An Afternoon At Zippo’s Circus

Can you believe that I’ve got to the ripe old age that I am and have never been to a circus? Hard to believe, I know. But that all changed this weekend when the lovely people at Zippo’s Circus invited us to one of their shows!

The Big Top was a sight to behold and the moment I saw it I felt like a big kid! A real-life circus. I’d finally made it at thirty-six years of age!

I was really chuffed to discover that we had been allocated front row, ringside seats at the show at Hearsall Common in Coventry. The seats were fantastic. Any closer and we would have been a part of the show.

As I had never been to a circus before, I didn’t really know what to expect. I don’t like lots of animals on show and I don’t like clowns – no thank you very much. But I knew the show didn’t include either of these, so I knew I’d be pretty happy with the show’s content.

As I mentioned. I’m not a fan of clowns, so I was pleased that I wasn’t going to be scared by one prancing around in front of me for the duration of the show. Instead, we had the ever lovely ‘Clown Emilion Delbosq’ who kept us entertained in between acts. He was great fun! Even if he did pick on me for being on my phone for the duration – maybe after he’s read this review he will realise why! ?

From acrobats to jugglers, the first few minutes were a whirlwind. The performers made it all look so easy! I struggled to know where to look first and it tested my photography skills because they all moved so fast! The pace was quick but perfectly timed!

Let me introduce to you the worlds greatest ringmaster, Norman Barrett MBE. Norman is very well known and has been in the circus business for many years. Prior to touring with Zippo’s, he spent twenty-five years at the Blackpool Tower Circus. To say he knows his stuff is an understatement.

I love this photograph of our Little Man. It completely captures his fascination of the events occurring in front of him. The show lasted for two hours with a fifteen-minute interval. To be honest, he did get a little fidgety towards then end but I find it hard to believe that most four-year-olds wouldn’t. For the majority of the show, he was captivated, as you can see.

The Khadikov Cossack riders were incredible. The horses came so close to us because we were sat ringside. The tricks that the riders do are literally breathtaking and the horses are beautiful – and I’m not even a horse fan!

Ringmaster Norman Barrett is renowned for his act with his beloved budgies! They were fantastic. Perfectly trained and very funny – Little Man found them hilarious!

One of may favourite acts was without doubt Juma, the Contortionist. Whilst he made me wince at times with how he got his body into some of the positions, I loved his performance. He was such a happy, smiley character! I could have watched him for hours!

The Globe Of Death was the outstanding final act of which no less than five motorcyclists known as the Lucius Team, cycled at high speed around a separating metal cage! When you’re sat at almost touching distance to this, it really is a heart-stopping sight to behold!

There is so much I haven’t captured here. In addition to all of the above, there was knife throwing, hula-hooping and much more! I could have snapped away all afternoon, which I did, as lovely Emilion pointed out. But at the same time, I wanted to capture the whole atmosphere of the show and enjoy it with my family. Take a look at the official Zippo’s trailer below!

If anyone is considering going to a circus, I would without a doubt, highly recommend Zippo’s. I know a lot of people are concerned about animal welfare when it comes to circus acts and I can understand why there may be some concern, But it is clear that Zippo’s animals are well loved and looked after.

At each destination Zippo’s hold an Animal Open House where visitors can go and see the animals in their own surroundings. Visitors are able to see animals in their quarters, and their trainers will be on hand to answer questions. Admission is free, Visitors are asked to register in advance. The session lasts approx 40 minutes.

It was an absolute pleasure to spend the afternoon at Zippo’s circus and I would recommend it to any family looking for an afternoon or evening’s entertainment. A huge thank you to everyone at Zippo’s Circus for inviting us and giving us an afternoon to remember.

Zippo’s are frequently touring the country and you can see all of the upcoming dates at their website: zippos.co.uk

Have you ever been to Zippo’s Circus? What was your favourite act? Perhaps you’ve been to a different circus? Let me know in the comments.

I was gifted the tickets for this performance in return for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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