A little story told me by my old friend John

SPECIAL GUESTS IN THE BEEHIVE YARD 

In the balmy summer of 1946, just one year after VE day, Wimborne played

host to one of the greatest double acts ever to appear on the British stage and

screen.

The duo, namely Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise, had arrived to cut

their teeth on Wimborne’s audiences. But they had not come to play the local

theatre, their place of entertainment was somewhat more bizarre.

Eric and Ernie, were amongst the cast of circus and vaudeville acts

travelling with LORD JOHN SANGERS “NEW PRODUCTION” CIRCUS AND

VARIETY show.

John Maton, a well respected local farmer, and one of the mainstays of

Wimborne’s Tivoli Theatre, remembers the occasion well. Although still only

19 years old, John was already a great enthusiast for live theatre. Evenings and

weekends would frequently find him bussing down to Bournemouth to one of

the resort’s theatres to take in one of the pre or post London shows. But this

week his entertainment, which he had found advertised on posters dotted

around his home in Colehill, was for once just a cycle ride down Rowlands hill.

The place of performance was in a yard behind a Public House, known as

The Beehive. This long low thatched Inn – now sadly gone - was situated at

the junction of East and West Boroughs by the ancient Walford Bridge on the

road out of town to Cranborne.

Enterprising landlords throughout the years had rented the space in the

past to other travelling shows, and so to the people of Wimborne the arrival of

the big tent was an exciting event, but back then, not unheard of.

Lord John Sanger’s immense white big-top had been hauled up,

presumably, as happens in the circus business, by the entire troupe lending a

hand, where it altered the skyline of Walford and towered over the roof of the

long low Inn. Around it, filling the rest of the yard, were lorries, caravans in

which the cast and crew lived, penned off runs for the circus beasts, and a pet’s

corner for Wimborne’s children.

John recalls that on arrival for the start of the evening show, he was able

to park his bike safely in the environs of the Beehive yard. This meant that he

could dispense with the need to part with 3d to secure his machines safety at

Carters bike-shed in Westborough. His ticket, bought for 6d, gave him a good

view from one of the tiered wooden benches circumnavigating the big top.

Moths danced in the spot lights and the show began with a cast line-up of

‘We Introduce Ourselves - Sangers Calling You’, then, went straight on to one

of the circus acts with ‘Peter Pan - The Children’s Pet’ before Ernie and Eric

took their places in the sawdust.

Of course – once they got on the telly - we all knew their names in a

different order, but at this stage in their career Ernie’s name came first. John

recalls the two comics played twice in the first half, at number four on the bill

with a sketch entitled ‘Tapping In Tempo; The Pearl Moss Girls; Ernie Wise

And Eric Morecambe Select Their Own Jobs’, then later with ‘Ernie Wise, Eric

Morecambe And Eddie Ross, Try Their Hand At Multiplication’.

After the interval however, Ernie Wise, always an accomplished

comedian and never just ‘the straight man’, came on twice; unbelievably Eric

didn’t make it onto the bill. Presumably, John Maton muses, Eric would have

been left in the caravan with his mum who reputedly used to accompany the

pair everywhere as a chaperon when they were on tour. John can’t confirm theth act – golly they

thought but it conjures a picture of the well loved entertainer - and it makes a

nice story.

However, without Eric at his side, Mr Wise came back on with a sketch,

titled ‘Ernie Wise Deceives’, then, finished the show as the 18

got their monies worth - bizarrely billed as ‘Ernie Wise The Star of the Forces -

ENGLANDS MICKY ROONY’.

John – always ready with a smile - considers his Wimborne evening

couldn’t really have been improved. 6d for the show, a drink at the bar during

the interval, a bike-ride through the warm summer night home, and change

rattling in his pocket from a shilling piece.

A few days later the tent was dropped and folded, animals loaded,

caravans hitched and the circus left town. Eric and Ernie went too – it’s nice to

know that our Wimborne audience had played its part in their apprenticeship.

Clock

A fascinating find. But unfortunately I can't publish.

I guess I'm still in search of Mr Gulliver.

It's been a few years now since I wrote the Gulliver book, and the research was great fun. But even now I meet people who have yet more unrecorded information which I just have to follow up on. The latest comes from a talk I gave recently, where I learned about a clock that promises to be an amazing find. From the description, the date and the makers address its provenance fits like a glove. I'm viewing the piece tomorrow, my camera batteries are charging, and I've got to say I'm excited.