Rotary Club of Maidenhead Thames
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Home | Club Service & Administration | Press Release - Circus Artist and Monologs
Submitted to Maidenhead Adveriser July 2010
Submission by The Rotary Club of Maidenhead Thames
12th July 2010
Leslie Thorogood e-mail leslie.thorogood@talk21.com
"Ardbree" Harvest Hill Road, Maidenhead. SL6 2QR
Telephone & Fax 01628 633770. Mobile (44) 07990 588386
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Article on: Local Rotarian's Talk on Circus Days
At this week's meeting of The Rotary Club of Maidenhead Thames, the scheduled speaker was unable to attend, because of an accident and, at short notice, two club members stood in to give impromptu talks. The first was Ron Berry, who suavely switched from his elegant received English accent, to read out snatches from Stanley Holloway's monologues from 'Albert and the Lion' in a very creditable Lancastrian accent, which was well received.
The highlight though was a talk by Rotarian Leslie Thorogood with his topic 'I was a High Flyer.' He spoke about his early days as a first form ten year old at school during the 1940's, in the School Gymnastics Team, The Gymnastics teacher was the owner of a circus and as everyone was away in the services in the war, he used pupils in the circus for various acts. Leslie's middle name is Charles and he became 'Carlo,' with a sixth former Peter as the senior partner 'Pietro' of 'The Lombardo Brothers,' a trapeze act.
'Carlo Lombardo' kept the Rotarians on the edge of their seats as he recounted his exploits performing on the trapeze as a single act and also as a double act, with Pietro the catcher and 'Carlo' the flyer. |The circus travelled around at Easter, Whitsun and Christmas, and in the Summer Holidays for longer periods, all part of the circus, erecting the Big Top, and carrying out other tasks in other acts, and doubling up as clowns.
As 'Carlo' recounted the daring feats of 'That Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze,' some of the older Rotarian men looked dubious and disbelieving at the incredulous and improbable stories. However the younger ladies of the Club uttered huge gasps as 'Carlo' explained how he had three falls, and these without a net. They looked at this fatso & balding 'Carlo' in a new light, but having problems imagining him as a young lithe gymnast. At one point a visiting elderly lady had to be carried out as she could not endure the suspense & gory details, and was resuscitated by a doctor using strong smelling salts. Then, as Carlo was telling them all about his major fall at Chessington Zoo circus, when Pietro failed to catch him, and the Ringmaster rushed up to pound his chest to restore his lost breath, many (continued page 2)