Escaped Lions

[David Weaver]

Does anyone remember the year the lion escaped from the circus at The Onion Fair next to Aston Church? Mum used to tell me about it so it would have been before the nineteen thirties or thereabouts. Thanks, David Weaver.

 

[sylviasayers]

There was also another lion who escaped in the 1920s/30s and I believe it was captured near Aston Parish Church. I do remember there was a thread on the Forum about it a few years ago, and Dorothy Dodson gave an account of how her mother and grandmother came too close for comfort, it was a very interesting and amusing account if anyone can find it and post a link.

 

[maxwell bullivant]

Hearsay rather than fact are always difficult to prove. Max

 

[Ray Barrett]

My dad is 96 and he remembers the lion that escaped,it was about 90 years ago.
It was eventually caught in Aston churchyard,he said it must have been a friendly lion because he never bit anyone.

 

[maxwell bullivant]

Another Lion Escape; Roy Smith lived at 26 Serpentine Rd, and had an involvenent with the fair, in 1924 his Mom daily cooked 30 breakfasts from their house for "the bosses" at the fair.

 

[Ray Barrett]

1924,that was the year of the lion escape,saw my dad this morning,he said he was 10 at the time.

 

[maxwell bullivant]

How fantastic Ray your Dad has that time as a memory, whilst most of us have to read them from a book. God Bless ya Dad. Max

 

[Ray Barrett]

There doesn't seem to have been any danger from the lion...probably old and got no teeth.
My old man said it was a great event for the Aston boy's,the word spread and there were hundreds of them,all following the hunt...a great adventure..

 

[Pedrocut]

Now back in the old days when two lions escaped....Oct 1889...

 

[Big Gee]

The 1924 episode is now firmly embedded in Aston folk-lore. In conversation, my dad would say, referring to a past event, "It goes back nearly to the day war broke out", and Mom would immediately add, "Or the day the lion escaped, as I remember only too well". Or words to that effect. The 'escape' Mom referred to certainly happened within her lifetime. Seems that we Astonians don't have a good track-record when it comes to keeping lions in captivity......

Hasn't this been discussed elsewhere on the Forum, a long time ago?

G

 

[Pedrocut]

The Aston lion escape of June 1927 is described in clip attached.

Seems it happened quite often. Earlier in 1864 two lions escaped from Wombells in Southampton and in 1932 one escaped from the fair at Bloxwich.

In 1914 a Trainer was devoured in Cicargo and one lion escaped on to the streets.