Page 24 - The Outdoor Showman April - June 2021

CIRCUS NEWS
Duke helped circus
The Royal Family, every one of them, loved circuses, especially the animals.
When Prince Charles and Princess Anne were young, The Queen and Prince Philip took them every year to see Bertram Mills’ Circus in London, and to many other shows in between.
Mills was then regarded as the best one-ring circus in the world. And when it closed in 1957, they made certain the Princes and Princess saw the final performance.
It helped that Colonel Mills had been European Champion at several horse disciplines, and had driven four-in-hand harness with Prince Philip.
When Billy Smart and his ten children launched the next top-prestige circus, the Royal Family went often.
In a twist of fate, Billy bought a triangle of land, smack bang in the middle of the several-miles-long greensward that leads up to the front of Windsor Castle.
He announced he was going to put up a permanent circus and huge carnival there.
A staff member from the Royal household soon turned up at Billy’s van, and suggested that the Royal Family wanted the historic grassy area to stay as it was.
three-poler on a high, slopey site, beside where the government had just finished building a wide access road to the expanded port.
Massive bookings, including a 10am school special matinee, with more than 2,000 littlies in the Big Top. (We were over-booked, Lord knows how many!)
It was officially the port extensions’ Opening Day. Thousands lined the roped-off roadway, leading to the official dais, agog with excitement.
There were timber barriers, and a smattering of police to control crowds.
We finished the show about midday, and the teachers helped us sit children down on the slope, to see the Royal entourage pass by.
The Rolls-Royce, Royal pennants flying, slowly paraded into view.
I could see the Duke, on our side of the car, craning his neck looking over the kids’ heads, waving to them and talking to The Queen, who then looked over towards children and tent.
The motorcade went on about a hundred yards to the official dais, and the port extensions were royally opened.
Then, to the security detail’s worry, the Royals decided on a meet-and-greet walk along the barriers on our side of the road. No security problem there; Kiwis love Royals.
Most circus artistes had changed out of costume by then. I was too busy ushering children and teachers to change, so I was still in full Ringmaster clobber.
The Duke made his way along the barriers, reaching out and exchanging greetings with adults and children alike.
When he got to me, he pointed to the Big Top and said, “What circus is it?”
“Royale American Three-Ring Circus, sir.”
“Where do you come from?”
“Australia.”
“Oh, I thought it was Billy Smart’s”
Laughter and smiles from teachers, children, artistes, and crew alike.
And that confirmed what we knew about the Royal Family. They loved circus.
Prince Philip died, aged 99, loved and respected.
3rd Ashton does triple on
trapeze
April 29th was a big night at ‘Infamous,’ the Ashton cabaret circus, at Rocklea, Brisbane.
Ricky Ashton-Harrison, 15, for the first time caught the triple somersault on flying trapeze. He’s done it several times in the show since.
He’s the third Ashton to do it.
His mum, Bekki Ashton-Harrison, is still the only Australian-born female to do it, at the age of 20. She watched as Rikki did it.
And cousin Jordan, Pepe and Michelle’s elder son, then 18, did it, too. He’s now married, living on Perth, and halfway through training at WA’s Police Academy.
Bekki says Rikki’s the eighth Australian- born flyer to achieve the triple.
Billy asked for proof that that was indeed what the Royal Family themselves wanted.
He was soon invited to the Castle,
and met The Queen and Prince. Yes, they wanted this wonderful landscape to remain undisturbed for future generations.
Billy donated the land to the State.
A couple of seasons later, Billy was honoured to be made a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG), for services to entertainment and the community.
Kiwiland
In 1985-6, Frank Gasser took Royale American 3-Ring Circus to New Zealand.
I ring mastered it, and we had sensational houses in 38 sites on North and South Islands.
At Nelson, where you get off the ferry from the North Island, we put up the
22 THE OUTDOOR SHOWMAN