The Gerry Cottle Circus Prepare For Their Summer Shows

PAIGNTON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 01: Fire eater Antonio Russell performs in Big Top at the Gerry Cottle's Magic Circus, which has set up on the seafront at Paignton, on August 1, 2017 in Devon, England. For 2017 Gerry Cottle has created a brand new show 'The Magic Circus', which features international acts high in the roof of the big top performing on unicycles, roller skates, juggling and even on a motor bike ridden on the high wire, together with acrobatics of the Tanzanian Tornados, The Mexican juggler Gordon Marquez, Russian Veslovski Cossack whip cracking and the Queens of Magic. Now 72 years old, Gerry Cottle, who ran away to join the circus at the age of 15 and was initially a stage hand and later a clown - established his world-renowned Gerry Cottle Circus in 1974 and travelled across the globe, before semi-retiring in 2003 when he bought Wookey Hole Caves. Since then he has periodically returned to the circus life, notably in 2012 when his show Gerry Cottle's Circus: 50 Acts In 100 Minutes celebrate his 50th year in the business. Gerry Cottle's Magic Circus runs in Paignton until August 29. (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images)