For Part 1 of this article: Ian Hendry And ‘The Circus That Came To Town’ – Part 1

The Golden Age Of The Circus In Britain

Nearly a century has passed since the conception of Bertram Mills’ original circus, so it may be hard to comprehend the enormous social and entertainment impact this show brought to Great Britain.

When Ian Hendry met Coco The Clown for the first time and discovered The Bertram Mills Circus in 1953, this entertainment form was in it’s heyday. It was glamorous, exotic and exciting. It attracted all facets of society. No-one was excluded, it was a form of  entertainment for everyone. This aspect would certainly have appealed strongly to Ian’s sensibilities. Ian’s friendship with Coco and The Bertram Mills Circus is detailed in the new biography ‘Send in the Clowns – The Yo Yo Life Of Ian Hendry’ by Gabriel Hershman

No wonder it made such a huge impression on him. It was a world that would have immediately captured his already renowned imagination, taking him to another place, to somewhere magical.  The intensity and immediacy of the performances, the intimacy and interactions with the audience, the gasps and the laughter. The ‘child inside’ him would have been itching to join in with the fun.

It’s easy to join the bandwagon of today’s political correctness and dismiss the traditional circus as something from the ‘dark ages’. The use of exotic animals to entertain audiences, being seen as an exploitation and their treatment cruel. Times change, tastes change, perspectives change. Change is the only constant.

The Circus In The 1950’s – A Moment In Time

To really understand the significance of the circus at that time, we need to be able to ‘picture’ the period.

For a moment, let’s travel back in time to the early 1950’s. It was a time before television had begun to play such a dominant role in family entertainment, before natural history and travel programmes brought wild animals and the world into the living room.  A time before the arrival of cheaper air travel, which then opened up a world of possibilities and the chance of actually visiting these ‘exotic’ places, to see the wild animals and to explore the different cultures.

In a sense it was a time when the circus brought their version of the world to us. Not a real world of course, but one of make-believe and imagination. It was time when the circus held a special place in the hearts and minds of the people.

After the end of the Second World War, life in London was finally beginning to return to some normality. Buildings, roads and infrastructure were largely repaired. The period of fear, rationing and thrift was left behind and people began to look forwards, not backwards, with optimism. And for a while, at least, the circus became a national institution.

A night out in Olympia, with family or friends, watching the greatest human performance and animal acts from all over Europe was a key part of the social calendar. The sawdust covered big ring, the lights, the noise, the laughter and the surprises. The circus gave people an experience that thrilled them.

And Ian was certainly no exception.

A Closing Of The Circle – The ‘Circus Ring Of Life’

Much later in his life, in 1980, Ian gave a ‘life-story’ exclusive for the Sunday People news-paper. It is no coincidence that in that piece he acknowledged a very special time in his life. He dressed up as a clown, with make-up that gave reference to the style used by Coco, so that he could be photographed for the article.

If you look closely at the photograph, it appears as if Ian has taken his slip-on leather shoes (his footwear of choice) and turned up the leather tongues to shield his ankles and complete his clown’s outfit. Improvisation, perhaps, brought on by the necessity of the moment. He strikes a pose, standing on his left foot and appears to be holding something between the fingers and thumb of his left hand. We can only guess what it is that he is holding, but it has been suggested that it may be the tears of a clown.

Just like the big ring in the circus, he had finally come full circle to the beginning again. Maybe, in some small way, that felt like ‘going home’.

You can see that picture here:

See:  Ian The Clown

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Further Reading

A detailed account of Ian’s friendship with Coco The Clown and his early encounters with The Bertram Mills Circus is included in the new biography of his life.

Read:  ‘Send in the Clowns – The Yo Yo Life Of Ian Hendry’ by Gabriel Hershman

Neil Hendry

Editor, The Official Website of Ian Hendry

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