Friday 27 May 2022

 AN EXCITING DISCOVERY

Some years back Ancestry.co.uk and an old brown suitcase belonging to my grandmother brought the amazing discovery of my circus ancestors, in particular a famous young trapeze artist from the Victorian era. I was fascinated by the photographs, the beautiful blue and gold poster that promoted his circus appearances in England and Europe, and the worldwide newspaper reports describing his death 131 years ago and his funeral, which was attended by over 2000 people.

A seasoned performer, having trained from the age of eight, he was just sixteen when he fell to his death. His name was Sydney Bird but he was known professionally as ‘Una The Human Fly’. (In Victorian times it was not uncommon for aerialists to adopt a woman’s name – perhaps it gave audiences an extra thrill to witness females risking death forty feet above the ground, and Sydney, so young and with long golden hair, could still play the part.)
Years later, with a dozen books already written and published, I knew I had to write about Una, and so I began The Boy Who Could Fly, in which there is a supernatural link between the real life Victorian aerialist and Jamie Bird, a fictitious descendant orphaned during the WW2 blitz of Liverpool in 1941, who is determined to follow in his footsteps.
When Jamie runs away to join a travelling circus, I had to do a lot of research. Travelling circuses had it hard in wartime England. They lost many of their performers to the Armed Forces, to weapons factories and to the mines, becoming the Bevan Boys and replacing miners who were recruited to fight the enemy. They lost performers with even a hint of German or Italian blood to the internment camps where they remained for the duration of the war. They struggled to feed their animals on their microscopic rations. Travelling between sites at night, they had to cover their headlamps, leaving just a narrow strip to light their way in the overall blackness, and there were frequent accidents. Many circuses had to close down, never to re-open. I also researched the Blitz, particularly how it affected my home city, Liverpool, and how the newly homeless survived. And of course, as I’ve never swung on a trapeze except in my dreams, I had to extensively research Jamie’s training and eventual success as a flyer!
I had intended this book for older children and teenagers, but in fact it’s proved of interest to adults too, including those old enough to remember their childhood during WW2. I hope you’ll enjoy it. THE BOY WHO COULD FLY is available on Amazon in paperback and on Kindle.

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