Circus Rosaire - a much awaited DVD

I am delighted to announce the release of the two disc DVD edition of the critically acclaimed "Circus Rosaire" documentary. The Rosaire family and their origins in circus are documented in my book "The Legend of Salt and Sauce". During my research I had the pleasure of interviewing the great Ivor Rosaire, who began his career in elephent training with Salt and Sauce. The story of the Rosaires is a remarkable one. Rupert Croft-Cooke and Ruth Manning-Sanders, two prolific professional writers of the early to mid 20th century, lived with the Rosaires when they toured the UK and wrote extensively on their wondrous time spent with the family.

The Rosaire family story has always been one about extreme hardship and success through adversity. In my book I detail the problems the family encountered during their very early years when the show was just a three person affair pitched on a showground, just containing "Count" Rosaire, his wife "The Countess" and a strongman. Rosaire was a stage name they changed from Ross. These were tough enough times, working in terrible weather conditions with a one pole tent and having to perform everyday, the last act being a real boxing match that the Count held against an oncomer! Over the years the Rosaires had eight children, each trained to perform several different acts. As time went on each went their own route and some travelled to America.

Circus Rosaire is a documentary that shows that success and hardship continues in tandem to this day and, in many ways, continues the story where my book leaves off. I highly recommend it:
Dear Friends,

We are thrilled to announce that the much anticipated "CIRCUS ROSAIRE" dvd is now available for sale on Amazon.com!

Just in time for the holiday season, this deluxe 2-DISC Special Edition set features the award winning documentary film, along the with an hour long, fun-filled Rosaire Family Circus performance under the Big Top. It also includes nearly 45 minutes of never-before-seen additional scenes and interviews.

If you're looking for a really special gift this holiday season that will be perfect for kids and adults alike, this is it!

To order, simply visit Amazon.com by clicking here:

http://www.amazon.com/Circus-Rosaire/dp/B002X86B78/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1259343981&sr=1-1

*PLEASE HELP US SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT THE FILM BY FORWARDING THIS TO YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS!
And keep all those wonderful emails coming - we really do read them all and love hearing from you.

On behalf of the Circus Rosaire team, HAPPY HOLIDAYS!


CIRCUS ROSAIRE
Film Synopsis

For nine generations, the Rosaire family has entertained audiences all over the world with their legendary animal acts. From lions and tigers, to bears, horses and chimpanzees, the Rosaires are renowned for their unique and respectful way of training and performing with animals. At the height of their fame, they headlined shows for royalty, presidents and legions of fans with their spectacular feats. Today they are struggling to survive in the modern age of entertainment. Major declines in audience attendance, and increasing concern for animal welfare have significantly impacted the Rosaires way of life. Their livelihood and future are at risk as they attempt to carry on the family tradition.

Filmed over a five-year period, CIRCUS ROSAIRE is both heartbreaking and hilarious as it takes an intimate, behind the scenes look inside this quintessential circus family.

CIRCUS ROSAIRE has been screened in over 20 film festivals worldwide, and has won numerous awards. See what all the buzz is about, and order your own CIRCUS ROSAIRE dvd now!

Click to order:
http://www.amazon.com/Circus-Rosaire/dp/B002X86B78/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1259343981&sr=1-1

CIRCUS ROSAIRE Reviews

“ENGAGING AND IMPRESSIVE. PIC SHOULD PLEASE LADIES, GENTLEMEN AND CHILDREN OF ALL AGES!”
Joe Leydon, Variety

“CHARMING AND AFFECTING!”
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times

“ENCHANTING AND EFFECTIVE!”
John Beifuss, The Commercial Appeal

"CIRCUS ROSAIRE IS A CHARMING, ENGAGING GEM OF AN INDIE FILM!”
Kim Voyner, Cinematical

“TOUCHING AND POIGNANT, ‘CIRCUS ROSAIRE’ IS A DELGIHTFUL TELLING OF A FAMILY TALE THAT’S A REAL AND CLASSIC SUCCESS STORY, COMPLETE WITH HEARTACHES, CONTROVERSY AND LOTS OF LOVE. ”
Robert Waldman, Orato News

