AUSTEN BROTHERS CIRCUS TRANSPORT BOOK

AUSTEN BROTHERS CIRCUS TRANSPORT 1974/1990. Book and CD. Limited Edition: 50 numbered copies. £29 + £3.50 P&P [UK] or £5.50 [Europe]. Martin Knock, 36 Magnolia Drive, Biggin Hill, Kent TN16 3SJ. Martin Knock has been a circus enthusiast and CFA member for many years, with a well-informed interest in transport and logistics. Many of his photos were included in the first CFA Circus Transport book. He’s now produced this attractive A4 landscape hardback book with 14 pages of colour photos of the transport and tents of the circus operated by Brian Austen and his brothers Michael and Patrick and their business partner Peter Featherstone.
The Austen circus operated from 1974 through the 1980s and the brothers were versatile performers, capable of providing much of the programme themselves. They also virtually manufactured their own show - making big tops, stable tents, props and equipment, and adapting, building and maintaining the impressive transport fleet. The unique character of the show is captured and recorded in this book and CD.
While the captions for each photo in the book are very short, there’s much more detail on the accompanying CD which also reproduces articles on Austen Brothers’ Circus from King Pole, one on the Austen fleet of Scammell tractors from Scammell Register, and coverage of the blow-down which hit the show at Rochester on 15-16 October 1987.
In more recent years, since 1995, Brian Austen and Peter Featherstone have successfully run the European Entertainment Corporation, now the Entertainment Corporation, touring up to four big circuses in any one season, including the Moscow State, Chinese State, Cottle & Austen and Circus Berlin.
David Jamieson

***** CORRECTIONS to the above review in the December KP - please note that Martin has included a detailed history of Austen Brothers Circus on the final CD and also that the book has 28 pages [not 14]. DJ *****

This is a superb book on what was one of the best travelling shows of its time. Hope Martin needs to do a rerun, the book deserves that and lets hope in the future Martin will do books of this type on other British circuses.