Circus 250 in Wick

Celebrating the 250th Birthday of the birth of circus as we know it, Wick in the Vale of Galmorgan held a splendiferous Fete to enjoy the pleasures of a Circus and Play Workshop with A Handful of Hats with juggling, plate spinning, diablos, unicycles, pedalgos, dragons' tails, cup and ball, Kendama, plate manipulation and even some whip cracking too!   

“So pleased you brought your circus workshop with you everyomne thouroughly enjoyed it and thank you so much for opening the Fete for us. ”

— David Ambrose Founder Beyond the Border Festival and Fete Chair.

Carnival in Camarthen!

Senor "Juan Dip" Buble ( you may be familiar with his younger prettier brother " Juan Sheet" came to town and there was much dancing, maracas, tambourines, castanets and bubbles of course! 

“There’s not been so much dancing in the streets of Camarthen since VE Day ! Marvellous fun! ”

— Enid Blathorne spinster of this parish and

Wonderful Wick!

A delightful village in the Vale of Glamorgan invited us in to train up their enthusiastic Youth Club prior to the Wick Annual Fete at the weekend which was celebrating 250 years of Circus  

Fundraising Feats and Fetes

Enormous fun was had at a packed Pontyclun Rugby Club to raise funds for a local Welsh medium school. A Handful of Hats were in the middle of it all with their unique Circus and Play Workshop with two seperate size/age related areas so that all can enjoy the fun of the circus with traditional juggling workshops alongside fun and games for the smaller ones., Oh! and bubbles of course!   

The craic was good in Cricklewood!

Logy Logan, one of Irelands finest circus street performers called in to stay with us at A Handful of Hats in sunny Barrybados for a weeks Arts Council approved whip refresher training with our very own European Master whip trainer and international award winning whip performer. Logy was on his way back from the Western Australian Circus Festival and wanted to prepare for a fully packed summer of events, shows and festivals around the world, by honing his already considerable skills and to work on some unique new stunts and tricks. It was an enormous pleasure and great a fun to work with such a dedicated professional who took to Peters' unique teaching methods very well, (he shouts a lot ... )  

“Never had so much fun with my clothes on! ”

— Logy Logan Logy on Fire.com

We also managed to show him some of the delights of Wales and cover, lasso spinning, knife throwing and other fun stuff too. 

Happy Campers!

And caravaners too ! One of Wales largest camping, caravan and motor home distributors held their annual Family Fun Weekend in Newport and for the fourth year running A Handful of Hats had the pleasure of providing all day Circus and Play Workshops and balloon modelling sessions for the happy little campers.   

The Green Man Festival

Each year the original celebration of the coming of Spring is enjoyed by hundreds of guests in the grounds of the ancient castle of Clun in rural Shropshire and this year they were joined by " Merlyne, the ever so scary! with his Midden Cart of Mirth ! Much joy was had, much majick was done, much laughter, much this and that ...  

“I nearly wet myself! ”

— Neil sScoffulnuts, holder of the pasta between his oak tree like legs whilst Merlyne try to hit the target without cutting off any of his dangly bits..

“Thank you so much for coming , the families loved your shows and walkabouts. ”

— Jack the Jester Event Entertainment co-ordinator

I say Windsor ! top show old man!

Had the enormous pleasure working with one of the UK's biggest circus event show providers, Cirque Bijou in delivering a Western Skills show and training in knife throwing for a Circus Festival for 750 international guests at Windsors' top hotel.  

“That was the most fun I have had in years ! ”

— Ibrahim ( Event delegate)

“Thank you all! You were an absolute pleasure to work with and I look forward to working with you again soon. ”

— Kate Senior Produce Cirque Bijou.

A Cracking Circus Convention!

Just got back from a great sell out Circus Convention put on by Cardiffs' newest circus training company Upside Down Circus and was delighted and honoured to be asked to train Western Skills as part of an illustrious team of international  circus performers and trainers .

Delivering Whip Cracking, Knife Throwing and Lasso spinning to a dedicated group  of circus performers was an absolute joy and they all had a rooting tooting kind of day!    

“That’s it, I’m giving up aerial, I want to be a whip cracker now! ”

— Samantha Martin Upside Down Circuss

There's always time for Tea!

