Circus procession in High Street

Thank you to Sandra Nuttell for sending me these pictures of High Street in the 1950's. She informs me that the ones taken highest up are from Bank House in High Street where she spent part of her childhood. Before the days of Health and Safety when a circus came to town it was customary to have a procession like this to advertise the circus.

Below: Just visible in the distance are the Royal Oak and the Lord Nelson pubs and a building on the corner of Liquorpond Street that are all now demolished.

Elephants in town

Forget the complaints of the buses being allowed in the pedestrian area in Bargate and damaging the road surface, forget health and safety, look back instead at the sensible days of the 1950's when vehicles ran both ways and even elephants were allowed through the town. In those days it was customary when the Circus came to town to have a parade showing the animals. This picture shows elephants in Strait Bargate opposite to where W.H. Smiths shop is now.