Lorry driver's load was a trailer full of tigers

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Transporting a circus trailer full of tigers was all in a day’s work for former BRS driver Andrew Mackie, of Chaddesden, back, as he recounts here after reading the recent article The day elephants marched down London Road

The picture of elephants marching down London Road, Derby, which prompted Andrew Mackie's reminscences

One Friday morning in 1962, when I went in to work at the British Road Service depot in Meadow Lane, Derby, about six of us drivers were taken aside and asked if we would like to go down to Peterborough to drive some circus vehicles to Derby that night.

Beside myself, there was Bill “The Brush” Broomhead, Bill Hollins, Derrick Neal, Billy Bird and another two, whose names escape me now. We arrived at Peterborough and discovered it was Chipperfield’s Circus.

We set off for Derby about 10pm, arriving about 3am, after a couple of stops to check the animals. I had a trailer with tigers in it. I let the trainer check them. I didn’t like to get too near!

After going home on Saturday morning, I had a rest and some breakfast and then took my oldest son, who was about two then, into town to see the elephants walk in.

We had all been given quite a few free tickets for the show that night. A good half dozen people went with me, including my wife and son.

The circus was set up on Bass Rec. Those were the days when a circus was really a circus with elephants, tigers, lions and other dangerous animals. I am not sure what happened to Chipperfield’s Circus but maybe somebody knows.

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