked our act on the Shopping Center parking lots in the mid-50's, we had no ring curb at all. I would roll the tubs out and the elephants simply worked around them.
The only problem was that when we would then make a Shrine date, he would spend the first few shows getting them pushed out to the ring curb. Then when the date ended we were back working in the street in front of a Used Car Dealership.

23 November, 2006 09:34
Anonymous said...

I used this cocomat around the pool and sona and hot tub. Never waste a thing. Could not wear it out. Mold finally got it in storage.

23 November, 2006 12:02
Anonymous said...

As Johnny says the ring size used to be adjusted to the depth of the stage size, sometimes quite small, but somehow it never seemed to be a problem.
The mat would be rolled up to the back of the stage and a canvas mat put down for the cage act, sometimes the canvas would be put down on top of the cocomat, I guess the reason for not rolling the mat up was because it was very heavy and maybe lack of help.
The cage act would either be before the Intermission or close the show.
My Dad always used to say, after a small ring the ponies were the ones that would always "cut in' when going back to a large ring.

Blackpool Tower Circus still uses a cocomat and it is removed every show for the Water finale.

23 November, 2006 12:46
Anonymous said...

How right your father was. Those big rings are terrible to work ponies in. They either cut the ring or are so far away that they can ignore you.

23 November, 2006 21:50
Anonymous said...

I have worked in big rings and little rings, round, oval and even sqare;[ just put a bull tub or props in each corner]. I have worked on dirt, celotex,[ Buckles calls them cardboard shows] rubber and carpet. Used railroad ties, balley curtain with layout pins and bales of hay, but I have never worked in the ingenius design of Nicole Sisters Diamond shaped rings. I can;t figure; If they are diamond shaped why would they call them rings??. Maybe they can paint some two by fours and lay them across the sharp diamond points and with Ringling it would mean a designing engineer and draftman to figure that out. I'm glad I'm old and retired. These geniuses of innovation are too much for me.

23 November, 2006 22:32
Anonymous said...

Kenny said to Nicole, "I want you to cut corners on the red show." She misunderstood, sorry Daddy.

24 November, 2006 00:24
Anonymous said...

Many thanks , Sue, for bringinbg the "Buckles" blog readers an insight to European circuses.

Yes, I am reminded of the circuses over the years at Chicago's Medinah Temple. The Shriners sold the building a few years ago and after restoration it is now a Nordstrom's home furnishing store.

Gone are the "good old days" in Medinah with the crowded back stage and Kenny McConnell's "Rosies Diner" serving the best circus hamburgers around.
Kenny we miss your stories. He would have loved this blog. and been a contributor.

24 November, 2006 14:11

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