Great London Circus Setting Poles
Posted By thecircusblog on September 19, 2012
This can be the most dangerous part of setting up the circus…..pulling up the center poles. In haste…. trying to get the show up and ready for the afternoon performance. There is that chance that the rigger will forget to put a safety cable on. For each pole there are three to four cables and if one is missing or not fixed properly you will loose a pole causing great damage to equipment or life. This was one of the jobs I had check and double check …..all rigging, bull-cable, mud blocks, bale rings, etc. When all was ready the truck would pull forward lifting by cable the first pole. The pole is secured leaving just a little play in the safety cables. Each pole there after is put into the air much easier.
Thank you Harry for your kind comment and yes it brought back good memories.
Cappi you could be right. Thanks for your comment.
About the author
thecircusblog
My name is Ivan M. Henry and I am the 4th generation of a circus/show business dynasty. I hope you enjoy the blog.Comments
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Henry,
Did all these great photos bring back many memories of this great circus.
I first saw the circus at Houston, Texas at town and country mall and then i arrowed it on to Nederland, Texas by my area.
Sid was a very gracious person to this young fan and remeber the ticket wagon with all the hersey candy bars in aircondition.
A very good locking circus and a great performance.
D. R. Miller bought it all when it was closed.
Thanks again for all the great photos of a real tent circus.
Harry in Texas
Hey ivan, great pics of GMGLC, I was on Sid and Loveys show that year. I’m pretty sure Bruce Robinson was concession boss that year and canvas boss was Dave Dague?.. I’ve been wrong before… Just checking.
I also worked on that show, joined up in Martinez, CA. I believe it was early 1974. I believe Dave Dague was canvas boss, and I think he also was a clown as well. Him and another fellow.
I started off as a big top worker, and took over driving the stake driver truck, (after somebody rolled it on its side). I worked the whole season, was probably the only one on the original big top crew to make it through the whole season. At the time, there was another fellow, I believe his name was Eric, he worked big top, but eventually I did some rigging, lacing the canvas together, (as the big top was split in half lengthwise, and was rolled up on the spool truck.
We had a record setup and teardown that year in Washington DC, during the week that Nixon resigned. About 2 1/2 hrs up, (including big top and seat wagons, etc), and teardown in about 50 – 60 minutes for complete teardown. I eventually ran a crew that performed the guying out of the tent.
My nickname during this time was “Bebop”.
We hardly ever used trucks to raise the center poles, we used an elephant whose name was Sue. Sue was also used to raise the big top when it was finally laced together, after all the aerial act rigging was placed, etc.
Working for the circus was part of my bucket list when I was younger. (I am now 59).
We had a map in the cook house of the United States, and every town we hit was marked, ater a season we had a good record. I sure wish I had a copy of that.
We also had a bunk house made out of a semi trailer, thats where I slept, along with a bunch of others.
If a person stayed the whole season, they received a money bonus at the arrival back to winter quarters in Martinez, CA. It wasnt a fortune, but enough to kick off another adventure.
It was certainly an adventure, to say the least.