Faringdon Folly Pages
NEWS
Telephone: 01873 852187 • Fax: 01873 857677•
Website: www.abergavennychronicle.com
5
Abergavenny families experience all the fun and drama of the Big Top thanks to Jay Miller’s Circus
Reports TIM BUTTERS [email protected] ANYONE who took a trip to Abergavenny’s Bailey Park to visit Jay Miller’s Circus last week would have been served a timely reminder that kids are still in awe of the magic and mystery of the big top. And it’s not just kids who are spellbound by the sensational, raucous, titillating and incomparable world that exists within the confines of the striped tent. The elusive magic of the circus has a way of seeping in and enchanting the most cynical and aged of souls. Dismissed by many as a dying art, the “fleeting moment of magical spectacle” and “theatre of the improbable and impossible” which the circus best symbolizes is perhaps more vital than ever in an age where we are drip fed entertainment from soulless screens of all shapes and sizes. Our fascination in watching skilled people do what very few can is as old as the hills, and running away to join the circus still boasts a strange allure, because the greatest show on earth has always represented an unbounded freedom and a certain joie de vivre. In her book, ‘The
Greatest Shows On Earth - A History Of The Circus’, Linda Simon asks, “Why do we long to soar on the flying trapeze; to ride bareback on a spangled horse; to parade in costumes of glitter and gold. What does the circus offer us that we think we so desperately need?” Could it be that the dazzle and escapism of the circus’s “living cabinet of wonders” is the perfect tonic to the stifling mundanity and pressure pot of everyday life that afflicts us all from time to time - a malady which can only be sensibly cured by watching someone juggling with fire. Or as in the case of Jay Miller’s Circus, the Scarlette Senoritas - Zsofia and Monika. Two ladies who met at circus school and have reunited 20 years later to perform the sort of hypnotic juggling act which proves not everyone who plays with fire gets burnt. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg for what Jay Miller’s is offering punters in 2016. As the able and popular ringmaster Ross Farrer delights in telling the audience, “Turn your back on the television and take a u-turn on social media. Nothing will give you the
same feeling as a night out at the circus.” If it’s death defying-jumps and acrobatic leaps of faith you want. Then The OG Juniors have got it by the bucketful. Julia, Istvan, Henrik and Roberto all attended the Hungarian State Circus School from a young age, and if you say ‘jump’ they say ‘how high’, in which direction, and onto whose shoulders. If it’s an effortless mix of the physical and the elusive you’re after, then you’ve got Paige Miller delivering a show-stopping performance on the ariel cube, and her sister Jodi and arial partner Mati also take to the topmost top of the big top in an mesmerising display of power, precision and raw nerve. Jim Carrey’s character from The Mask makes an explosive and out of shape cameo in the shape of Taras Nadtochii, a talented contortionist who’ll make you think twice about everything you thought you knew about the anatomy of a human body. If you need skills to pay the bills, then you could take a leaf out of football fan Tamas Lovei’s book. The fanatical footie fan decided to take his ball skills to the circus ring, and now
tent where the imagined and impossible become reality, Jay Miller’s director, Jon Miller, has these sage words of advice for
does the sort of thing with a football which would make Lionel Messi hang his head with shame. And last but not least, if you want mirth, mischief and mayhem, you got it, in the waddle and the wisdom of Clown Peppi. Clowns are often thought to be “the soul of the circus” and Peppi is one of the most, if not the most important ingredient to the Miller team. Bizarre enough to amuse, but not outlandish enough to give the kids nightmares, Peppi shuns the white-faced, rubber nosed, garish wigged, and slightly
menacing overtones that led to creations such as Stephen King’s Pennywise, in favour of a more everyman and endearing type of clown, whose slapstick act always proves a popular hit with children and adults alike. The circus’s ancient spectacle of the impossible, the bizarre, the ludicrous, and the baffling, is made even more dreamlike by the fact that it springs up literally overnight and in a few short days has moved on leaving nothing but memories and a patch of trampled grass in its wake.
