T
he outpouring of sadness
following Nell Gifford’s death
in December gives just a hint
of the magic that she brought
into the world. She enchanted
thousands with her unique
creation, Giffords Circus, transforming our
view of what a circus could or should be.
The story behind the magic, however,
wasn’t a fairy tale. As Nell shared in her
1999 autobiography, Josser, following her
mother’s devastating brain injury when
Nell was a teenager, she struggled to find
somewhere where she felt she fitted. The
surprising answer was the circus. Working
stints for different companies, she “fell in
love with the whole way of life,” as she told
The Simple Things (in our April 2015 issue),
“with the animals and the children, and
the multilingual travelling village feel. I
was more helped than helpful, but I knew
that this was what I wanted to do with
my life, nothing else was a possibility.”
At the time, mention the word circus,
and it probably conjured up images of badly
kept animals and sad clowns. Nell had
a clear vision of what it could be: “a jewel
of a show on a village green, rowdy and
handmade, with horses and a gas-lit feel.”
She threw everything she had into
creating that vision. Old curtains became
costumes; discarded riding clothes given
a smattering of sequins, as she and her
family teetered on the edge of bankruptcy
to fulfill the dream. If you’ve ever attended
Giffords Circus, you’ll know it was worth it- combining storytelling, traditional circus
skills and a sprinkling of mischief, Giffords
is unique. Following a sell-out first season
at the Hay Festival, Giffords became a
joyful feature of south-west summers.
Nell knew full well the purpose of such
magic, for herself as well as others. On an
Instagram post last year, she wrote about
how “remembering there is a world of
festoon lights, music, horses, painted wood,
wheels and that world is the circus and
as usual it saves me from black despair.”
When she was diagnosed with breast
cancer for a cruel third time, she used that
same account to share her experiences
with equal characteristic honesty.
This summer’s tour marks the 20th
anniversary of Giffords. It will be a
celebration of Nell’s vision and everything
she achieved, through her inventiveness,
artistry and a hell of a lot of hard work. The
statement released by the Circus following
her death summed up Nell’s legacy
beautifully. “Her vision for Giffords Circus
was to bring happiness, imagination and to
enliven people’s souls. Giffords Circus shall
continue to do just that. Whilst the world
is a dimmer place today, Nell will continue
to live through the Circus.”
giffordscircus.com“A jewel of a show on a village
green, rowdy and handmade,
with horses and a gas-lit feel”NELL GIFFORD
fell in love with the
circus, so much so
that she founded
her own show to
share the magic
with thousands
each yearBRINGING THE CIRCUS UP TO DATE BY CELEBRATING ITS
ROOTS, NELL GIFFORD CREATED MAGIC FOR MANY
PHOTOGRAPHY:GEM HALL. WORDS: FRANCES AMBLERWant to nominate an excellent woman?
Email [email protected].T
heoutpouringofsadness
followingNellGifford’sdeath
inDecembergivesjusta hint
ofthemagicthatshebrought
intotheworld.Sheenchanted
thousandswithherunique
creation,GiffordsCircus,transformingour
viewofwhata circuscouldorshouldbe.
Thestorybehindthemagic,however,
wasn’ta fairytale.AsNellsharedinher
1999 autobiography,Josser, followingher
mother’sdevastatingbraininjurywhen
Nellwasa teenager,shestruggledtofind
somewherewhereshefeltshefitted.The
surprisinganswerwasthecircus.Working
stintsfordifferentcompanies,she“fellin
love with the whole way of life,” as she told
The Simple Things (in our April 2015 issue),
“with the animals and the children, and
the multilingual travelling village feel. I
was more helped than helpful, but I knew
that this was what I wanted to do with
my life, nothing else was a possibility.”
At the time, mention the word circus,
andit probablyconjuredupimagesofbadly
keptanimalsandsadclowns.Nellhad
a clearvisionofwhatit couldbe:“ajewel
ofa showona villagegreen,rowdyand
handmade,withhorsesanda gas-litfeel.”
Shethreweverythingshehadinto
creatingthatvision.Oldcurtainsbecame
costumes;discardedridingclothesgiven
a smatteringofsequins,assheandher
familyteeteredontheedgeofbankruptcy
tofulfillthedream.Ifyou’veeverattended
GiffordsCircus,you’llknowit wasworthit- combiningstorytelling,traditionalcircus
skillsanda sprinklingofmischief,Giffords
isunique.Followinga sell-outfirstseason
attheHayFestival,Giffordsbecamea
joyfulfeatureofsouth-westsummers.
Nellknewfullwellthepurposeofsuch
magic,forherselfaswellasothers.Onan
Instagrampostlastyear,shewroteabout
how“rememberingthereisa worldof
festoonlights,music,horses,paintedwood,
wheelsandthatworldisthecircusand
asusualit savesmefromblackdespair.”
Whenshewasdiagnosedwithbreast
cancerfora cruelthirdtime,sheusedthat
sameaccounttoshareherexperiences
withequalcharacteristichonesty.
Thissummer’stourmarksthe20th
anniversary of Giffords. It will be a
celebration of Nell’s vision and everything
she achieved, through her inventiveness,
artistry and a hell of a lot of hard work. The
statement released by the Circus following
her death summed up Nell’s legacy
beautifully. “Her vision for Giffords Circus
was to bring happiness, imagination and to
enlivenpeople’ssouls.GiffordsCircusshall
continuetodojustthat.Whilsttheworld
isa dimmerplacetoday,Nellwillcontinue
tolivethroughtheCircus.”
giffordscircus.com“A jewelof a showon a village
green, rowdy and handmade,
with horses and a gas-litfeel”NELL GIFFORD
fell in love with the
circus, so much so
that she founded
her own show to
share the magic
with thousands
each yearBRINGING THE CIRCUS UP TO DATE BY CELEBRATING ITS
ROOTS, NELL GIFFORD CREATED MAGIC FOR MANY
PHOTOGRAPHY:GEM HALL. WORDS: FRANCES AMBLERWant to nominate an excellent woman?
Email [email protected].