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The Sandow Family Circus Variety History – Part Sixteen.
Sandow’s One Lorry Circus!
Sheila and I concluded the short season at the Little Theatre Rhyl when the children returned to school in early September. Sheila being halfway through her pregnancy, what to do next was the big question. We thought it best to be closer to family so decided to stay at a quality caravan site at Sandbach in Cheshire for my mother had retired there in 1970 in pleasant circumstances. She had retired after leaving Joe Gandey’s Circus with me in 1969. His kind assistance found this location for her – a great friend was Joe. His own winter quarter was two miles from Sandbach. Nice to be close to her, we thought, and also to Sheila’s family who lived on the Wirral. All was fine. I then realised that I was not as multi-talented as I had previously thought! A short solo career was not on, bookings with a single act again around the dwindling clubs and asking a waitress to assist was certainly off the table along with finding another clown to tour the children’s show with me. My Victorian parents instilled in me that we must not live off the state although the state at this time was exceptionally good as in fact it always has been with the small number of times we have needed it plus the many times with joint business association, especially with local authorities.
I approached the (then) Labour Exchange to sign on because I did not wish to place a self employed stamp not being employed. Incidentally I had not been out of work more than a single week since 1956. So, when signing into the Labour Exchange in Sandbach I thought it perhaps, beneficial to say ‘I am a theatrical.’ The typical staff member peered at me over glasses and said ‘there is not much potential for theatrical employment in Sandbach!’ I got the message. I also realised that my qualifications outside of the business was not good. However, within a few days I joined a local firm as a delivery driver and this family firm was exceptionally nice to work for. We still yearned for the showbiz lights but circumstances set the course and our resulting daughter has been a joy and a gem. She was born in January 1975. However, what to do for that year was a challenge. I spent odd times just phoning around friends and fellow artistes or even visiting some close by just to keep in touch (sadly Joe Gandey had died in 1973) and we had many visitors of course. I telephoned Peter Leaway who told me he had just finished an horrendous contract touring Italian clubs – some were really terrible in obscure places. He told me that he and Linda were travelling to Blackpool to work a top booking and would drop in!
Peter, and life changing events!
All of us who have enjoyed the sitcom ‘Ever Decreasing Circles’ would know the character of Paul Ryman, always positive with ‘myriads’ of mates! Peter was like this. A complete ball of positive thought, nothing bothered him. We always got on so well. Apart from his speciality act he always had something else active with plenty of pokers in fires. Our last meeting with him and Linda was during our season on the Isle of Wight where he had seemingly retired. The year was 1978 and he had bought a very large house in Ryde in a prime situation planning to run a guest house. The property was immaculate with the finest of furnishings – all put together with the help of mates so he said. He was a born socialiser and salesman. Example; on the Butlin circuit one bill topper was the wonderful Roy Castle. The main act would occupy a small changing room with access through the main changing room, about 20ft from one door to the other. We along with Peter, Linda and whoever might be appearing were in the large room. Peter was in the centre of the room. Roy Castle entered with niceties all round but on reaching Peter said hello and shook hands, still in motion towards the door. Peter immediately engaged him in conversation and within the ten feet had stopped Roy Castle to talk with him as if they had known each other for years and was invited into the small room!
We were on this Sandbach caravan site, all first class and cosy, and to the front was a large car park. Peter and Linda arrived with his extra large motorhome conversion and parked on the car park intending to stay overnight. He had words with the site office – his usual salesmanship applied and he managed to stay on the front car park free of charge! Such was Peter.
The old laughter days were back and a few drinks were exchanged at a Sandbach pub. The conversation drifted to Gerry Cottle who had just started a ‘two lorry marquee circus’ in partnership with young members of a circus family – the Austens. Gerry Cottle having good contacts managed much press for this. I suggested the rather inebriated idea of a partnership with a likewise small marquee circus but I said ‘a two lorry circus is too big, I favour a one lorry circus!’ Peter and Linda were most excited about the project. I thought they were just being agreeable yet a month later they came back most serious about it. So plans were made for this one lorry (plus flat trailer) circus. Peter found a lorry and flat trailer, I found a three poled marquee for £500 and Sheila’s father, who was the manager of a New Ferry woodyard produced all the off-cuts to create the seating. By the end of April 1975 Sandow’s Funtime Circus was launched. (Always a children’s show!). Sheila’s father produced small tubs for the children to sit on with connecting boards to link one to another, the adults were seated on three boards high along the old Vs and Bracket formula in an amphitheatre arrangement. We did not have a ring but a semi circle of a ring folding fence we had used for the Butlin tours. In the centre were floor boards for working on – painted blue.
Our one lorry show contained the four of us plus Peter’s young acrobatic sister Trudy and an engaged staff member who provided general help plus the driving. We also engaged an illusionist. We performed just one show each day and was very well received including local authorities who were most helpful as they always have been to our enterprises. However towards the end of August Peter told us that he wished to terminate the partnership saying that the show was not really a challenge to him and actually said it was a bit boring! Knowing Peter we fully understood his reasoning. I told him that we must settle the accounts, our agreement was totally verbal with no contract, we never thought of having one. We just agreed a 50/50 weekly after all expenses. The cost of the whole outfit was less than £1000, that we recouped in the first month. Peter said not to worry, you and Sheila can have the whole set up! Such was the pal that was Peter.
We closed the show during the middle of September and the whole unit aboard the lorry was stored in a lock up on Merseyside. We had already been approached by Chris Fox who produced the New Brighton pantomime for us to appear in his Bridlington production of Jack and the Beanstalk that pending Christmas at the Spa Theatre. This is the programme:
We then decided to continue Circus Funtime and this we did to terrific business including the sponsorship from local authorites for the cast, plus other engaged acts, to appear on their major Civic venues for 1976 and 1977.
This fine photograph appeared in the American circus fan magazine Southern Sawdust for the February 1977 issue showing Sheila as the compere for the show taken during 1976 with two of the best legs in Circus Variety!