Velothon forces open garden change TWO local gardens have been forced to reschedule their opening as part of the National Gardens Scheme as a result of a clash with the controversial Velothon. Both Castell Cwrt and Middle Ninfa at Llanfoist have brought their opening forward to May 8 - a change from the date advertised in the official garden guide. This coming weekend sees the opportunity to visit the wonderfully extensive gardens of Great Campston, near Pandy. With views over the Skirrid and Sugar Loaf, the gardens were started in 1986 and feature delightful woodland walks, magnolias, camellias and bluebells, all of which should be looking lovely just now. Wander through the three acres of borders, streams, rockeries and up sweeping steps, whilst admiring the Spring profusion of tulips, fritillaries and muscari. Great Campston is an historic site; settlements have been recorded here since the 12th Century and it was visited by Charles 1 in 1645. The house is Grade 11 listed, but
not open. Great Campston is open for the National Gardens Scheme (NGS) on Bank Holiday Monday, May 2 from 2pm to 6pm. Entry is £4.50, with children free (no dogs please). Home made teas and plants will be available. To find Great Campston follow the yellow signs from the A465 by Llanfihangel Crucorney and Pandy. All proceeds go to the charities supported by NGS including Marie Curie and Macmillan Cancer Support. Also open for the NGS over the weekend will be High Glanau Manor at Lydart near Monmouth. This is a fascinating garden with great history and was visited by HRH The Prince of Wales last summer. High Glanau will be open on Sunday, May 1 from 2pm to 5.30pm. Entry is £5, with children free (no dogs please). Home-made teas and plants are also available here. More details on both gardens and on the charities supported by the NGS can be found a www.ngs.org.uk
POSTBAG THE EDITOR, ABERGAVENNY CHRONICLE, TINDLE HOUSE, 13 NEVILL STREET, ABERGAVENNY, NP75AA
Check up on Blue Badge misuse
Support arthritis research this month
Why not join a club ride for more info?
WITH regard to the proposed parking charges for disabled drivers - WHY? Is Monmouthshire County Council so short of money that they now have to tax disabled people to make up the shortfall? To the majority of Blue Badge holders it is the last resort to hold on to our independence. We do not want to have to rely on our family or friends to take us to collect our pittance of the old age pension. But it is proposed that we will have to pay for this privilege. How many of the cars parked in disabled spaces in Abergavenny are being used by the person to whom the badge was issued? A vast majority seem to think that once a Blue Badge is issued to a member of the family and the badge is displayed in the car, it can be used by any person driving that car. Not so. It can only be used when that person is being transported. With regard to paying this tax I, as a Blue Badge holder, will be parking on the road, as I am legally entitled to, and not paying this tax to MCC. I remain a legal Blue Badge holder,
If you looked at me you probably wouldn’t guess that I live with excruciating pain every day. I have an invisible condition, arthritis and I’ve had this for over 30 years. This disease is often dismissed as minor aches and pains. However, my condition effects every aspect of my life and stops me from being spontaneous. Over the years, I’ve had support from the charity Arthritis Research UK which has been a lifeline for me you might not have heard of the charity before, but they understand all ten million of us living with daily pain. I am one of many who have benefited directly from their research. I took part in a hand trial based at the Arthritis Research UK Primary Care Centre. The trial recruited 257 people like myself, with hand osteoarthritis, to test the effectiveness of joint protection and exercises. It made an incredible difference to my everyday life, inspiring me to manage my condition and remain active. I’ve lived with my condition for a long time but arthritis doesn’t stand still and although I’m managing my pain now, I’m worried about what the future may hold. The charity recognises that whilst they are experts in research, they’re never going to know what it’s like to live with this condition on a daily basis, which is why they want our help. Despite all the breakthroughs the charity has had we still need better treatments, quicker diagnosis and a cure. Arthritis Research UK cannot do this alone, they need us the people living with the condition to join them to make a difference. During April and May, Arthritis Research UK’s ‘Be the Difference’ campaign gives us all rare access to arthritis experts – researchers and other people living with arthritis. This is a unique opportunity to hear them talking about how to stop joint pain now and in the future. To take part in the campaign go to arthritisresearchuk.org/bethedifference
MR JOHN L Sullivan (Postbag, April 21) makes much of the Road Fund levy. Is he aware it was scrapped in 1936? Among those argued against the levy was Winston Churchill, who said, “it will be only a step from this for them to claim in a few years the moral ownership of the roads their contributions have created”. How right he was. Mr Sullivan might be thinking of Vehicle Excise Duty, a tax based on CO2 emissions. As cycles produce no emissions, they are not liable for this tax, nor are owners of low emission vehicles like the Toyota Prius or the VW Golf Bluemotion. In any case, roads are not paid for by VED but from general taxation. As a bicycle weighs less than a hundredth of a car, and rarely travels faster than 20mph, the danger posed to other road users is miniscule. By contrast, motor vehicles are responsible 1,800 deaths and 22,000 serious injuries every year. This is why drivers must be tested, licensed and insured. As it happens, the vast majority of people who ride bikes also drive cars and many are covered by additional voluntary liability insurance provided by organisations like British Cycling and Cycling UK, or via their household insurance. As Mr Sullivan is so interested in the habits of cyclists, we’d like to invite him for a closer look by joining us on Abergavenny Road Club’s regular Sunday morning club run or on one of the relaxed family rides organised by Abergavenny Cycle Group. He might have cause to revise his opinions and to greet the appearance of cyclists on the roads as a cause for celebration of a great British tradition. The bicycle was invented decades before the car and people on bikes have been enjoying the freedom of the open road, whether for sport, leisure or transport, for nearly 150 years. Long may they continue to do so.
