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ASHTON'S CIRCUS1
Bv Mr. W« J. Stear
"Old times have gone. Old customs
changed. A stranger fills the Stuarts
.throne."
• I have always had a deep admira
tion and respect for any firm—busi
ness or showmen—who have weath
ered . the storms for a century and
are still a going concern. Ashton's
Circus which )s to pay West Wyaloug
a visit this Friday and Saturday has
been on the roads for over 1.00 years
and incidentally is the first circus I
was taken to ■ see when a small boy
over 50 years ago.
"During that, period I can .visualise
what ups and downs the Circus must
have had and perhaps some anxious
moments. I hope they have had more
prosperity ' than anything else. Even
60 years ago the arrival of a circus
in a country town caused some ex
citement. Every galvanised iron
fence and vacant buildings would bfi
pasted with huge highly, coloured
posters depicting the various acts
and photos .of the leading performers
etc.
My first circus formed a large pro
cession as |t came into town, head
ed with band in a special carriage,
drawn by three pairs of prancing
/grey horsesi'At the rear of the cav
alcade:; was the' clown riding back to
front on a donkey uging the ^animal's
tail -Jpr.;<('! rudder;.' i Thia - was t^ie .sig
nal ;.kid^.,(ini^q»iti to go
"hell^for,leather'.',/ afte/r blm^ ( I
"While penning' these few lines Ij
have an inclination to grab my hat <
and join In the chase. The price of ]
admission was different in those:
days— sixpence was all I paid, and ]
in . a nice little speech at intermiss
ion, old Mr. James Ashton thanked |
us one and all for our attendance. I
do not know how far my modest
'sprat' carried them, but the fact re
mains that ail the showmen who
chairged extortionate prices, have
'gone to the pack long ago—while
my old- entertainers rode the gales
for -one hundred years and pre still
going strong.'1 _ 1 ■■ ,
$