“When the circus came to town”
Hi everyone , loved reading all the memories on this page, and would like to share some of mine.
I was born in Letchworth 60 years ago at 23 Bedford Rd where I lived with my mum and dad and older sister Nina.
When I was around the age of 5 or 6 (1963/4) I remember a circus coming to town, the big top was erected in the field at the top of Bedford Road (opposite end to where I lived). Next to the Two Chimneys pub.
Most of the animals (in those days a circus has lots of performing animals) arrived by rail to Letchworth station which was a couple of minutes from our house, some went by lorry to the venue. But here’s the interesting memory I have. Tthe elephants, 4 or 5 of them, were unloaded at the station and led one behind the other, each holding the tail of the one in front, all the way past our house, and they walked from the station to the top of Bedford Road where the Big Top was.
Of course, our whole family went to see a performance. Very exciting for a small boy.
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I can’t remember exactly when, but there was once a circus on the Arena Parade, in the fifties, before those dreadful buildings were erected.
I remember the Arena Parade as a grassy area, where the fairground was set up once a year. I believe fairs were moved to Bedford Road after the Arena Parade was ‘constructed’.
I also remember the circus coming into town.
I also went to the end of Bedford Road to what I thought was a fair.
I used to play football at the paddling pool when some from the circus joined and surprised us by doing a standing flip.
We lived at Ridge Road our family home for many years and still live in L.etchworth