Circus troupe brings big top thrills and spills to Wakefield

The modern day circus is said to have been created in England by Philip Astley, a former cavalry sergeant-major who forged a later career as a showman.

In 1768, he settled in London and opened a riding-school near Westminster Bridge, where he taught in the morning and performed his “feats of horsemanship” in the afternoon.

And the traditional circus entertainment of yesteryear is now being brought into the 21st century with the arrival of performers in Yorkshire.

Circus Montini boasts modern props and costumes, but a spokesman maintained that the quality of performance and the atmosphere in the state-of-the-art big top tent brings back echoes of a bygone era when the circus was a social event for all levels of British society.

The circus also features Clown Rico, gymnasts, acrobats and “aerialists”.

The show will visit Redbeck car park in Wakefield from today until Sunday, then Wetherby Racecourse from March 12 to 15, Peel Park in Bradford, from March 17 to 22, and Armley Moor in Leeds from March 24 to 30.