Harringay's Last Circus, 1957-58

Comment by Hugh on April 26, 2008 at 18:35

I think the bears are waving goodbye.............

Comment by StephenBln on April 27, 2008 at 7:29

I imagine this must have been the circus that I was taken to. I remember seeing the three clowns perform, one with a white face, wearing a conical hat and a playing a clarinet, taller as the other two; the second clown, darker with rouged cheeks... anyone know their names? I was 4 years old in 1958, so I don't suppose I went the year previously.

Comment by Hugh on April 27, 2008 at 10:12

At that circus there were two lots of clowns. There were the circuses 'house' clowns, Michael Coco, Sasha, Len Austin and Herbert and the penultimate act was the Spanish Clowns the Rivels, Rene, Regelio and Celito.

Michael Coco may have been Michael Polakov, the third generation Russian circus clown, who achieved his fame in England where the family came while he was a youth. He developed several classic clown routines, including "Busy Bee".

Comment by StephenBln on April 27, 2008 at 11:24

Thanks Hugh, I looked at the wiki page on the Rivels.. and the photo looks exactly like the darker clown I mentioned... It must be the Rivels, that I remember seeing...

Comment by Richard Woods on February 12, 2013 at 16:48

Tom Arnold's was an annual treat in the 50s. Well remember the polar bears, amazing, if distasteful by modern standards. My favourites were the astonishing trapeze artists and as I recall a Dutchman who juggled more plates and cups than is feasible, but as I recall made it to prime time TV.

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