Glyn I Lewis Llwynu Lane Abergavenny.
Thanks for helping with fundraising MARGARET and Nigel would like to thank everyone who contributed to our celebrations on Sunday with presents, flowers, plants, and cards and most of all for all the donations for MND We made over £1,000 to go towards this cause. The weather was very kind to us and it was lovely to see so many friends and family who all supplied so much to make it an enjoyable day. Many thanks Margaret and Nigel Turner Great Triley Abergavenny
Christine Walker
Jack Thurston and Owen Davies, (Abergavenny Road Club)
As one little boy who had never been before said, “The circus is epic and when I grow up I want to join and do something dangerous and exciting.”
And for all you adults who’ve never allowed yourself to be seduced by the timeless call of the big top, and still feel a little nervous about setting foot into a big
you, “There’s no such thing as fear of the circus. It’s just fear of the unknown. Someone who’s never been to the circus
before doesn’t really know what it’s all about, but I promise you, if you give it a try, it’ll be your first of many visits.”
Telephone: 01873 852187 • Fax: 01873 857677•
Website: www.abergavennychronicle.com
5
Abergavenny families experience all the fun and drama of the Big Top thanks to Jay Miller’s Circus
Reports TIM BUTTERS [email protected] ANYONE who took a trip to Abergavenny’s Bailey Park to visit Jay Miller’s Circus last week would have been served a timely reminder that kids are still in awe of the magic and mystery of the big top. And it’s not just kids who are spellbound by the sensational, raucous, titillating and incomparable world that exists within the confines of the striped tent. The elusive magic of the circus has a way of seeping in and enchanting the most cynical and aged of souls. Dismissed by many as a dying art, the “fleeting moment of magical spectacle” and “theatre of the improbable and impossible” which the circus best symbolizes is perhaps more vital than ever in an age where we are drip fed entertainment from soulless screens of all shapes and sizes. Our fascination in watching skilled people do what very few can is as old as the hills, and running away to join the circus still boasts a strange allure, because the greatest show on earth has always represented an unbounded freedom and a certain joie de vivre. In her book, ‘The
Greatest Shows On Earth - A History Of The Circus’, Linda Simon asks, “Why do we long to soar on the flying trapeze; to ride bareback on a spangled horse; to parade in costumes of glitter and gold. What does the circus offer us that we think we so desperately need?” Could it be that the dazzle and escapism of the circus’s “living cabinet of wonders” is the perfect tonic to the stifling mundanity and pressure pot of everyday life that afflicts us all from time to time - a malady which can only be sensibly cured by watching someone juggling with fire. Or as in the case of Jay Miller’s Circus, the Scarlette Senoritas - Zsofia and Monika. Two ladies who met at circus school and have reunited 20 years later to perform the sort of hypnotic juggling act which proves not everyone who plays with fire gets burnt. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg for what Jay Miller’s is offering punters in 2016. As the able and popular ringmaster Ross Farrer delights in telling the audience, “Turn your back on the television and take a u-turn on social media. Nothing will give you the
