Off to lovely Giffards school!

One of the many posters made for the Circus last year!

Fred and I are packing our trunks (suitcases, not bathing garments!) and heading off to help out Circus Pazaz at Giffards school in Essex. Fred's Flying Circus have been there with the little big top for the last two years and it's one of our highlights of the year!
Last year we performed our last ever shows as Fred's Flying Circus there and the children made some amazing posters. (Go to my blog from June last year to see how great they all were).
Keep checking the blog for photos and show gossip!
Toodly Pip for now
Mrs Fred x

WHAM KAPOW PAZAZ!!!!

Yesterday afternoon Fred and I set out to Eastbourne to meet up with Zaz, Tilly and the lovely little big top!
Circus Pazaz is working at St Thomas A Becket Junior School in Eastbourne for the next three days all culminating in a day of shows and big Summer Fete on Saturday 8th June.

All in a day's work! (we did have a little more help than just these three clowns!)

It was fantastic to be putting up the big top again and thanks to all the great helpers who turned up to bash in stakes and hold onto the side poles as it was going up - it was a tad windy!
Fred and I are so happy that our beautiful circus and tent has gone to such an amazing clown as Zaz and that he will be continuing all the great work of bringing fun and laughter to school fields all over the country. Fred can't wait to get back into the ring as Zaz has taken him on as Ringmaster!!! be warned!
Watch this space for more Circus Pazaz adventures
Toddly pip for now
Mrs Fred x

PAZAZ TIME!

Last weekend Fred and I had our most relaxed ever start to a circus day!
Fred is now on tour with the wonderful Matt Zaz who has bought our beautiful little big top and is continuing all the good work fund raising in schools with Circus Pazaz! We are joining him to literally 'show him the ropes' and Fred just can't stop performing his comedy...and other dangerous stuff!!!.
All we had to do was arrive at a school just outside Reading... where we found Zaz and his team, Angie and Tilly. We were met by an amazing team of PTA and teachers and in no time we had the tent up and ready to go.
The sun stayed out and the tent was PACKED for two shows - a huge success for Circus Pazaz on their first gig and a huge success for the school who managed to make some great profits from ticket sales!
We're back in the road very soon... it's just SO exciting! I'll be back soon.
Toodly pip for now
Mrs Fred x

OUT OF HIBERNATION!

Yawn! Well... what a long winter we seem to be having - never mind - the daffodils and bit of sunshine we had over the last few days has awoken me from my slumber and I've realised how little I've done on my blog over the winter months.
Springing into action I have just updated Fred's Flying Circus website. It is much smaller and simpler as Fred and Chi Chi are busy bees - working together and doing their separate thing! Fred has been razor blade eating and sword swallowing over the winter months - as well as strumming away and singing his heart out to audiences far and wide. Go to freddelius.co.uk for more info.
Meanwhile Chi Chi has been a VERY busy bee dashing up to London most nights in the week and she's even flying off to Milan at the weekend - LUCKY LUCKY girl!

We all SOOOO missed not doing our 'first gig of the year' at Brooklands Park Worthing. We have performed there every Easter for at least the last 5 years and we missed the old familiar faces and new ones... mind you... we definately haven't missed camping out in sub zero temperatures! It's hard to believe that 2 years ago we were all in t-shirts and eating ice cream at Easter!

Fred and Chi Chi are getting ready to tour with Circus Pazaz to help Zaz out with the Big Top and the shows. Zaz is an absolutely amazing clown - and has been from a small boy when, at the age of 8 he was a 'regular' at Fred's Circus workshops in Brighton back in the day!!! What a coincidence! Check him out at http://zazismypal.com/circus-pazaz. (spot the Mrs Fred poster design!).

I promise I'll be back soon - as long as the snow stays away!
Watch this space for Circus Pazaz dates

Toodly pip for now
Mrs Fred x

BIRTHDAY TIME!!!

November is the month of birthdays... for Fred, Chi Chi and ME! This week saw Chi Chi and I going for a double birthday treat of getting our nails done (me glittery silver and Chi Chi neon pink... of course!!!) and then I got a relaxing (sort of - but that's another story) facial so I look 20 years younger (or have my eyes just got worse?).
Wednesday night we went to celebrate Chi Chi's birthday with all her friends - many of whom had the most AMAZING shoes... ideal for Brighton but not for hiking!

