On 25 March 1949 the local paper reported that the Circus Rosaire who have their winter quarters in Cox’s Farm Road, Billericay will start their Summer tenting tour on 1 April at Sun Corner, Billericay for two days before moving on to Laindon, Wickford, Vange and then tour North Wales.
I am assuming that their venue in Laindon would have been in the field at the back of the Laindon Hotel.
At the time one of the stars was Joan Rosaire (16) and her wonderful Palomino horse ‘Goldy’. Joan became a well-known international Circus performer and travelled all over the world with her horses. At eighty five she is still living in Cox’s Farm Road minus as you would expect her horses.
Does anybody remember the circus coming to Laindon and Joan for that matter? In addition Joan also carried out individual performances at various local events. Such as the riding school that was in Dry Street and has recently moved to Barleylands, Dunton School and occasionally appeared in the local carnivals with Billy Foyle and his Palomino horse ‘King’, also for a time in the 1960s she run her own riding school in Cox’s Farm Road.
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I vaguely remember the beautiful horse on my first visit to Circus Rosaire in Bridlington back in 1951. The animal I really remember though when we visited the menagerie was a very small lion cub, very young, probably only a few weeks old. I was allowed to stroke it very gently. I remember thinking that I shall never forget this (I was seven years old at the time). We visited the circus for several years following but never a new lion cub!
I remember Joan and Bill Foyle. Joan Rosaire taught me to ride and I had a magical childhood, spending all my free time at the riding school and/or Bill Foyle’s zoo, helping to feed the animals and taking one of the monkeys out on a lead while it sat in my anorak hood! Happy days!!
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