A glorious return to where it all started for Peter, 25 years ago almost to the day he could be found fire breathing and filling the entrance cupola of Cardiff City Hall with flames and then nervously juggling real axes over the priceless marble floor of the Grand Hall for a Student Ball for No Fit State Circus and here is is as The Mad Hatter Ringmaster for the same great circus company for an Alice in Wonderland global Awards evening for the countrys' leading Insurance company.  

“Dear NFSC
It was fabulous! your performers were absolutely brilliant. I even got a great picture of me with the fantastic “ Mad Hatter” who also did us a grand entrance announcemment into “ Tea is served!” I loved it!!
Thank you once again ! ”

— George Event Organiser

"Work you Devil ! Work!"

Big Workshops, Little Workshops, Thin Workshops, Noisy Workshops, Quiet Workshops, Knife Throwing Workshops, Circus Workshops, Fire Eating Workshops, Corporate Workshops, Whip Cracking Workshops. Balloon Modelling Workshops " More Danger" Workshops, Team Building Workshops, Fire Whip Cracking Workshops, Lock Picking Workshops, Lasso Workshops, Gun Spinning Workshops, Kingsman Western Skills Workshops, Indiana Jones Workshops, Nose Picking Workshops, Performance Workshops, Blank Firing Weapon Workshops. We've got them all!  Come on in! Have a look around!  

Qualified, Circus Trainers, CRB/DBS, Equity,  Full PLI and Fire Insurance. A hat tip and credit to the fabulous whip cracking circus performer Syvia Roast for the profile photo.  

www.ahandfulofhats.co.uk 

Western Skills Festival UK 2018

Delighted to be able to assist this year wiith the Festival that we founded in Swansea in 2015 , it has grown in strength and activities and this year included Archery, Leatherwork, Whipmaking workshops, lasso workshops, gun spinning , axe and knife throwing , gun safety, bullriding, whip cracking for Begginners, Advanced and Competition Skills together with a full range of competitions . A special thank you to the organisers and all the very generous whip makers from around the world who very kindly sent some extraordinary prize whips, DVD's , gift tokens, fantastic key rings, mugs, pugs and slugs. Their contact details are in the Whip Resource page on this site and they were. Axel Lackman, from Germany  Sylvia Rosat from Silver Whips, Switzerland, Ali Close from Gravity Outlaws purveyors of prized presentation particulars, Adam Winrich from America , Ian Savin, Rufus Ruffcut and James Hewitt from the UK,  Ric Boyd from America, Simon Martin from Tasmania , April Jennifer Choi from America, Gerhard van Zil and Alwyn Sturgeon from South Africa   

Workshops , Shows and Competitions Galore 

The Circus came to town!

Llanelli celebrated 250 years of Circus with a Family Fun Day in the town centre, put togethre for them by A Handful of Hats , clowns to the left of them, jokers to the right... street magicians, balloon modellers, The Dapper Chappies, stilted bicycle riders, jugglers, jokes, many many jokes, circus workshops with every skill and toy in the book, face painters  and fairground rides  providing free entertainment all afternoon with a sizzly circus show in the grand Atheneum Hall to finish it all off!    

“It’s been a brilliant day, thank you so much for all you’ve done, everyone has had so much fun and the show was fantastic. ”

— Mandy Jenkins Llanelli Action

And then we had the Show , with yours truly Ringmastering like a good un, with jokes, tricks and a whip, it all went splendidly. 

If you'd like your own slice of Circus Pie in you town, city or County Show please don't hesitate to contact Peter on 07875 826773 or email him at ahandfulofhats@gmail.com 

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Llanelli celebrates Circus 250!

250 years ago this year Philip Astley founded what was to become circus as we know it,  with his performance ring the perfect size for performing horses , with his cast of tumblers, high wire walkers and jugglers he developed a popular entertainment media that had world wide appeal and that has now deverloped into the moderm animal free circus that we all know and love these days . 

21st February sees another of A Handful of Hats increasingly popular Circus Workshops opening for free events across the UK in the town centre of Llanelli in South Wales, starting at 12pm it will be rounded off by a circus show in the towns' library from 2.30pm - 3pm. Amongst the cast of enertainers during the  day will be the famous Thomas Trilby and Steve Chaos as the Dapper Chappies with their glorious stilted bikes and juggling fun, face painters , a fairground, Alf 5 foot of Fun Street Magic and Russell from Pick N Mix Circus offering his fantastic balloon creations. Come along , join in the fun .   

The Wild Wild West!