“ONE OF THE GEMS IN THIS YEARS SLAMDANCE FESTIVAL!”
David Burger, Salt Lake City Tribune

“INSPIRING TEARS OF SADNESS AND JOY, ‘CIRCUS ROSAIRE’ IS FOR THOSE WHO FIND HEROES AMONG COMMON FOLKS.”
Leah Raquel Ranada, The Source

“AMAZING! YOU CAN’T HELP BUT FALL IN LOVE WITH THIS FILM!”
Chris Steele, Mountain Morning Show

“I WOULD HAVE TO SAY THAT THIS MOVIE’S SUCCESSFUL RELEASE FOR EITHER THEATERS OR TELEVISION WOULD BE ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT EVENTS OF OUR YEAR!”
John Hart, ShowBiz USA

“ONE OF THE MOST BUZZED ABOUT FILMS….CIRCUS ROSAIRE IS A LOVING PORTRAIT OF A FAMILY’S STRUGGLE TO PRESERVE A FADING INSTITUTION.”
Salt Lake City Tribune

“BIG TOP FUN!”
Philippine Journal

“GENUINELY MOVING!”
Glen Schaefer, The Province


UPCOMING SCREENINGS

Saturday, December 5, 2009 – 3:15PM
Alaska Experience Theatre
4th Avenue Marketplace
333.W. 4th Avenue

Friday, December 11, 2009 – 8:15PM
Anchorage Museum
121 W. Seventh Ave


VISIT THE OFFICIAL FILM WEBSITE:
www.circusrosairemovie.com

My Kingpole Article

Earlier this year a series of emails and subsequent discussions on Facebook prompted my father and I to write and research on a unique but relatively short-lived wild animal act known as the "Bounce" (aka the bouncing lions or the bouncer wagon). It became a series of posts on this blog as more information came to light and eventually materialized into an article that was published in the Autumn 2009 edition of the Circus Friends Association magazine, the King Pole. I now reproduce this article below, just as my father has revealed that he does a photograph of my Uncle Dicky working in South Africa, proving perhaps undeniably that his act was a bounce.

Towards the end of the 19th century European circus saw the gradual decline of wild animal acts being presented inside "beastwagons" (mobile caged containers, now used on circuses just as sleeping quarters) in favour of the new caged arena style acts. However, there would be one last innovative and exciting twist in the history of the beastwagon act. This came in the form of the “Bouncer Wagon Act”, often known as the “Bouncing Lions” or, quite simply, as the “Bounce”. The act is remarkable for a few reasons. Firstly it seems to be a uniquely British invention that was never adopted outside the United Kingdom. Secondly it saw a young Dicki Chipperfield, my uncle, work it aged just 15. Thirdly only a few trainers ever worked it. Finally it finished very abruptly, for no apparent reason, and despite three failed attempts to resurrect it, the bouncer wagon has not been seen worldwide since 1966.

10 years later Edward “Eddie” Campbell, the amateur wild animal trainer and professional journalist, wrote an article for the “Kingpole”, entitled “The Bounce”, describing this fascinating part of circus history. Eddie had the extra advantage over most writers and historians of having actually trained and performed the Bounce. When I first started writing about the Bounce for my blog www.jamieclubb.blogspot.com I was unaware of the article’s existence and gained my main source material from my father, a well-respected wild animal trainer and circus/zoo historian. He was also involved with three attempts to resurrect the Bounce. The original posts on my blog came about as a result of an email conversation my father had with my cousin, Jim Stockley. This is not the first time this has happened. My book, “The Legend of Salt and Sauce”, began in a similar way through my father’s correspondence and subsequent research. However, this time a previously published article has not been my starting point to correct myths and mistakes but has provided further information which I feel is worth repeating in “The Kingpole”, the publication where it first appeared.