same feeling as a night out at the circus.” If it’s death defying-jumps and acrobatic leaps of faith you want. Then The OG Juniors have got it by the bucketful. Julia, Istvan, Henrik and Roberto all attended the Hungarian State Circus School from a young age, and if you say ‘jump’ they say ‘how high’, in which direction, and onto whose shoulders. If it’s an effortless mix of the physical and the elusive you’re after, then you’ve got Paige Miller delivering a show-stopping performance on the ariel cube, and her sister Jodi and arial partner Mati also take to the topmost top of the big top in an mesmerising display of power, precision and raw nerve. Jim Carrey’s character from The Mask makes an explosive and out of shape cameo in the shape of Taras Nadtochii, a talented contortionist who’ll make you think twice about everything you thought you knew about the anatomy of a human body. If you need skills to pay the bills, then you could take a leaf out of football fan Tamas Lovei’s book. The fanatical footie fan decided to take his ball skills to the circus ring, and now
tent where the imagined and impossible become reality, Jay Miller’s director, Jon Miller, has these sage words of advice for
does the sort of thing with a football which would make Lionel Messi hang his head with shame. And last but not least, if you want mirth, mischief and mayhem, you got it, in the waddle and the wisdom of Clown Peppi. Clowns are often thought to be “the soul of the circus” and Peppi is one of the most, if not the most important ingredient to the Miller team. Bizarre enough to amuse, but not outlandish enough to give the kids nightmares, Peppi shuns the white-faced, rubber nosed, garish wigged, and slightly
menacing overtones that led to creations such as Stephen King’s Pennywise, in favour of a more everyman and endearing type of clown, whose slapstick act always proves a popular hit with children and adults alike. The circus’s ancient spectacle of the impossible, the bizarre, the ludicrous, and the baffling, is made even more dreamlike by the fact that it springs up literally overnight and in a few short days has moved on leaving nothing but memories and a patch of trampled grass in its wake.
Velothon forces open garden change TWO local gardens have been forced to reschedule their opening as part of the National Gardens Scheme as a result of a clash with the controversial Velothon. Both Castell Cwrt and Middle Ninfa at Llanfoist have brought their opening forward to May 8 - a change from the date advertised in the official garden guide. This coming weekend sees the opportunity to visit the wonderfully extensive gardens of Great Campston, near Pandy. With views over the Skirrid and Sugar Loaf, the gardens were started in 1986 and feature delightful woodland walks, magnolias, camellias and bluebells, all of which should be looking lovely just now. Wander through the three acres of borders, streams, rockeries and up sweeping steps, whilst admiring the Spring profusion of tulips, fritillaries and muscari. Great Campston is an historic site; settlements have been recorded here since the 12th Century and it was visited by Charles 1 in 1645. The house is Grade 11 listed, but
not open. Great Campston is open for the National Gardens Scheme (NGS) on Bank Holiday Monday, May 2 from 2pm to 6pm. Entry is £4.50, with children free (no dogs please). Home made teas and plants will be available. To find Great Campston follow the yellow signs from the A465 by Llanfihangel Crucorney and Pandy. All proceeds go to the charities supported by NGS including Marie Curie and Macmillan Cancer Support. Also open for the NGS over the weekend will be High Glanau Manor at Lydart near Monmouth. This is a fascinating garden with great history and was visited by HRH The Prince of Wales last summer. High Glanau will be open on Sunday, May 1 from 2pm to 5.30pm. Entry is £5, with children free (no dogs please). Home-made teas and plants are also available here. More details on both gardens and on the charities supported by the NGS can be found a www.ngs.org.uk
POSTBAG THE EDITOR, ABERGAVENNY CHRONICLE, TINDLE HOUSE, 13 NEVILL STREET, ABERGAVENNY, NP75AA
Check up on Blue Badge misuse
Support arthritis research this month
Why not join a club ride for more info?