Delighted to be able to get back in the saddle and  help out at the Western Skills Festival I founded in 2015. I'll be helping run the Whip Cracking Competitions and workshops, with a new organising committee it's moved from Black Hills of Wales to the Plains of Northampton to a larger venue that will provide totally seperate Whip Cracking and Knife Throwing Ranges together with a whole host of fun and workshops in a full range of Western Skills. Thanks to the generosity of old and new whip cracking friends and makers across the world we will be offering a range of quality whips and training DVDs as prizes.

So shake off those winter blues and get yourself down to join in the fun and learn some new skills .   

WESTERN SKILLS FESTIVAL 2018 NORTHAMPTON UK ,

10TH AND 11TH FEBRUARY 2018

TWO DAYS OF RIP ROARIING FUN AND INSTRUCTION!

4th year running, bigger and better than ever before with a new larger venue.

• WHIP CRACKING WORKSHOPS, with free to use loaner whips and safety kit, for Beginners and Performance Workshop plus Competition Skills Workshops with the UK's only National and International Performance and Competition Champion.

WHIP CRACKING COMPETITIONS , ACCURACY , FAST DRAW, SKEET SHOOTING, CANDLE SNUFFING CASH PRIZE CHALLENGE. PRIZE WHIPS TO BE WON FROM THE LEADING WHIP MAKERS AROUND THE WORLD. PLUS SIMON MARTIN TUTORIAL DVDS AND RIC BOYD FALLS.

• KNIFE / AXE THROWING WORKSHOPS FOR ALL LEVELS WITH INTERNATIONAL LEVEL INSTRUCTORS .

• COME AND TRY THE BIG BROTHER AXES AND MEET THE TEACHERS.

• KNIFE THROWING COMPETITIONS WITH CASH PRIZES

• LASSO SPINNING AND TRICK ROPING

• GUN SPINNING

• EXPERT BULLRIDING TUTION AND COMPETITIONS.

• ARCHERY workshops for all

• INTRODUCTION TO NYLON WHIP PLAITING & MAKING CRACKERS

• INTRODUCTION TO LEATHERWORK

• ITEMS FOR SALE E.G. WHIPS / KNIVES / LEATHER SHEATHS

• SATURDAY EVENING PARTY WITH LINE DANCING (BRING YOUR OWN DRINK)

• INSTANT WHIP WORKSHOP (+£18 FOR MATERIALS BUT TAKE THE WHIP YOU'VE MADE HOME - LAST TICKET SALE FOR THIS 2nd FEB)

Just £50 for the whole weekend of fun or £68 with fabulous food

Day tickets £30 or £40 with food. Free tea and coffee!!

TICKETS AVAILABLE AT THE DOOR OR ON LINE , for more info please see: http://westernskillsfesti.wixsite.com/westernskillsuk

And it's a goodnight from him, and a goodnight from me...

The visits and appointments are all over for this year, time for us to buckle down and finish off that last minute packing, polish the sleigh and parctice our landing techniques, we'll be in your area very soon now and hope you are all receive what you wish for with good health and happiness for all.    

“Just the most fun and magical Santa we have seen, the house, gardens and Christmas Walk was superb. ”

— Mr & Mrs T Nesbit , Bath

On with the motley..

Traced back through the mists and myths of time, from Odin and the Norse Legends , Spirit of Christmas Past , the Dutch Sinterklaas and St Nicholas himself, the Green Santa embodies all the warm friendly elements of this special time of year.

He re-appeared this year at Bryngawr Country Park in a special bower, a real green alternative to the modern red Santa Claus, based on an original interpretation of past Christmases , perfect in this woodland glade or just as at home in a stately home, it was a charming start to Christmas celebrations. 

“It seems you have stolen the hearts of Bryngawr. An absolute joy, we were so pleased he could appear again and create such special magic in this special place. Everyone loves The Green Santa ! ”

— N E Events and Promotions Manager

A right Royal Affair !!

A great honour to be asked to provide a Christmas Circus Workshop again this year for the  hundreds of children attending The Royal Mint Christmas Party. It filled the biggest hall in one of the biggest Leisure Centres in Wales (Peter taught some of the centres' managers in his sport lecturing days so it was great to catch up with them as well.)  

““ A highlight of the event! the children and adults loved the range of activities and circus equipment and the care you took to ensure they all learned something they enjoyed so much.. ”

— "Liz" Chief Elf, The Royal Mint