When I first began posting information on the internet about the Bounce there seemed a little confusion over my father’s assertion that the act was uniquely English and that “Captain” Tommy Purchase, father-in-law of my great uncle Jimmy Chipperfield, was its “accidental” inventor. The confusion came from what actually constituted the Bounce. Eddie Campbell claimed he also came across similar confusion in Europe:

“When you describe the stunt to Continentals they offer ‘wilde Arbeit’ or ‘en ferocite’. When you explain that both these terms are for what we would call a fairground roust and not the Bounce at all, they tend to give you a raised eyebrow and imply that you are quite clearly inventing the whole thing, which would be impossible anyway”.

Eddie then goes on to describe an anecdote where a continental trainer admitted to being “unashamedly terrified” by the act when shown it by his new English employer and stated with certainty that “he was not, repeat not, going in there”.

Eddie may have had problems trying to explain to others the difference between a Rousting Act and the Bounce, but Dad’s problem, which I may have inherited with the publication of my posts on the blog, came from people confusing the Bounce with the standard original beastwagon acts. To make a distinction, Dad has always called the latter “Posing Acts”. It is important to note that these acts did continue alongside and even outlived the Bounce.

Prior to the posing acts, animal “trainers” of the 19th century wore armour and virtually fought with the wild animals. In many respects the Bounce harked back to these days albeit in a far safer and more humane fashion. Nevertheless, the anticipation of the danger for audiences was increased to fever pitch, according to Eddie, as the lionesses would jump at the bars of the beastwagon in fury as soon as the trainer appeared. This anticipation would be built as the trainer would rush backwards and forwards outside the cage in a seemingly desperate attempt to draw the animals away from the safety cage, a small self-contained cage hung over the entry gate. Finally, upon a set cue, the lionesses would move away from the safety cage bars and the trainer would be able to make his entrance. Eddie says that this build-up to the act proper could take up to three quarters of the performance running time. The actual Bounce was a highly trained and energetic routine, where lionesses raced around, up the sides and even on the ceiling of the wagon. Eddie describes the lionesses as “like wall of death riders surging to the top of the bowl”.

My grandfather, Dick Chipperfield, saw what Eddie considered most likely to be the first ever proper Bounce. He also rescued its most probable inventor, the aforementioned Captain Tommy Purchase. Considering the speed, ferocity and very apparent danger of the Bounce, it seems ironic that it was during the slower paced posing act that Purchase was tragically attacked. This act consisted of two male lions that posed while Rosie, Purchase’s daughter, dancing between them. The act preceded the Bounce, which was performed with a single lioness called “Old Vic” and was presented in just a quarter of the beastwagon. Purchase’s rescue made front page news at the time. Sadly Purchase, an amputee, who presented the act with a wooden leg, died soon after from a gangrenous infection caused by the wounds sustained in the attack. My grandfather would take over Purchase’s acts and then go on to train another Bounce over two decades later.

According to my father, Tommy Day was another trainer who performed the Bounce at a similar time and might have even worked it before Purchase. After them there were relatively few trainers who attempted the act in circus and/or on the fairground. Eddie lists Jack Luck (Arthur Wigg) on Bostock and Wombwelle’s Menagerie, “Black” Albert Freeman (aka Macomo) and, of course, Eddie himself. Eddie also lists Sedgewick and Albert Mander, which my father contests. Furthermore Eddie completely disregards my family, the Chipperfields, who made up most of the original list that Dad reeled off the top of his head when we were posting up information on the history of the Bounce on my blog.

Dad lists Dick Chipperfield Snr, Dick Chipperfield Jnr, John Chipperfield and Terry Duggan, adding that “all the acts from ‘Bostock and Wombwelle’s’, ‘Biddel’s’, ‘Sedgewick’s’, ‘Mander’s’, ‘Anderton and Roland’s’ only did posing acts with a few tricks, no running up the walls, which defines the true Bounce”. This is interesting as both Dad and Eddie knew what constituted the “true Bounce”. Perhaps Eddie saw Mander and Sedgewick perform Bounce acts my father wasn’t aware of, but it is very doubtful that Eddie wouldn’t have known about the Chipperfield family’s involvement with the act, seeing as they did so much to promote it in the ‘50s and ‘60s. However, as mentioned previously, Jack Luck did present a bouncing lion act and it is quite possible to assume that this act was taken over by Tommy Kayes as he worked for Bostock and Wombwelle’s Menagerie in its last two years.

