All the fun of Giffords Circus under their big top

Woodpeckers heard about reduced price tickets for our renowned local Gifford’s Circus, whose season has just begun. They always start their shows locally at their home, Fennells Farm in Lypiatt, just two miles up the hill from the town centre.

I haven’t visited Giffords Circus for about ten years so I was really looking forward to it. Since Nell died two years ago the family and the circus have managed to go from strength to strength and have established themselves nationally as a unique part of the English summer’s entertainment.

They seem to offer two or three shows each day when they aren’t travelling or setting up. Despite it being one of the first shows of the season this was already a very organised and tight performance, with the show’s theme featuring many Central American performers and musicians.

There was an abundance of children which produced an atmosphere similar to a panto. I’ve added a few Extras to give a flavour of the acts and of being ringside in the big top. I’ll probably have to remove them in a few weeks so as not to use up my allowance, but until then I hope you enjoy the circus too.

Nell's story from the Gifford Circus website:
"Our costumes are handmade, our animals are trained by us, our sets are painted in the barns on our farm. We burn the midnight oil to conjure new visions for the show. It’s all we do. Circus is our job, our life, our love." Nell Gifford

Giffords Circus is a magical village green circus that tours England from the first days of spring to the first glimpse of winter. It’s our hymn to homemade fun, excess and benign disruption. We want our show to move something in you, and to take just a little while to recover from. We want it, wish it and mean it with all of our hearts, because it is everything we believe about life and art and love. Because as Nell would say “Art is Love”.

Giffords Circus is what we would all like to find if we were driving along a road, a glimpse of the tent with the words ‘Giffords Circus’ shining from the top, appearing mysteriously where it wasn’t the day before and might not be tomorrow. It is the intrigue that we would stop for and it is what we would make a pilgrimage for. It is how we travel back to our childhood and how we move forwards surrounded by music, loved ones and laughter. We wear our best clothes, and wellies and run away to the circus.