Life is very hectic with Fred and Chi Chi travelling all over the place to various cabaret's and shows. Yesterday they were in Oxford, tonight Brighton and tomorrow they are frontlining the Cirque de Cabaret at Martlets Hall in Burgess Hill with their amazing illusion act. Tickets are £12 and doors open 8pm.
Then neither of them have a day off until after Christmas and even I will make a couple of appearances as 'Santa's helper'... elf costume at the ready!... not sure green is my colour but it will be a laugh.
I'm now working on updating the Fred's Flying Circus website so keep checking the blog out... I'll try and keep up to date with news and gossip... NOT from the caravan I hasten to add... but from the comfort of the armchair by the log fire!
I wish you fun and warms for the jolly season.
Toodle pip for now
Mrs Fred xxx

FRED'S GOING FLYING FOR THE WEEKEND

Sorry for not blogging for SUCH a long time... things have been busy here at circus headquarters and now we are on our final sortie of the year. For the 8th year running, we are back at Shoreham Airshow for the weekend and enjoying every minute! I have just got back and have had such a great day helping with the circus workshops - which kids, mums, dads and grandparents have all joined in! AMAZING!!!!
Fred and I are also a BIT sad as we have now sold our beautiful little big top and it will be going to it's new home straight after the airshow. However... we are SOOOOO happy to be passing it on to the amazing Zaz who is turning it into Circus Pazaz. Zaz started his dreams of the circus about 25 years ago when he went along to one of Fred's juggling workshops in Brighton and was inspired!!!!... so we feel it has come full circle and Zaz has also asked Fred to tour with him next year - which Fred is incredibly excited about!!!
Anyway.... off to make a well earned cup of tea - I will be back soon with more news and gossip from circus headquarters.
If you're at the airshow tomorrow - do pop in to see us!
Toodly pip for now
Mrs Fred x

NELLIE THE ELEPHANT PACKED HER TRUNK

Well we may be saying a goodbye to the little big top.... but I'm sure it's not the last you will see of the Fred's Flying Circus duo!
We are now back at circus headquarters, unpacking our trunks and getting used to sleeping indoors, carpets and running water!
It was a truly amazing last week of our 'little' Big Top tour this year which started last Saturday at Shoreham-by-sea. A really lovely time we had helping the school with their annual summer fair - the big top put up in the morning, 2 shows to amaze and amuse and then a take-down at the end of the day. Thank you to all the brilliant helpers and audiences!

The Circus crowd at East Grinstead

Sunday we were up early and off to East Grinstead where we were met by a fabulous team of helpers and a HUGE tray of bacon butties!!!! (now THAT's what I'm talking about!!!). During the afternoon we put on 2 shows to a packed big top and then Monday we stayed on to give the whole school the chance to try their hand at circus skills.
Monday night we were back home and just enough time to pack ready for our final school of the year over in Essex.

Fred and Chi Chi joined by Zaz

We visited Giffards school last year and we're SOOO happy to be asked back again.  For the next 3 days we worked with a different group of children and each night there was a show. Again we had a packed house every night - helped enormously by the many colourful posters that the children had designed and hand drawn all around the school and displayed on the school gates (see my previous post). We were also joined by Zaz the clown who is all set to take over the big top from April next year. He came along to learn the ropes of putting up the big top and also gave us a hand entertaining the masses... thanks Zaz!!!

The most exciting news for Chi Chi was the arrival of her brand new LED hula hoop. She couldn't wait until it was dark to try it out and I got all arty with some long exposures on the camera...

Friday night was the last show - a very strange feeling for us all - especially Fred and Chi Chi who had been touring in the tent for the last 8 years. Both Fred and Chi Chi pulled out all the stops and the show was AMAZING!!! (Fred was particularly funny with his cups and balls routine and I'm sure the woman sitting next to me was in danger of wetting herself). It's such a special thing to see Fred and Chi Chi on stage together - and especially in their little big top which we all fell in love with the first time it went up many years ago...
Here are some photos from the final show...
I'll be back with news and gossip of their latest projects... including details of their circus workshops and shows without the big top... so watch this space!
Thank you to everyone who has booked us, helped us or come to see the shows in our 'little' Big Top over the years - you've all made it a truly magical experience.
Toodly pip for now (sniff, sniff)
Mrs Fred xxx

A Fred and Chi Chi pre show hug

All set up and ready to go!

Zaz and his hats!

Fred and his bottle balancing

the juggooping Chi Chi

Chi Chi getting the feet into gear and Fred checking the safety of the chairs

Great signs the kids made for Freds chair

And Chi Chi's chair

And another one for Fred!

The Giffards children and teachers surprised us all with a bunch of flowers, big cake (complete with big top on the top and a huge card made by the kids... Fred must have got a fly in his eye!

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xxx