Many of these weekly ramblings focus on something in grave danger of extinction. It might be a bird, or a tiny insect or a huge and dangerous big cat but today I’m looking at the threat of extinction to something rather different. Today I’m looking at the traditional circus.

I’ve always been in two minds about circuses. As a small child in north-west London huge touring circuses like Billy Smart’s or Chipperfield’s would set up their huge colourful marquees on Wormwood Scrubs – in the shadows of the famous prison – and off would go the family Frost to see  the clowns, the tightrope walkers, trapeze artists and the horses, elephants, lions and tigers.

At Christmas those same big circuses would set up in huge indoor arenas like Olympia, Earls Court, Alexandra Palace. And I’m sure other cities and towns all enjoyed their own local touring shows.

Later on I, along with many others would start to have doubts about the animal welfare aspects of these circuses. Just what kind of life did a circus elephant of tiger have. Would they be happier and healthier in the wild?

Today it is a well known fact that there are more tigers in Texan circuses, animal shows, zoos and even private ownership than there are living wild in the rest of the world.
 
That cannot possibly be the way we should treat the largest, proudest wild cat of the world’s jungles. What happens to the thousand dollar cuddly baby tiger cub when it gets too big to be a fashion accessory? It gets put down and replaced by another baby tiger.

I first became aware of the cruelty of circuses in France more than half a century ago. I was in a coastal town in Normandy sitting outside a cafe enjoying a breakfast croissant and coffee crème.

Along came a scruffy French lad in his early teens. He had a companion on the end of a heavy chain. It was the most pathetic bear I had ever seen. The boy had a stick and the damaged condition of the bear’s skin showed he wasn’t slow in using it.

The bear clearly had a totally broken spirit and although it was a good foot taller than the boy and twice his weight he bowed his head in total subservience to his apparently cruel young keeper.

The pair of them were advertising a touring circus that had just hit town. One look at the bear convinced me I wouldn’t be going to see it.

I never went to the circus again. Then in 2019, the British government caught up with Frosty’s view on circuses. They passed a law banning the use of wild animals in travelling circuses in England. The ban came into force in January 2020.

There are now only two circuses with wild animal licences in the UK and between them they have less than 20 animals – six reindeer, four zebra, camels, three raccoons, a fox, a macaw, and a curious humped Indian cow.

I still wouldn’t go and see any of them but on a recent short break on the east coast I took myself off to see a circus with no animals at all. What a surprise it turned out to be.

There were no conventional clowns, just a couple of stand-up comedians who happen to own the show. Star of this circus in Great Yarmouth however is the building, built as a dedicated circus building in 1903 more than a century ago.

Throughout the century the intimate arena has played host to an incredible variety of entertainment, from amazing water spectacles and stage shows to cinema and cine variety and even wartime use as a military practice shooting range! Apart from always presenting the very best in circus, Lloyd George held political rallies here – Lillie Langtry sang, Little Tich clowned, Max Miller joked, Houdini escaped, the world’s finest clowns and circus personalities performed.

The Hippodrome building is Britain’s last surviving total circus building, of only three in the world to still feature its original sinking ring that still fills with water for aquatic shows

Built in 1903 by circus showman George Gilbert and dubbed “one of the seven wonders of the British seaside”, today, you can see spectacular circus and water shows here.

Look out in the finales as the ring sinks, giant fountains appear and the circus swimmers take centre stage. Before the swimmers, you’re sure to see a variety of international artistes.

It was built to the designs of the local architect Ralph Scott Cockrill. Designated today as a building of “outstanding importance”, its entrance decorated with Art Nouveau motifs leads into the tiled entrance and box office.

Being within the original 1903 building and seeing the sinking ring flooding for an aquatic spectacle that lasts for the entire second act is an unforgettable and magical experience – a time machine with modern lighting that links you to the past and has to be seen to be believed.

Thanks to its present owner Peter Jay, who lovingly restored the sinking ring to working order in 1981 after twenty-five years’ disuse, Great Yarmouth is the only purpose-built circus building to remain in use in the country.

Like some rare butterfly or curious waterfowl we need to do all we can to protect the wonderful Great Yarmouth Circus from extinction. Roll up, roll up — it’s time to save the show.