Kentish Express Ashford & District
Thrills and fun galore as the circus comes to town
For our countywide leisure guide and TV listings, see your What’s On supplement
The Big Top is coming to Ashford next week.
The multi award winning John Lawson’s Circus will be starting its 2016 UK Tour with its annual visit to The Julie Rose Stadium overflow car park from Thursday to Sunday, March 10 to 13.
Among the acts visitors will be able to see - introduced by ringmaster Attila Endrész – will be hula hoop artiste Miss Chelsea, knife-throwing with The Marshalls and from the Ukraine The Duo Aspire, with their Chinese pole and handbalancing act.
Also appearing are Miss Jencia on the aerial cloudswing, The Vakal Family with their magical quick change routine, Nina and Andrei on the double trapeze, Miss Claire-Marie’s sword and dagger balancing and popular Clown Bippo.
Shows will take place on the Thursday and Friday at 4.30pm and 7.30pm, on the Saturday at 2pm and 5pm and on the Sunday at 11.30am and 2.30pm.
Each performance lasts about an hour and 45 minutes, with a 15 minute interval.
You can book seats by calling 07860 49 88 33.
For showtimes, ticket prices and more details please visit www.johnlawsonscircus.co.uk
The John Lawson big top measures 80ft (24m) in diameter and can seat up to 500 people, with a mixture of seating.
It takes approximately five hours to erect and two-and-ahalf to take down.
In the course of the season – which runs from early March to early November – the circus visits as many as 70 venues up and down the country, sometimes staying for only one or two days.
John Lawson’s circus was founded in 1974 by ringmaster ‘captain’ John Lawson and was originally titled John Lawson’s Circus De Reszke. After five years of appearing at outdoor events all over the country to great acclaim, Captain John bought a small second-hand ‘flower show’ marquee and with one Bedford lorry began touring the country with the possibly the country’s smallest circus.
Captain John passed away in November 1985 and the show is now run by his widow Vonni De Reszke, daughter Daniela and son Niven. East Kent Rambling Club: 11 miles - starting at 10am from Kings Junior School, Harbledown, at 10am, lunch stop at Chilham. TUESDAY White Cliffs Ramblers Six miles g at 10am from Chartham church. THURSDAY White Cliffs Ramblers – 10 miles (figure-of-eight) - at 10am from Lyminge Village Hall.