Page 23 - The Outdoor Showman magazine January-March 2023

RODEO NEWS
business non-stop since the 1940s. (Remember their several scenes in the background of the all-time-great Cecil B. de Mille movie, The Greatest Show on Earth?) One branch of the Ashton-Hayes
family, Hoodie and his descendents, brought their show-stopping Risley (foot-juggling) act to the original Australian Ashton Circus in 1980-81. Infamous has booked dates in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. Stardust
The huge Lennon-West Stardust Circus ended what seemed a never-ending round of Covid lock-downs and floods by finally jumping out of Sydney. Opening to huge South Coast holiday houses at Bateman’s Bay, they felt really great vibes of gratitude.
Two years ago, bushfires isolated the coast and cut electricity for a week. Stardust loaned the hospital its big generators and this time locals rewarded them in spades. For them, Moruya, Narooma, Bega,
back up to Queanbeyan for Easter. Both Jan and Lindsay Lennon have
undergone serious leg surgery.
Both are recovering well.
The show now has probably as many young family members in it as Ashton’s did in the late 1980s (38 at one stage!) Lennons
Lennon’s Lennon Bros 2023 Circus, with its upgraded name, slow-started the year at a wet Helensvale, the fast- growing northern Gold Coast suburb,. Business developed gradually.
Then it took its well-produced show
to Warwick, Qld, aiming for the NSW New England — this time, hoping for
no sleet on the top of the Big Top. Chonco is getting big hands for his high- wire and flying acts. So does the globe. Ringmistress Jane Grant keeps
the program running.
Pix from Hungary, Carlos Urban
Stardust, always good Ringmasters
Quad wheel, European sensation
Rio
South American-styled Circus Rio
opened the year at Brisbane’s North
Lakes, in a crowded car-park setting.
It went well, and now they’re off on a North Queensland tour, starting with Bundaberg. Proprietor Uri does a nice job of clowning in the big balloon, much in the style of Jesse Grant at Infamous, but with a different finish. New normal
Aldi have a slogan, “Good. Different.” That’s the sort of year lining up for Australian circuses. The new normal.
European Circus
German Circus Krone
Ron Gluck, Tent Boss
Umbrellas, like Ah Siew (Royale 1978-82)
Vale Ron Gluck
Hudsons know how to bridge out!
When Reinhold Mathias Gluck died on the Gold Coast on February 12, Australia lost its longest-serving recent tent boss.
Born in Austria, December 8, 1933, Ron tented throughout Europe, England, south Africa, South Asia, And for over 40 years with Circus Royale in Australia and NZ. Representatives of eight circuses were
at Allambie Gardens, Nerang, for the February 17 funeral and the Nerang
RSL wake.
Ron had two passions: family and circus. Daughters Heidi (el Massoudi Bros, prize- winning European hand-balancers) Sonya (Former Royale aerialist, Australia), and Yasmin (former horse trainer, Aust and NZ) flew into join widow Pearl, British-born aerialist, and grand-children at the service. Ron died, loved and respected.
THE OUTDOOR SHOWMAN 21