A Shave in a Lion's Cage

 

(Reproduced from the George Wombwell collection.  This is dated 1930, two years before the circus ended, and taken at Marlborough).

Yesterday I had a lovely afternoon - mainly because I was waiting for the return of a phonecall about my travel insurance.  I sat ALL afternoon, but no-one phoned.  Glad to say I got it sorted this morning.  So having spent yesterday morning on housework - bed changing/making, and vacuuming, as one must, it was good to sit and remember what Granny C (ma-in-law) had told me about the family.  Tam wanted me to write it down lest it be forgotten.  I wrote up about 4 pages.  Keith's grandfather, who he took after in looks and cheeky personality and a slight tendency to live life on the edge at times, was always short of money.  When not working as a barman, he was a Bookie's Runner - though there were occasions when he didn't put a bet on for someone because he thought the chap had wasted his money on something that could be beaten by a horse with 3 legs.  Sometimes the blardy thing WON and rather than giving the chap his bet back (which he would do when the horse had lost, as no-one had money to throw away), he had to try and find the winnings from somewhere and went to the Boxing Booths, to try and win it back.  He must have been a pretty tidy boxer, as he always did. (He died in 1916 on the Somme, so this was all prior to 1914).

Anyway, on another occasion, he had a shave in a Lion's Cage. Granny C said it was for a bet, but I imagine they offered money to any member of the public brave (or foolish) enough to do it.  Good publicity for them, that's for sure.   Idly, I asked Mr Google about it and this photo turned up.  It was undoubtedly Wombwell's travelling circus which had been in Manchester and it was in a cage this SMALL that grandad C had a shave within paw's reach of one or more lions.  Wasn't he brave?  Hah - can you imagine what Health and Safety would have to say about this today?!

I have had a phone calls and paperwork sort of day today.  The phone call was fine, but the paperwork was I thought, just a case of putting in the special number for Probate and then it would go ahead, as we had filled in endless forms for HMRC.  But no, Gov.uk wants to know everything again, and practically asks what all the executors had for breakfast and it was running me ragged.  I gave up (pages saved) when it clearly expected me to have the Will in front of me as it was asking had it been stapled, were there watermarks on it, was it this, that and the other, and clearly I need to get in touch with the Solicitors and go in with my passport and driving licence for identity, so that I can take the Will away to forward it on to gov.uk for probate.  Crazy because I already had to have a copy to go with all the probate papers.  

I have rubbed down and masked up the French windows now, and then done some tidying (long overdue) in the long border, and cut back all the spent Cranesbills.  There is a LOT more to do out there - I remember when I used to have the energy at Ynyswen to garden 8 hours a day!  Not any more.   Now I'm waiting for my chap who cuts the grass to arrive as the lawn is getting on the long side.

Enjoy your Wednesday.