Ronnie, Smart, c1930 - 2020

Person

Dates

Existence: c1930 - 10 December 2020

Biography

Ronnie Smart was one of ten children by Billy Smart Snr. and wife Nelly Rigby 'Dolly. Ronnie took over the Billy Smart's Cirus with his brothers upon their father's death in 1966, after having worked in the family business since childhood. Ronnie married Kay (c1935-2016), a trapeze artist and animal trainer and they had two sons, Gary and Lord.

Found in 8 Collections and/or Records:

Big Top Variety Show Film, December 1979

Item

Reference code: 178D17.10

Scope and Contents

Television broadcast of combined variety and circus entertainment, featuring Ronnie Smart presenting the Smart circus, Lulu, Moira Anderson and Charles Aznavour amongst other performers by Thames Television, series 1 on VHS PAL. Sound and colour.

Dates: December 1979

Found in: National Fairground and Circus Archive / Christopher Palmer Collection / Films

Big Top Variety Show Film, August 1980

Item

Reference code: 178D17.11

Scope and Contents

Television broadcast of combined variety and circus entertainment, featuring Ronnie Smart presenting the Smart circus by Thames Television, series 2 on VHS PAL. Sound and colour.

Dates: August 1980

Found in: National Fairground and Circus Archive / Christopher Palmer Collection / Films

Big Top Variety Show Film, August 1981

Item

Reference code: 178D17.12

Scope and Contents

Television broadcast of combined variety and circus entertainment, featuring Ronnie Smart presenting the Smart circus, Pat Boone, Sacha Distel and David Essex amongst other performers by Thames Television, series 3 on VHS PAL. Sound and colour.

Dates: August 1981

Found in: National Fairground and Circus Archive / Christopher Palmer Collection / Films

Big Top Variety Show Film, August 1982

Item

Reference code: 178D17.13

Scope and Contents

Television broadcast of combined variety and circus entertainment, featuring Ronnie Smart presenting the Smart circus by Thames Television, series 4 on VHS PAL. Sound and colour.

Dates: August 1982

Found in: National Fairground and Circus Archive / Christopher Palmer Collection / Films

Big Top Variety Show Film, August 1979

Item

Reference code: 178D17.14

Scope and Contents

Television broadcast of combined variety and circus entertainment, featuring Ronnie Smart presenting the Smart circus, Gladys Night and the Pips amongst other performers, compilation by Thames Television on VHA PAL. Sound and colour.

Dates: August 1979

Found in: National Fairground and Circus Archive / Christopher Palmer Collection / Films

Billy Smart Christmas Circus Film, 1978

Item

Reference code: 178D17.1

Scope and Contents

Television broadcast of Billy Smart Circus by Thames Television, parts 1, 2 and 3 on VHS PAL. Sound and colour.

Dates: 1978

Found in: National Fairground and Circus Archive / Christopher Palmer Collection / Films

Christopher Palmer Collection

Fonds

Reference code: NFA0105

Scope and Contents

Circus programmes and VHS tapes from Billy Smart’s Circus and Chipperfields’s Circus collected during the 1970s and early 1980s by the TV producer, Christopher John Palmer. There are also a number of promotional photographs of artistes and other ephemera related to the circus.

Dates: 1973 - 1983

Found in: National Fairground and Circus Archive