When Elephants Paraded Through Our Streets
By Harry Facks, Your Victorian Guide to Halifax's Past
adjusts spectacles with great excitement
My dear friends, today I must share with you a most remarkable piece of verified Halifax history that would seem almost fantastical were it not documented in our historical records!
VERIFIED CIRCUS VISITS: Picture, if you will, the extraordinary sight of elephants - yes, elephants! - parading through our very own streets. In 1900, Sanger's Circus brought this spectacular procession to Fielden Square, Todmorden, creating quite the stir among the local populace!
checks pocket watch thoughtfully
But that wasn't the last time such magnificent creatures graced our thoroughfares. In May 1966, Sir Robert Fosset's Circus elephants made their way down Commercial Street, regular visitors they were to Manor Heath in those days.
NOTABLE CIRCUS VISITORS: Our beloved Calderdale has played host to some of the most prestigious circuses of their time:
- The legendary Barnum and Bailey (1899)
- Gandey's
- Hoffman's
- Denning and Wild
- Austen Brothers
straightens cravat
HISTORICAL REFLECTION: Times have changed considerably, dear friends. Today, Calderdale Council has banned shows featuring performing animals on municipal land - a sign of how our understanding and attitudes have evolved. What was once a thrilling publicity spectacle is now a fascinating glimpse into our town's entertainment history.
The riders are Halifax Dukes riders Jack Shead, Jack Hughes and Arthur Forrest in 1950 on Bertram Mill Circus elephants. Duke of Wellingtons emblem was an elephant.
South Parade in 1972 Steve Gee
Steve Gee
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