Billy Smart's Circus (c1946 - 2006)
Biography
Billly Smart's Circus was established by William 'Billy' Smart (1894-1966). Billy came from a fairground family from London with an interest in horses and circuses. In 1946 Billy came across Cody's Circus and bought the big top.
Billy Smart's New World Circus made its debut at Southall Park, Middlesex, on 5 April 1946, for the first full season after the end of the war. Initially, Billy run his circus in conjunction with his fun fair, which was being run by his children, but by 1952 the fun fair, which was overshadowed by the circus, disappeared. The success of the circus side of the business however continued to increase and in 1955, Billy Smart's Circus grew from its two-pole tentto a 6,000 seat, four-pole round big top with a hippodrome track around the ring, and a vast entrance tent, thus enabling the staging of spectacular parades, which became a Billy Smart's Circus trademark.
Billy's greatest innovation, however, was his relationship with the newly established television networks when he agreed to broadcast his circus live on the BBC in 1947. Over the years, Billy Smart's Christmas Spectacular became a BBC holiday tradition, which ITV took over in 1979 and carried on until 1982. The BBC's first-ever colour broadcast was a 'Tribute to Billy Smart', while Royal Performances took place in London, raising thousands of pounds for charity.
A large part of the success of the circus was the showmanship that Billy brought to the operation of the circus, the large family he could draw upon to run the shows and his ability as a showman to market and capture opportunities to advertise. Whilst other circus proprietors were threatened by the rise in popularity of television and shunned the cameras, Billy Smart embraced them. Smart's Circus grew to be one of the largest in the world, touring every part of the British Isles, and with permanent quarters and an associated zoo at Winkfield, Berkshire, not far from where Smart began his fairground career. His success took the circus through twenty-six tenting tours, winter seasons, frequent TV appearances and the provision of animal acts to other circuses.
Billy died in his caravan on 25 September 1966 and the circus passed onto his sons Ronnie, David and Billy Jr. who continued travelling Billy Smart's New World Circus until around 1971.
In the 1990s Ronnie and his sons Gary and Lord revived the Smart Circus and started to tour a smaller scale version of the original circus. However, the Smart Circus was never the same after the dead of Billy and soon after, the Smart name was rented out to other circus operators until it stopped operating in the early 2000s.
Found in 1058 Collections and/or Records:
Business Records Relating to the Argentinian Devils, 1998
Includes visas, work permits, contracts and travel documents for performers the Argentinian Devils for the 1997 and 1998 tours of Smart's Circus.
Business Records Relating to The Biasinis, 1994
Includes correspondence and contracts for the artists The Biasinis for performing in the 1994 season of Smart's Circus.
Business Records Relating to the Billy Smart's Circus Winkfield Auction, 1980 - 1986
Includes correspondence with auctioneers Thimbleby and Shorland, a draft of the Billy Smart's Circus Winkfield catalogue of sale of circus equipment, leaflets advertising the auction, a printed final version of the catalogue and a catalogue for Mary Chipperfield Promotions Ltd catalogue of sale of circus equipment by Allen and May in 1980 on Croft Farm.
Business Records Relating to the Casablanca Troupe, 1996 - 1998
Includes contracts and ccorespondence for the 1996 season of Billy Smart's Circus, a contract for the 1997 season and correspondence detailing issues with work permits for the Casablanca Troupe for the 1998 season of Billy Smart's Circus meaning they did not perform.
Business Records Relating to The Century Insurance Company Limited, 29 May 1951 - 12 June 1951
Two reports of examination from the Engineering Department of The National Boiler and General Insurance Co. Ltd.
Business Records Relating to the Circus Festival in Verona, 1993 - 1994
Includes programmes, correspondence, leaflets, badges and food vouchers.
Business Records Relating to the Death of William George and Nellie Smart, 1961 - 1968
Includes copies of the postmortem of William George Smart and the last will and testaments of William George and Nellie Smart, a letter from William George Smart's solicitor and break down of William George Smart's estate cash book.
Business Records Relating to the District Council of Dundee, 1993 - 1994
Includes request of permission of circus performance, itineraries and booklets.
Business Records Relating to The Fairground Mercury, 1993 - 1995
Includes documents relating to the article 'Billy Smart: The Early Days' published in The Fairground Mercury journal. Also includes a draft version of the article, copies of Volume 17 number 2 and Volume 17 number 4 of The Fairground Mercury.
Business Records Relating to the Folcos Luigi Family, 1993 - 1995
Includes correspondence, contracts, tickets and travel documents relating to the Folcos Luigi Family performing in the 1993 and 1995 seasons of Smart's Circus.
Business Records Relating to the Great Moscow State Circus, 1996 - 1997
Includes correspondence between Smart's Circus and Leonid Kostiouk and Vladmirov of The Great Moscow State Circus at Vernadsky Avenue regarding performances and various Russian acts including Mik and Mak Clowns.
Business Records Relating to the International Circus Festival of Monte Carlo, 1998 - 2001
Includes hotel booking documents for Ronald and Kay Smart for the International Circus Festival of Monte Carlo in 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002.
Business Records Relating to the Royal Family Visits to Windsor Safari Park, 1955 - 1974
Includes correspondence and itineraries for Princess Margaret's visit to Windsor Safari Park on 31st March 1970, correspondence and itineraries for the visit of Prince Philip the Duke of Edinburgh on 25 October 1972, correspondence regarding the visit of Squadron Leader David Checketts and family on 10 April 1973, press cuttings, invitations to various members of the Royal Family to Smart's Circus events and performances
Business Records Relating to the Smart Circus, 1978 - 1996
Includes a record of countries that took the Smart’s BBC T.V. show in 1978, records relating to Billy Smart’s Big Top vehicles, some correspondence and white face clown costume design work.
Business Records Relating to the Tchernievski Troupe, 1994 - 1997
Includes contracts, work permit applications and permits, travel documentation and correspondence for the Chernievski Troupe for the 1994, 1996 and 1997 seasons of Billy Smart's Circus.
Business Records Relating to the Trio Rampin Clowns, 1996
Includes correspondence, contracts, work permit applications, work permits, photocopies of passports and travel documents for the Trio Rampin Clowns as well as a contract for Kim Kenneth for the 1996 season of Billy Smart's Circus.
Business Records Relating to the Trufanovi Troupe, 1997
Includes contracts, work permit applications and permits, travel documents and correspondence for the Tufanovi Troupe for the 1997 season of Billy Smart's Circus.
Business Records Relating to the Vorobievi Troupe, 1997
Includes contracts, work permit applications and permits, travel documents for the Vorobievi Troupe for the 1997 season of Billy Smart's Circus.
Business Records Relating to Tony Hopkins, 1995 - 1997
Documents relating to the collaboration between Gary Smart's company (Harbour Park Limited) and Tony Hopkins' company (Yorkshire Promotions Limited) for the 1996 and 1997 autumn tours including salary lists, correspondence, budget information, programmes of other circuses produced by Tony Hopkins and agreements.
Business Records Relating to Trio Gastar, 1997
Includes contracts and correspondence for the performers Trio Gastar for the 1997 season of Billy Smart's Circus.