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The Level

Billy Smart's circus in the 1950s
By Martin Nimmo

In the late 1950's, the famous Billy Smart's Circus was on the Level one Autumn. It was quite a large circus, with a menagerie of animals including elephants and the big cats. The roads between the trees and the grass were jam-packed with circus lorries and caravans, some of them old converted buses.

Tram 'feeder' box
On the "bus" theme, just outside the small building (once a police station) at the south-west corner of the Level, there was an old 'Brighton Corporation Tramways' green electric 'feeder' box. It was certainly there till the Great Storm of 1987, though a couple of days later I noted that a falling tree was resting on it and had knocked it sideways! I haven't checked since.

This page was added on 22/03/2006.

Comments about this page

Hi. Reading about Billy Smart's - Can you remember anything else? My ancestor was a ringmaster for Billy Smart and I am trying to gather information / pictures.

By Angela Craker (07/01/2007)

Angela, what was your ancestor's name?

By RingMaster (26/02/2007)

I do not recall Billy Smart's Circus but I did go to Chipperfield's Circus on the Level. I still have the programme of February 1956. Does anyone recall that circus?

By Dennis Parrett (01/04/2007)

I can remember going to Billy Smart's Circus at Hove Park in the early Fifties. I also went to Chipperfield's at The Level. One act that sticks in  my mind is the human cannonball. Can anybody else throw any light on this?

By John Wignall (03/03/2009)

My grandad was a ring master with Billy Smart's Circus. I can't remember his name. He married a trapeze lady after he divorced my nan. My nan's name was Ransom. I have photos of him but don't know how to put them on the computer.

By Sharon (11/05/2009)

Went to Billy Smart's every day in the summers of 73/74. For six weeks of school holidays for me aged 11/12 at the time was fantastic! Anybody know of any existing posters etc?

By Lee Fellowes (02/10/2010)

Sometime in the 1950s my grandad and grandma worked for Billly Smart's Circus but I cannot find any information about them. They left after my uncle who, when he was about three years old, got his arm torn up by one of the bears that pulled him into the cage. My grandad worked with the horses doing many tricks and my grandma was a foot juggle. Can anyone tell me how I would find more information about Billy Smart's Circus in those days? Thanks

By Amy (23/01/2011)

My uncle worked in a circus in the 30s. He was known as the Legless Indian - he would have been quite young in his teens. Can anyone help? His name was Robert (Bob) Johnson (Johnstone). Thanks.

By Tina (11/03/2011)

Hi, my uncle was the chief clown at Smart's circus during the fifties, he also owned the famous chimp Kanoble. His clown name is Spuggy, he is still alive and is turned eighty now. I still visit him as regularly as possible, his daughter Gillian is in Holland with Circus Renz - she also had acts in the circus. She married a famous lion tamer called Tom Dieck

By Keith Wardell (10/08/2011)

I work for the Smart family (Billy Jay Junior's widow, and son and daughter). Have you seen the programme on BBC4 i-player August 10th 2011? Worth a glimpse back in time.

By Hayley (11/08/2011)

My name is David Hart. My father was Harty the Clown. He joined Billy Smart's circus in 1950 and toured every season until 1962. Most of this time he was chief clown as described in the hundreds of press cuttings I have in my possession. He can be found on Wikipedia list of famous clowns and also in Clowns of the 20th Century (Aardvark Publising. ISBN 872 904 181) on pages 28 & 77. He died in 1986 at the age of 80.

By David Hart (17/08/2011)

Harty the Clown joined Billy Smarts Circus in 1950. He was Chief Clown until he retired in 1962. Spuggy the clown joined Billy Smarts in 1962 and went on to be Chief Clown. (Billy Smarts Circus A Pictorial History by Divid Jamieson page 47) ISBN 1 872904 26 2

By David Hart (31/10/2011)

Please see my web page at www.hartytheclown.com

By David Hart (19/11/2011)

Re Ringmaster. Hi all, ref Sharon who posted 11/05/2009. That is my father Albert George Ransom. I have some old photos - blimey we could be related! Anyone wanting to know more please contact me. Paul.ransom1@btinternet.com

By Paul ransom (25/03/2012)

I am related to this family.

By Scott Christie (10/04/2012)

Hi Scot, how are you related to the Ransom family? Feel free to drop me a line at the email on the blog above. Paul Ransom

By Paul Ransom (22/04/2012)

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