Sometimes you have to listen to that voice inside your head that says “Don’t do it.”
Bertram Mills Circus circus became famous in the UK for its Christmas shows at Olympia in West London. During the nearly twenty years in which he operated at Olympia in London, Bertram Mills brought circus fans many of the era’s greatest attractions. Among many others, one might select such circus luminaries as the Siegrist-Silbon Troupe of aerialists; juggling legend Enrico Rastelli; the Flying Codonas; the illustrious aerial transvestite Barbette; Con Colleano, “The Wizard of the Wire;” the Flying Concellos; Katie Sandwina, “The World’s Strongest Woman;” Schaeffer’s thirty Midgets; and the contortionist on trapeze Albert Powell.
My dad had worked at one time in this circus before the war. All I know about it is that he took me every year, and we always got in for free. As we walked around the various side shows the stall men would shout out “Hi Sammy” and I never did ask him how everyone knew him. I suppose my mother told me about it years later.
One year we were at the circus and I wanted to ride the big wheel. I must have been too small on previous visits but now I was tall enough and I was ready and excited. I don’t know how old I was, probably around 8 or 9. I went on the ride by myself. There I was up 40 or more feet in the air. It was exciting and scary, but I enjoyed it. I remember at the end of the ride my dad asked me if I wanted to go again. I don’t know why I said “no”, because I did want to. I got off the ride and went walking for a bit before the circus performance started. As we walked by the stalls I remember looking back and wondering why I didn’t want to go again. Oh well there’s always another time. Maybe after the circus show.
I’m sure I spent time at the side shows throwing bean bags and hoops and shooting corks out of toy rifles. While I was busy playing games there was a big commotion. I looked around and I saw that the Big Wheel was leaning at a 45-degree angle. People were screaming and scared. I learned that the axle had snapped on the ride after the one I was on. I was shaken by this. Had I somehow known? People were trapped on the Big Wheel for 2 ½ hours. I would have missed the show not to mention the hours of terror.
