Arrived a little early which gave us plenty to time to spend a little extra money, on a programme, on toys and on refreshments. We decided on a progamme, the back cover of which is scanned left. Audience seemed a little thin when we arrived, but swelled to something over the hundred for the off. An audience which looked to represent the various surrounding estates quite well. BH even thought that some travelers had turned out in solidarity, but I was not so sure.
While we waited, I wondered about the business proposition, allowing £250,000 for the big tent, £250,000 for the vehicles & machinery and maybe twenty mouths to feed. Didn't get very far with the sums, beyond thinking that if one sold one's suburban house, one would maybe have enough to make a start. We also wondered about the size of the ring: was it bigger or smaller than those of our childhood? A time when they had a band in a box above the plush curtained entrance used for artists and animals, opposite the entrance for punters. Whereas now they have loudspeakers. When you had a ringmaster with a top hat and tails. Didn't get very far with this one either, although the consensus was that today's ring was probably rather smaller than that of old, after allowing for the fact that we were definitely rather bigger.
The show lasted about two hours, with an interval, with maybe five numbers to each half. Plus a certain amount of continuity provided by clowns and showgirls. Were these last graduates of our Laine Theatre Arts? Did Laine Theatre Arts put in for work experience slots? I associated to the district in central Las Vegas, which I failed to pin down when I was in town, called Naked City for the density of show girls rooming there.
Most of the acts were fairly muscular, with even the seemingly softer options of throwing balls about in a cunning way requiring considerable strength and dexterity in the hands, arms and shoulders. No animals, so the only pain involved was that of consenting humans, about half of whom were shapely young females and at least one of whom came from the UK.
All in all, very good value, I don't think it would have worked on television, but up close and personal very good indeed.
Home through the high density part of the Longmead housing estate. Houses rather than blocks and decent enough, but the place had a slightly down-at-heel feel about it, despite not being that old. Maybe 1960's or 1970's. Not sure that I would have cared to be there after dark - although I dare say that, like Belfast during most of the troubles, it is much worse in the newspapers than it is on the ground..
PS: no web site for the circus, but there is web presence, although you need to take care not to confuse them with Circus Funtasia, who do have a web site and who appear to be something to do with performing motor cycles.
Reference 1: http://psmv3.blogspot.co.uk/2016/10/circus-one.html.
Reference 2: http://psmv3.blogspot.co.uk/2016/10/circus-two.html.
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