Dates

• Existence: 13 June 1929 - 29 January 2024

Biography

Bob Broadfield was a circus and variety performer, author and composer born in Worchestershire. He developed an interest in bodybuilding, acrobatics and adventure from an early age. After leaving school at 14, he took a job delivering newspapers and eventually joined the Merchant Navy in 1947, where he spent two and a half years travelling around the world. Upon vountary dischard Bob completed his National Service with the Royal Arillery at Kinmel Camp, Rhyl, where he trained as a signaller and radio operator and was posted to the Second Regiment Royal Horse Artillery Regiment in Germany. Once he had completed his service, Bob returned to civil life and took at job in a factory packing enamelware. In the meantime, he was training in ball room dancing, wrestling and weightlifting, and carried out feats of physical endurance such as cycling across France and parachute jumping. Bob became fascinated with variety performance and often visited his local theatres. He was especially attracted by the acrobatic acts, which prompted him to join an acrobatic circus troupe as an apprentice in order to learn the trade. Eventually, he formed his own troupe with Phil Barker and Al Canan, which they called The Venturas. Bob performed with The Venuras as amateur three men acrobatic act for a while but eventually he decided to split from the troupe to persue a professional career in performance. He joined several troupes such as Duo Millie and started to toure around circuses, variety theatres, night clubs and working men's clubs until he eventually formed his own troupe, The Sterlins, an acrobatic duo formed by him and his future wife Marilyn Lewis. Bob and Marilyn travelled their act across the UK, Europe and South East Asia's variety scene for the next decade and appeared in pantomime in the winter seassons. However, Bob's obsession with perfecting their act and work caused their split in 1973. During the 1970s Bob tried to reform the troupe with other female partners while taking a variety of jobs in variety and television as well as away from performance. In his later career he introduced comedy, singing and poetry to his act and a dog hand puppet. Bob remained involved in performance throughout his carrer in one way or another until he died on 29 January 2024 at the age of 94.