There's still time to catch the latest excellent exhibition at Lambeth Archives in Brixton on the birth of British circus (see further info. below).
Among connections to our local heritage, you can learn all about the development of travelling circuses and Lord George Sanger's Circus in particular. Every summer various circuses based at theatres in the north of Lambeth would close up and travel around the country moving to a new town each day. At dawn each day the tents and booths were packed away, horse-drawn carriages then set off for a journey of up to 20 miles to the next venue, and the tents and booths were re-erected. Then there was an afternoon parade through town to announce their arrival, and finally the evening performance.
Lord George Sanger's Circus (see photo below), with its big top and sideshows, used to visit Norwood annually and camp on the then waste ground between St. Louis, St. Gothard and St. Cloud Roads at Gipsy Hill. The area is now completely built up.
Image courtesy of Lambeth Archives.
Further info.:
Exhibition runs until 16 Brixton Hill, London, SW2 1ET