Roll up, roll up

 Some evenings, there is magic in the air. You can feel it on the breeze, or hear it in a snatch of music from far away. But tonight we discovered one of the places it comes from.

In fields and parks in the prettiest places in Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Oxfordshire this summer, you may be lucky enough to encounter Giffords Circus. And if you do, be sure to seize the opportunity with both hands and clutch it tight.

For this is not your average traveling tat. This is a gloriously theatrical, nostalgic, family entertainment. This year the show is called 'Caravan' and is loosely based  on a gypsy horse fair in 1900. That bit may have gone over the heads of the children, but they soaked up every morsel of atmosphere, from the circus band to the amazingly detailed and very homespun costumes and tent decorations, to the candyfloss and sawdust and the fabulously bohemian atmosphere.

Truly, tonight was a night that made you long to let down your wayward curls and run away to live in a caravan. To watch your children run, nut brown and free and loose yourself in some idyllic fantasy of a lifestyle.

There are no pictures allowed during the performance, but I did find a You Tube video of behind the scenes at last year's show, 'Joplin'

And you can be sure I'll be in the queue for tickets next year too. Because look at this face:

See what I mean? Magic.