When the circus came to Banstead
by
Andrew Wells
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It was around 1970 when the Circus came to Banstead.
Back then circuses were very different to today. As well as the trapeze artists and clowns you would see today, we had performing animals. There were performing dogs dressed in glittery costumes jumping through hoops.There were horse-riders performing amazing feats of balance like riding round the ring whilst standing on their horses’ backs. There were elephants performing tricks and of course there were the lion tamers. Wearing their bright red jackets with gold tassels they would go into the large cages erected in the ring armed just with a whip a stick and huge amounts of bravery. In the cage were wild and ferocious lions who the lion tamer would get to perform with just a crack of the whip.
Other animals often seen in circuses in those days included camels and zebras. This was the only opportunity many of us had to see these exotic beasts.
On arrival in Banstead the circus paraded through the High Street before setting up in Rose Hill Farm, a field off Park Road, opposite Apsley Cottages. In those days there were two wooden stiles to climb over, one from the cricket ground and another into the field being used by the circus.
I heard about the Circus and being a curious teenager, I went into the circus field and decided to sit on the old wooden stile where the hedge separated the two fields, to watch them set up the circus.
Two large, brightly painted, trailers which were used as their Box Offices were positioned parallel to Park Road, facing into the field.
The Box Offices had wooden platforms with steps leading up to the windows where the tickets went on sale (although not open during the performances as the staff in the ticket office also performed in the circus).
The Menagerie, consisted of cages on large trailers; these were home to the Big Cats. The menagerie was positioned along the hedge backing on to what is now Parkside Nursing Home. Other animals such as elephants and horses were kept behind the Big Top.
It wasn’t long before the chap in charge noticed me sitting around watching. He came over and asked me if I would like to lend a hand setting up the Big Top. I think he offered me about ten bob to help out. I really didn’t need paying as I was not doing anything for a few days and was planning to go to the Channel Islands with my mate Pete for a few weeks that weekend.
All the circus folk had their jobs to do setting up the Circus and feeding the animals etcetera and obviously knew exactly what they were doing. Some unpacked whacking great poles, ropes and unfolded great big canvases.
They were a friendly bunch and got me pulling on ropes to heave the massive poles into position. They then showed me how to the feed thick ropes through the eyelets in the canvas to stitch the Big Top together. We then heaved on the ropes to haul the canvas up to form the top of the tent, then we stitched together the canvases around the edge to form the side walls. When the big top was in place we finally bashed in the pegs with a big wooden mallet to hold the big top nice and taut. It was then time to set up the wooden benches around the ring. It was quite hard work pulling on the thick heavy ropes and once the Big Top was up and the benches were in position I went home for a spot of lunch (probably beans on toast).
After lunch I set off again for the circus.
I turned left out of Yewlands Close, past Doug Lawson’s house on the corner with the yew tree outside, and onto Park Road. I walked past the few council houses on the left. As always, I gazed at the old houses on thopposite side of the road, including Jereh Cottage built in 1841.
I continued along the path with the chicken field on my left, then just before Apsley Cottage, crossed the road and entered the circus field via the stile which is no longer there today, but conveniently it was captured on a bit of cine film and is shown below with Apsley Cottage in the background.
The circus was due to start their first matinee performance. When they saw me, they asked if I would like to help. I asked them what they wanted me to do and they explained they had a very simple job for me. All I had to do was open a curtain to let the acts run into the ring and when the artists completed their acts, I then had to open the curtain again so they could walk out waving to the cheering crowd.
This was great. I could watch the performance for free.
Opening the curtains for the Jugglers, High Wire Act and Trapeze Artists was easy. Watching the circus from the inside, I realized that the person doing the high wire act was also the clown, and the trapeze artists were clowns and jugglers as well. Then it dawned on me that they all carried out several roles. After each performance they had a quick change of costume before returning into the ring.
The man in charge asked me if I would like to lead the cows around the ring.
‘Cows? What cows?’
I looked behind me and there, right behind me, was an enormous elephant looking at me, waiting to go into the ring. I jumped out of my skin. There were more elephants behind.
“No thank you.”
“Well, you can take the bucket round after and clear up their mess.”
“OK, that sounds easy enough.”
So, I entered into the wonderful world of show business.
When I entered the ring with my bucket, I realised the bucket would be nowhere near large enough – I could have done with a wheel barrow! I don’t know if there was a clown behind me, but the audience were laughing and cheering. They seemed to be enjoying watching me clear up the poo.
