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Circus programmes from the 1950s

Bertram Mills circus programme, 1951

Gt Yarmouth Museums

Bertram Mills circus programme, 1954

Gt Yarmouth Museums

Bertram Mills circus programme, 1957

Gt Yarmouth Museums

Bertram Mills circus programme, date unknown

Gt Yarmouth Museums

Billy Smart's circus programme, date unknown

Gt Yarmouth Museums

Chipperfield's Circus programme, date unknown

Gt Yarmouth Museums

Extra information and a date for the Chipperfields Circus Programmep

Courtesy of Clifford Hudson Hawk

Covers of circus programmes from the 1950s

By John Layton

Everyone loves a circus, whatever their age, and Yarmouth has its own purpose-built circus building: the Hippodrome, which even used to hold professional wrestling bouts on a Sunday!

It also had a unique 'water spectacular' ending to its shows, with the whole ring turning into a water tank, providing a fantastic ending to the performances.

The Hippodrome had a building next to it which held the animals, and the public could go and get a closer look at them, even feeding the elephants!

Has anyone any recollections of the circus, and whether the circuses depicted here actually used the Hippodrome, or were the more traditional three-ring, big top type?

This page was added by John Layton on 12/03/2007.

Comments about this page

I was on holiday in Great Yarmouth in 1953 they used to take the elephants on the front for a walk every day. We were queuing up for ice creams a man in front of us had just bought one for his little boy he was holding it out to give him when one of the elephants snatched it out of his hand and ate it!

By Kathleen Kennedy
On 05/02/2013

I was in the water ballet in 1953, Coronation year.

By Diana Smith née Edwards
On 08/07/2019

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