When the circus came to town, tea and more spring.

I just have to share a story about circuses and the small central Victorian town where the river kept trying to swallow me. I just loved the circus when I was a child and had been taken to several by my dad when quite small. But it was when my grandmother and I went to live in the country that these events became a large part of my life. The house we shared with my Gran's sister had its back fence facing the High Street, the only way into and out of the town. So, imagine my surprise when we had only been there for a short while when a man knocked on our back door.

'Hey, lady,' he greeted my Gran. 'Can we use your back fence for the circus signs? There are free tickets for the family if you give us the okay.'

Nan said yes, she could see no harm in this, and there were traces of old advertising posters already on the fence. The tickets were handed over, and I went to watch the man paste the poster. 'WIRTH"S CIRCUS' it read, in large red capital letters with a picture of a clown underneath. And I was going to go to the circus for free!

(Picture is part of the Princeton University Collection)


We became very blase about tickets and posters, and were even cheeky enough to ask for extra tickets one time. I saw every circus that came to the small country town, and was the envy of all my friends because I had free tickets for the very best seats, often front row. Which was a bit dangerous when the elephants were lumbering around. This was in the day of real circuses, when the big cats would roar as their trainer put them through their paces, threatening to bite his head off every few minutes. When the elephants performed something akin to handstands, and stood on very small upended buckets. We saw Chief Little Wolf, ex wrestler, perform his famous Indian Death Lock move on the town larrikin, who thought he could beat the performer. He was a whimpering mess in seconds. All this activity, and the Chief's flowing feathered headress never even moved. I found all this excitement this a tad tedious when I grew older, and I think I may well have been 'circused out' because I have never taken my own kiddies, or grandies, to a circus. I didn't like the jugglers or acrobats and I still have an aversion to these very clever people even now. (Mean gran that I am!)

Some more of my tea collection above. The chintz wear teapot, sugar basin and creamer are part of a set that was given to my aunt, for her engagement and added to for a wedding gift. I must have been barely three when it came into our house and I fell instantly in love with the beautiful, bright spring flowers on it. I used to open the sideboard and set it all out on the floor and pretend I was having afternoon tea. Unfortunately there was a large gathering at our house and the cups and saucers were set out, with many others, to cater for the number of people awaiting tea. My grandmother was pouring, as only grandmas can, and as she poured the hot tea, each beautiful cup split in half and tea poured over the heavily starched tablecloth. Disaster! What was left was put into the back recesses of a cupboard, and didn't see the light of day for many a long year. I was still admiring said remain when I was in my middle age and being told that it was mine when my aunt passed on. And then, one day, I saw exactly the same teapot in an antique shop for a phenomenal price and duly passed the news on. My aunt burst into tears and said that she had never, in her entire life, owned something so valuable. It came out of hiding and was given pride of place in her crystal cabinet where everyone who came to the house could admire it. After a few short years, she decided that I should take it all home as I was the only family member who had ever loved it. Now, of course, I use the dessert plates, and the sugar bowl and creamer, but would not dare to use the teapot, in case it goes the way of the cups. (I never did tell her that I stood on one of the plates and split it very neatly in half, and she never discovered that it had been repaired.) This part setting is still one of my very favourite things.

So now we can take tea in the other cups whilst you admire my hyacinths.

When we were last in England, I saw an enormous tub, at least twice the size of my half wine barrel, full of deep blue hyacinths. I opted for mauve flowers, and they are just coming to their peak now, with quite a few still not there yet. The perfume is beautifully pervasive and I tend to sit around outside sniffing the air, and thinking wonderful nature is to provide us with such beauty.

We are working madly around the garden at the moment, and today I have been up close and personal, actually sitting in the dirt, as we uproot grass so that we can lay mulch to continue our bush type pathways around the garden. The sun has been shining, shedding warmth on my back as I worked, and I came inside this evening feeling quite chuffed with myself. Himself has been busy mulching a tree that we had cut down on Monday. Mulching trees is very noisy work, and he has to work when the little one next door is not sleeping. But, there have been no complaints so far. I know I have been labouring the point, but I just adore this time of year. I guess I am just overwhelmed by all the beauty around me at the moment, and truly appreciating it all.

Hope you are all enjoying the spring here, and the autumn (almost) in the northern hemisphere.

Cheers