How a crisis prevented a circus from packing up their trunks...

IT was billed as the biggest overseas movement of animals in the history of entertainment.

The year was 1956 and Chipperfields Circus were bringing their big top to Northern Ireland.

Local people would have a chance, said chief ‘barker’ Dick Chipperfield, to see ‘something which they have never seen before - a real gigantic, old-fashioned circus’.

And back in the day that meant animals, so when the 10,000 tonne ‘Empire Cedric’ they had leased for the crossing for a cool £8,000 - that’s more than £200k today - they had more than 200 of ‘em on board.

Among the passengers on this modern day ark were 12 elephants, 12 lions, seven Bengal tigers, six polar bells, half a dozen camels, two giraffes, ‘stilt-walking chimps’ and Harry the hippopotamus.

It was a dream ticket for big top devotees, but a logistical nightmare for the owners. Once they finally pitched their tent, they had to work out how to keep everyone fed.

They had to source 25 to 30 tonnes of hay a week. The polar bears and sea lions required a steady supply of ‘very fresh’ herrings. The giraffes preferred to dine on beech or hawthorn shoots. Oh, and red meat. Plenty of red meat.

There was no shortage of human performers too.

There were no fewer than six clowns, trapeze artists and the headliner, Spanish stunt driver Raluy, who performed triple somersaults in his car from a height of 45 feet. Fancy doing that twice a day?

To pay for this the Chipperfields were hoping for full houses in the big top, which could seat 4,000, for the duration of their three week run - and then it was whistle stop shows at Newry and Dundalk before the sail back to Blighty.

But global events conspired against them. This was a show that would go on and on.

Trouble was brewing in the Suez and the Admiralty responded by commandeering ferry ships to sail troops and equipment in response to the crisis.

And this included the Chipperfield’s ride home.

They were stranded - and would remain so until 1957!

But hungry mouths still had to be fed, so they decided to do what they did best by taking to the road and drawing in the crowds.

And as the extraordinary picture shows, the circus spent some time in the Antrim area.

Yes, for a few weeks it was not unheard of to spot the less blood-thirsty of the travelling troop stretching their legs.

And when it came to the elephants, they were more than happy to let locals take them for a spin. Health and safety be damned!

The breakthrough finally came in late January when the Transport Ferry Service confirmed that after seven long months, the marooned menagerie would cross the Irish Sea ‘as soon as possible’.

Soon ‘the greatest show on earth’ was gone - but their extended stay remained the stuff of local legend.

Unimaginable now, of course. Tastes change and seven decades on the only crowd that Chipperfield Circus would draw would be protestors, incensed by the use of animal acts.

After more than 300-years on the road Chipperfield Circus, stopped touring in 1990, only to return in 2010 as Charles Chipperfield Circus, an all human show.

Duffy’s are now the big names in the Irish circuit, and recently completed another successful run at The Junction in Antrim.

There were no animals on the bill.