WITH regard to the proposed parking charges for disabled drivers - WHY? Is Monmouthshire County Council so short of money that they now have to tax disabled people to make up the shortfall? To the majority of Blue Badge holders it is the last resort to hold on to our independence. We do not want to have to rely on our family or friends to take us to collect our pittance of the old age pension. But it is proposed that we will have to pay for this privilege. How many of the cars parked in disabled spaces in Abergavenny are being used by the person to whom the badge was issued? A vast majority seem to think that once a Blue Badge is issued to a member of the family and the badge is displayed in the car, it can be used by any person driving that car. Not so. It can only be used when that person is being transported. With regard to paying this tax I, as a Blue Badge holder, will be parking on the road, as I am legally entitled to, and not paying this tax to MCC. I remain a legal Blue Badge holder,
If you looked at me you probably wouldn’t guess that I live with excruciating pain every day. I have an invisible condition, arthritis and I’ve had this for over 30 years. This disease is often dismissed as minor aches and pains. However, my condition effects every aspect of my life and stops me from being spontaneous. Over the years, I’ve had support from the charity Arthritis Research UK which has been a lifeline for me you might not have heard of the charity before, but they understand all ten million of us living with daily pain. I am one of many who have benefited directly from their research. I took part in a hand trial based at the Arthritis Research UK Primary Care Centre. The trial recruited 257 people like myself, with hand osteoarthritis, to test the effectiveness of joint protection and exercises. It made an incredible difference to my everyday life, inspiring me to manage my condition and remain active. I’ve lived with my condition for a long time but arthritis doesn’t stand still and although I’m managing my pain now, I’m worried about what the future may hold. The charity recognises that whilst they are experts in research, they’re never going to know what it’s like to live with this condition on a daily basis, which is why they want our help. Despite all the breakthroughs the charity has had we still need better treatments, quicker diagnosis and a cure. Arthritis Research UK cannot do this alone, they need us the people living with the condition to join them to make a difference. During April and May, Arthritis Research UK’s ‘Be the Difference’ campaign gives us all rare access to arthritis experts – researchers and other people living with arthritis. This is a unique opportunity to hear them talking about how to stop joint pain now and in the future. To take part in the campaign go to arthritisresearchuk.org/bethedifference
MR JOHN L Sullivan (Postbag, April 21) makes much of the Road Fund levy. Is he aware it was scrapped in 1936? Among those argued against the levy was Winston Churchill, who said, “it will be only a step from this for them to claim in a few years the moral ownership of the roads their contributions have created”. How right he was. Mr Sullivan might be thinking of Vehicle Excise Duty, a tax based on CO2 emissions. As cycles produce no emissions, they are not liable for this tax, nor are owners of low emission vehicles like the Toyota Prius or the VW Golf Bluemotion. In any case, roads are not paid for by VED but from general taxation. As a bicycle weighs less than a hundredth of a car, and rarely travels faster than 20mph, the danger posed to other road users is miniscule. By contrast, motor vehicles are responsible 1,800 deaths and 22,000 serious injuries every year. This is why drivers must be tested, licensed and insured. As it happens, the vast majority of people who ride bikes also drive cars and many are covered by additional voluntary liability insurance provided by organisations like British Cycling and Cycling UK, or via their household insurance. As Mr Sullivan is so interested in the habits of cyclists, we’d like to invite him for a closer look by joining us on Abergavenny Road Club’s regular Sunday morning club run or on one of the relaxed family rides organised by Abergavenny Cycle Group. He might have cause to revise his opinions and to greet the appearance of cyclists on the roads as a cause for celebration of a great British tradition. The bicycle was invented decades before the car and people on bikes have been enjoying the freedom of the open road, whether for sport, leisure or transport, for nearly 150 years. Long may they continue to do so.
Glyn I Lewis Llwynu Lane Abergavenny.
Thanks for helping with fundraising MARGARET and Nigel would like to thank everyone who contributed to our celebrations on Sunday with presents, flowers, plants, and cards and most of all for all the donations for MND We made over £1,000 to go towards this cause. The weather was very kind to us and it was lovely to see so many friends and family who all supplied so much to make it an enjoyable day. Many thanks Margaret and Nigel Turner Great Triley Abergavenny
Christine Walker
Jack Thurston and Owen Davies, (Abergavenny Road Club)
As one little boy who had never been before said, “The circus is epic and when I grow up I want to join and do something dangerous and exciting.”
And for all you adults who’ve never allowed yourself to be seduced by the timeless call of the big top, and still feel a little nervous about setting foot into a big
you, “There’s no such thing as fear of the circus. It’s just fear of the unknown. Someone who’s never been to the circus
before doesn’t really know what it’s all about, but I promise you, if you give it a try, it’ll be your first of many visits.”