Dad told me, and this seems to be also supported by Eddie Campbell, that “Tommy Kayes was undoubtedly the best [at the Bounce]”. When Tommy stopped working on the fairgrounds with the wagon cage he adapted a ring cage for his presentation. The dimensions were the same except for the height, which was a good five foot higher than the beastwagon. This allowed him to bounce the animals very high.

The opening trick consisted of a pyramid with the lion, Leo, and two lionesses, Lena and Jubilee, on the slings attached to the bars of the cage. As soon as this was completed, the assistant would knock the slings on the floor from the outside. Tommy would pick one up and then use it instead of a chair for the rest of the act. Some of the promotional photographs for this act show Tommy performing the head-in-the-mouth trick with Leo. However, this was rarely done in the actual performance, as Tommy said it slowed the routine down.

As Eddie Campbell confirms, all good Bounce acts had a great build-up before the trainer entered the cage. Tommy Kayes, it would seem, did this in spades. The big lioness, Jubilee, would stand up at the door with her paws through the bars not letting Tommy in. Sometimes the ringmaster would announce that Tommy couldn’t get in the cage because it was too dangerous. The lions would be sent out and another one or two acts would work until Tommy came back in again. This time Jubilee would be then sent to the other end of the cage and an assistant would put a pole through to feign keeping her there, and allow Tommy to “slip in”.

The two lionesses and the lion would make the pyramid instantaneously and then fly off. Jubilee and Lena going up the wall of the cage and Leo would stand stretched up at the side of the cage in the far corner. This would then be repeated at the other end of the cage. Finally the two lionesses would race round the top of the cage and Leo would circle the floor. They worked automatically with virtually no effort from the trainer. He worked them with just the sling in his hand or a short stick, but sometimes with nothing at all. He would finish by firing his blank cartridge revolver in the air, as the lions charged around. Tommy would make his exit and Jubilee would stand at the bars of door, defiantly roaring.

Interestingly Tommy Day, who of course worked sometime before Kayes, also had a lioness roaring at the end of the act, but with one significant difference. As Tommy leapt from the beastwagon to take his compliment he left the door open and his lioness roared out of it, directly at the audience. We don’t have any footage or even any photos of Day’s act, but it implies that he didn’t have a safety cage. Dad told me, “I actually achieved this as well when I attempted to train the act, but had a few mishaps, so thought I’d best leave it out".

Eddie says he guessed “provisionally” that the act was English, virtually unknown outside of Britain, but there were possible exceptions to the rule. One came in the form of a John Suki, described by the Williams circus family, who apparently performed quite possibly the greatest Bounce ever in the early part of the 20^th century. According to the description of his act, Suki “bounced four lions in synchronised orbits, each leap taking one beast through a fire hoop in mid flight”. Eddie then adds that one of the best Bounces he ever saw – and perhaps the only bouncing male lion – was trained by Frances de Mao. Eddie draws a connection with de Mao and Suki through their periods spent with Harmston.

After the death of Tommy Kayes, from pneumonia, on 19 March 1946 at a stableyard in Battersea, the Bounce seems to have also died for a period. This is apt, as Kayes seems to have had a furious unequalled dedication to this particular act, his whole career being based on its success, working it against doctor’s orders up until his death. According to John Turner’s unpublished third volume of his circus dictionary, “Twentieth Century Circus People”, Kayes sustained two significant attacks whilst working the Bounce. He was “Attacked by a lion when he slipped and fell, at Skegness, in 1934” and then was “badly mauled by a lion, at the 1937 Birmingham Onion Fair”. After his death Johnny Kayes briefly took the act over, adding another trainer to our short list. However, he ended up only working Jubilee singly and two male lions separately in a Posing Act.

