Issue 95 – May 2015
11 pages inside
VILLAGE BEASTS By Stephen Guy THE attractions were eagerly awaited and large crowds gathered to be entertained by visitors from distant lands. Known as wild beast shows, they were regular crowdpullers featuring many different types of exotic animals, pitching on land in Quarry Street, Woolton. The larger animals had keepers who shouted colourful descriptions and anecdotes about the creatures. A big cat strutted around his cage as the keeper announced: “Ladies and gentlemen, here you have the spotted leopard which has a spot for every day of the year. “Lift up the animal’s tail and there you will find the spot that accounts for …Pass on to the next cage.” The wild beast entertainments were part of cavalcades of large and small travelling shows that trundled around the countryside. In a world dominated by the horse, Victorian audiences
particularly appreciated fine feats of horsemanship or trick riding featured in circuses then as now. Circuses are still regular attractions but smaller shows have all but disappeared. In Woolton they would camp at a regular spot for weeks at a time. The shows often offered evening diversions during long winter nights including boxing and baby shows, shooting galleries, black-face
singers and games stalls. One day a new attraction was announced on posters and leaflets distributed around Woolton. People eagerly awaited the arrival of the exoticallynamed Professor Qualterini and Signor Delavasco billed as “The famous well known Bolton Entertainers, Musicians and Clog Dancers”. This was an eagerly-awaited
Learn more about the history of Liverpool at the Museum of Liverpool, Pier Head, open 10am to 5pm every day. Admission is free.
event staged in an assembly room full to overflowing. The duo, decked out in colourful costumes, gave a dazzling display of their skills, followed by thunderous applause. The audience demanded a further visit by the two stars. The promoter then announced that the two were in fact local men – one a member of the clog dancing Qualter family of Rose Place and the other a trumpet player in Patrick O’Grady’s Garston Band. Despite the ruse, everyone seemed satisfied with the show, going home happy. Woolton, like most communities, had many pubs, ale houses and taverns in Victorian times when it was relatively easy to open such establishments. People liked a friendly gossip which was known as “skogging” in local dialect. Woolton was renowned for its black puddings and Ashton Square was called Pudding Bag Square in the 1830s.
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