It was then time for the horses to enter the ring. The chap who was in charge behind the scenes told me to be quick to open the curtain as the horses would be running out of the ring and the riders had to have the curtains open in time or they would be knocked off!
It was amazing watching the riders mounting and dismounting while the horses were galloping round the ring. The riders jumped up and stood on the horse’s backs and performed various astonishing acts whilst galloping round the ring. Suddenly they were headed out of the ring, galloping straight towards me and the closed curtain. Quick as a flash I pulled the curtains open. Only just in time, as the horses thundered past.
Eventually it was time for the lion tamer. A huge cage was erected in the ring. The lion tamer entered the cage with a long stick in one hand and a whip in the other. Once in the ring the lions were let into the cage through a long cage like tunnel. The lion tamer faced the lions and guided them with his stick onto their round podiums where they sat and roared. He bravely got the lions to perform their routine, then, with a crack of his whip, he guided the lions out of the cage and back down the tunnel and safely back into their cages.
When the performance finally ended and the audience had left, I decided to go and sit on the stile and relax. It was a beautiful day with blue sky and warm sunshine. I sat there looking out over the circus ground, watching people queue up at the Ticket Office to get their tickets for the next performance.
Suddenly, I noticed one of the lionesses had escaped from her cage and was stealthily, inch by inch, creeping menacingly across the field. Then I saw the lioness’s prey There was a small child right in the middle of the field. The child was oblivious to the danger she was in, and sat happily in the field unaware of the drama. The lioness, however, was very aware of the toddler, and crept slowly, ever closer.
Time seemed to stand still. There was silence. I saw the people queueing up for their tickets had seen what was unfolding and froze. They stared, open-mouthed. The lioness was keeping very low, with its belly on the ground, as she stalked her prey. The lioness was now only a few yards away from the toddler and was slowly, inch by inch, creeping forward. I knew the lioness was going to pounce.
You can tell when a lion is hunting and about to pounce. We have all seen it in nature programs on TV. Except this was not a television program. This was real and was actually happening here and now in front of me, in a field in Banstead, a quiet country village in Surrey, not in the African Savanna.
The lioness was slowly getting nearer and nearer to the toddler, preparing to pounce when her prey was within reach. I don’t know why, but I slid off the stile and walked toward the child, staring directly at the lioness. Strangely, I didn’t feel myself walking, but seemed to float above the ground as if I was being lifted from my shoulder blades. The lioness saw me and froze. Without moving her head – only her eyes moved – she stared back into mine. I carried on walking, staring straight back into the lioness’ eyes.
She remained frozen to the spot, with only her eyes moving, as she watched me approach.
The crowd by the ticket office remained silent. Time seemed to stand still. I continued to stare into the eyes of the lioness and she remained frozen, mid-stalk, still only her eyes showing any movement.
As I reached the toddler the lioness was close, within nine feet of her, just a little further and she would be near enough to pounce. The lioness remained frozen to the spot, her eyes following me as I stooped down and plucked the child from the ground straight in front of the lioness. I didn’t stop and carried on walking.
The lioness remained frozen with her eyes burning into me as I carried on walking with the child held in front of me.I walked straight up to someone in the queue and passed the child to an adult as I carried on walking past the still frozen crowd and out of the circus ground. I didn’t stop till I got home.
Apparently, the lion tamer and circus folk had witnessed the drama and quickly recaptured the lioness. In those days there were no mobile phones, especially with cameras. There were no photos to send to local papers and no videos to upload to the internet and post onto social media (which also did not exist.at that time). No internet to upload videos to Facebook etc. News travelled by word of mouth.
Later, I was sitting at the kitchen table when my sister, Jill, arrived home from work. She said what a brave person I was in rescuing that little child. She told my Mother (and me) what she had heard from one of the Reynolds sisters (who lived on Park Road and had witnessed the event). It was only then, when Jill came home and related what she had heard, that I realised what I had actually done. I must have been in shock, I guess.
Later in the day I went back to visit my new friends in the circus. They gathered round and wanted me to join them. They said they had space in one of the caravans and I could travel around the country with them. I politely declined explaining that I was only in the country for a few days before setting off on another of my little trips around Europe. Quite a few people said that I should inform the local press but I really didn’t want publicity. Over the years I have often wondered what happened to that little girl. Is she now a grandmother? I hope she has had a happy and healthy life.