Nevertheless, there were some signs of the Bounce’s influence in other acts. Harder Johnsen and Sid Howes both had a lioness that bounced up the side of the ring cage in their arena cage acts. These groups of lions were owned by Robert Brothers. It must be noted that these acts were presented in the round caged arena and not the oblong type that Kayes used instead of the beastwagon. Sonya Allen, “The Lady of the Lions”, was the last of the fairground lion shows. At one time she presented three male lions trained by Hans Brick that performed what Eddie called a “Humsti Bumpsti” act, but this was in no way a true Bounce. She was better known for her act with three lionesses, which performed the traditional posing-type act. These animals were eventually sold to Sanger’s. She finished working the fairgrounds in 1955. It wasn’t until 1958, however, when we were to see the bouncer wagon emerge once again.

This was when my uncle Dicki, aged just 15, performed the act. My grandfather, who trained the act, told my father that the original act consisted of three lionesses, but this was reduced to two when my grandfather thought it too slow. He was stopped working by the authorities after a televised performance. My grandfather took it over from Dicki before passing it onto his brother, John. It then went to Terry Duggan. Clem Merk, one of the “house” animal trainers, also attempted to work the act, but despite his impressive background presenting fast-paced lion acts he did not adapt to the bouncer style. He was knocked down a few times in rehearsal and he never worked the act in front of an audience. It would appear that the Bounce was an art all of its own.

The act was performed in a classic beastwagon, measuring 16’ long x 6’6” wide x 6’6” tall. Dad said that the height varied from trainer to trainer, some preferred the wagon to be 7’ tall inside. He explained to me that “The length and width measurements were crucial for the ‘Bounce’ to be achieved correctly. The height didn’t matter and, in fact, as in the case with Tommy Kayes’ this was an advantage and made a better show”.

Dicki would work it again in 1964 and then when his family’s circus toured South Africa, 1964-67. The act wasn’t worked during ’67. These lions bounced up the side and in the same fashion as Kayes and Dicki’s father, Dick Chipperfield Snr., showing a huge step forward in my uncle’s work since he first worked the Bounce. After this, however, there are no records of anyone else working this type of act again.

It should be noted here that the Chipperfield and Kayes presentation of the act differed from the early menagerie bouncing acts. Chipperfield and Kayes had bars all around whereas the menageries had three solid sides and only bars at the front. Dick Chipperfield Snr commented to my father that when the Chipperfields stopped travelling with the menagerie and started the circus they had two lion acts, one that appeared in the round arena cage and a second that featured Tommy Purchase’s Old Vic in the wagon. It took some time for the lioness to start working with bars all around, as she had only ever worked in the menagerie style wagon with the three solid sides.

In 1972 my uncle Dicki and my father attempted to resurrect the bouncer wagon act for an American TV show. Work even began on building the wagon, but it was left unfinished when the contract fell through for financial reasons. Dad also began training his Tommy Day inspired routine, previously described, in 1983 when our circus, Sally Chipperfield’s ceased, but the act sadly would never see an audience.

In 1987 Ringling Brothers Barnum Bailey Circus asked my father to resurrect the Bounce again for their 1988 season as a prelude to his 14 lions in the caged arena, presented by Larry Alan Dean. The wagon was to be pulled around the track by an elephant. Dean would perform the act and then go straight into the main performance. However, it was deemed impractical and the act was substituted for Dean to stand in the wagon with a single lion posing, front paws on a pedestal.

So, it would seem that the Bounce is destined to remain an exciting but brief part of the history of wild animal acts. However, as a fan of history I have learnt to be careful about ever accepting absolutes. As my father’s good friend Eddie discovered, there are always exceptions to the rule. Martin Lacey Jnr has justifiably won worldwide praise and acclaim for the way he has presented the hugely entertaining act sold to him by my uncle Dicki. It would appear that even in an apparently post-politically correct era, there still isn’t a place for a pistol-firing Tommy Kayes. We at least like to pretend to be more impressed by trainers who can demonstrate mutual affection between themselves and their non-human charges. But deep down we all know that despite the majesty and the undeniable beauty of these wonderful creatures, the root and heart of a wild animal act’s appeal is in the presence of danger. By their very nature lion acts are energetic, but for a brief moment this energy goes to another place in Martin’s act. Three lionesses do more than leap from pedestal to pedestal or even through a hoop, instead they race up the side of the cage and over the top of two other lionesses stretched at the bars. It may not have the same impact as the wagon bounce, but the motion closely resembles the exciting climax of Tommy Kayes’ act. The Bounce may be gone, but it could be argued its reverberation can be felt through the best trainers of today.

