Over the last few months we have been collecting circus histories form our elders in the community, we have been to their houses, festivals and clubs. We have taken photos and recordings. They have given us stories and some of their circus flyers and posters for the collection we are making for the T&W Archives. We are also remembering our own histories. Some are easy to remember because they are fresh in our memories. Some of the artists are already a bit sketchy about dates which were only 10 years ago!
How I Got My Name
by Demolition La Bonche
It was about the third week of being in the circus and Madame La Bonche was helping me to learn how to unicycle. She was saying “Hold onto the wall for balance” so I did, then she said “slide your hand along the wall as you pedal”, which I did. But the pedal was scraping across the wall. Then she said “go as fast as you can off the wall and see if you can balance and not fall off”. I did this but I was scraping across the wall again and bits of plaster were coming off! She explained the family La Bonche to me and told me that the names the members were given were to do with something that happens to them. I’d heard the La Bonche names before this, but Madame explained that I could join the family and be called Demolition – or Demo for short. It suits me.