Jamie Clubb is the author of “The Legend of Salt and Sauce: The Amazing Story of Britain’s Most Famous Elephants”, a book he researched with his father, the wild animal trainer and circus/zoo historian Jim Clubb. A completely revised second edition is available from Aardvark Publishing.

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A Bit of Sauce on the Paul O'Grady Show

On Monday 2 November the Paul O’Grady Show presented a feature on circus. My parents have supplied a lot of animals for the show, but for some reason we were overlooked. Anyway, among the guests was none other than Ida Rosaire, the youngest member of “Count” Rosaire’s children. Her brother, Ivor began his elephant presenting and training career with the two famous elephants, Salt and Sauce, who are the stars of my book “The Legend of Salt and Sauce”. In fact, Ivor features predominantly in the book. However, Ida also features alongside these two impressive pachyderms. She was carried in Sauce’s mouth and it was a picture of this trick that she showed on the Channel 4 show.

This trick had been taught to Sauce in the 1930s by her then owner John “Broncho Bill” Swallow. According to his groom, Sid Watts, Swallow had returned from the continent having seen the trick and decided to include it in his act. He first practiced with a life size dummy before trying it out on Sid. After it had passed the Sid test, the likes of Zena and Ida Rosaire also performed the trick. The trick also formed part of a new act instigated by Ivor and Swallow, known as the Tableau act. This was a classy elephant act involving elephant tubs and dancing girls. Cissy, Ida and Zena all featured in it and at a later stage so did Clara Paulo from the equally famous Paulo family.

Extracts from "We Went to the Zoo Today"

Here is an extract from Alan Ashby's excellent new book on British postcards during the golden age of the zoo. As you can see in the examples below, Alan has done his best to present the postcards in their raw form. I particularly like this touch.

The top picture is of Bostock and Wombwelle's Menagerie taken from my father's collection.

The bottom picture is of Purchase's and Chipperfield's Combined Menagerie. Regular readers of this blog will recognize that this was the menagerie where my grandfather (pictured far left) rescued Captain Tommy Purchase (most likely inventor of the "Bounce") from the lion's cage. My great grandfather is on the right. Rosie and Gracie Purchase are dancing on the show front. Rosie, daughter of Tommy Purchase, was the one dancing in the lion's cage when the accident occurred. The lady of the top of the ladder in the centre is my great-aunty Margery.

We Went to the Zoo Today

I am delighted to announce the release of Alan Ashby's new book on historical zoo postcards "We We Went to the Zoo Today... The Golden Age of Zoo Postcards". This book is a wonderful illustration of the bygone years of the zoo - both good and bad- in the UK. From an historian's point of view it helps to bring to life a time that seems so far removed from today.

However, the production of this book is its main appeal. Alan has taken great care in the way he wanted to present this old and often rare postcards. They are shown "warts 'n all" if you like, including fraying around the edges and other imperfections, which is as good an analogy for the right way history should be presented!

See: www.antiquexplorer.com/bookshop/bookszoopostcards.php
Ebay item 350267390922
We Went to the Zoo Today... The Golden Age of Zoo Postcards
Product Details
Hardback: 120 pages
ISBN: 978-0-9563831-0-5
Size: 180mm x 177mm
Full colour
Product Description:

In the early 20th century just as now, a day at the zoo was a break from routine, an enjoyable diversion. However, the passage of time has gradually revealed some fascinating and marked differences between then and now. The postcards in this new book often show a politically incorrect world where giving a lighted cigarette to a chimpanzee was not considered out of the ordinary, where enticing a bear to climb a pole to earn a tid-bit or riding on just about any animal that would tolerate it, was the norm, all part of the fun. 'We Went To The Zoo Today...' takes a close look at this world. The postcards featured would almost certainly be impossible to duplicate as a collection of originals and, even if that were not true, it would take years of searching and many hundreds of pounds, to gather a comparable set. Look at the curious zeedonk on page 78, the famous elephant trainer, Lorenzo Lawrence, on page 48 or the boxing kangaroo on page 38. All are now scarce, and most of the zoos shown are now long closed and some virtually forgotten. 'We Went To The Zoo Today...' contains almost two hundred of the best postcards of their kind. They are often amusing, sometimes poignant, but always of interest. This book endeavours, and hopefully succeeds, to give these �silent snapshots� the voice they deserve. This book includes a History of the Picture Postcard and helpful tips on how to date postcards. Zoos featured are: London; Dublin, Belle Vue; Bristol; Rosherville; Blackpool Tower; Southport; Alexandra Palace; Stoke-Sub-Hamdon; Halifax; Maidstone; Edinburgh; Paignton; Grimsby; Whipsnade; Chester; Oxford; Chessington; Liverpool; Dudley; Wellingborough and Travelling Menageries.

Did Granddad Bounce?

The bouncer wagon investigation persists, as does the controversy. At the time when I initially started posting up information here I received feedback from fellow circus people who weren't sure whether or not their relations had worked this rather unique and short-lived circus act. My father helped explain what was defined as the Bounce (aka Bouncing Lions) as opposed to other old fashioned wild animal acts performed in the beast wagon or a small cage based on the dimensions of the wagon. I was confident that my family worked the act. My grandfather (Dick Chipperfield) had saved the life of Captain Tommy Purchase, the apparent inventor of the "Bounce". When Purchase died, my grandfather would take on his bouncing lion, Old Vic. Years later the whole act was supposedly resurrected for my uncle Dickie to work when he was 15. He performed the act for a televsion show and then later was banned by the authorities due to his age. The act was taken over by my grandfather, my great uncle John and Terry Duggan. Dickie would later get back in the wagon in 1965 for the Chipperfield's tour of South Africa. The wagon used seemed to be influenced by Tommy Kayes, a man who undoubtedly performed the act and made it his full profession. Many years later and Martin Lacey Jnr works a trick with his lioness, trained by my uncle Dickie, that closely resembles the behaviour trained for the Bounce. It would appear that the Chipperfield family definitely were bouncing act performers.

Or were they? Old time slanger of the Bounce and professional journalist Eddie Campbell wrote an article back in 1976 that wrote his recollections and the history of the act. The Chipperfield family were not mentioned once, except for a reference to my uncle Dickie's work with leopards when Eddie pondered whether the Bounce could be worked with other Big Cats. Editor of the King Pole magazine, David Jamieson, actually pushed Eddie on this. David told me that Eddie did not consider the acts performed by the Chipperfields to be a real Bounce. Even if this were the case, I think it is important to mention that they did promote the act as such and Kayes was clearly an inspiration. We are currently trying to source more film footage to see whether or not the actual Bounce trick was actually performed. I would like to say "Yes", but as a true historian and rational sceptic, I also have to accept the burden of proof.

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The Bounce: Revisited in The Kingpole

Image via Wikipedia

Recently you may have noticed I have published a series of articles/posts on the Bouncer Wagon or Bouncing Lions act. This exciting act existed for only a brief time in circus history and occurred when the caged arena acts were eclipsing all acts presented in beastwagons. Since my articles on here I approached the Kingpole Circus Friends magazine with the idea of writing a comprehensive article on the subject. It was at this stage that my father brought out an edition of this magazine published in 1976 and written by a famous lion bouncer, Eddie Campbell, entitled "The Bounce". Eddie's piece added more information to the history of this act and I was able to compile a far more detailed work.

The September edition of the Kingpole magazine - the official magazine for the Circus Friends Association - is out shortly.