It was 10 years ago today when the travelling Zippos Circus founder Martin Burton finally decided to settle down on the northern coast of Aberdeenshire.
His circus had just pitched up at Banff Links when he came across a house with a For Sale sign.
He said: “I looked in the window and I looked at the sea which was ten feet from the window.
“And I told my wife ‘We’re going to buy that house.'”
After spotting six dolphins swimming from the window, it sealed the deal and three months later, they moved in.
Alongside Findlater Castle and a good distillery, the seaside home remains one of his favourite north-east spots where they stay for half the year in between touring with his pride and joy, Zippos Circus.
With Zippos visiting Banff, Fraserburgh and Stonehaven this month, we had a chat with Martin about his many adventures around the UK, and the world, through his work.
Adventures which included, at one point, Cuba…
World travels and asking Fidel Castro to sign a cigar
In any conversation regarding jobs, it would be safe to say, Martin’s role running the “biggest touring circus in Britain” would probably provoke the most curiosity.
It was clowning which first got Martin into the circus.
After getting the opportunity to do shows as a clown through a mime company, he gave up his intended career to become a school teacher and instead pursued clowning for 35 years.
Running Zippos, has taken him around the world from Spain to Cuba in his hunt to find the next greatest acts.
While he picked up some incredible performers, there is one souvenir he never managed to get his hands on.
Martin said: “I went to Cuba so many times in the end, they said to me ‘Mr Martin you’ve been coming here for 35 years, we’re really grateful for your support. Is there anything at all you would like?’
“I said, ‘Yes, I’d like Castro to sign this cigar for me’. They looked at me and they said no. That was one step too far apparently.”
Unfortunately Covid put a stop to the world travelling: “Now I sit and watch YouTube videos and I hate it.”
Scottish audiences travel the furthest
However, every year Martin looks forward to his UK travels providing exciting family-friendly fun with Zippos from the south coast of Britain to Elgin and in some years, Wick and Thurso.
Always enjoying visiting the north and north-east towns, Martin said Scottish audiences are the most dedicated to coming to see the show.
“In Elgin, there’s one family who always drive from Wick to Elgin to see the circus,” he added.
“People will come a long way. In London, it’s unlikely they’re going to come more than two miles. “In Scotland they’ll travel 35 miles to see the circus any day of the week.”
The secret of Zippos Circus
When asked how he keeps each act new and exciting, Martin said like comedy, circus acts originate from three or four original disciplines.
“But they then embellish them and make them look different,” he explained.
“So it’s a question of using light, sound, fabulous costumes and presenting it in an exciting and different way.”
This year, Zippos’ aerial maestro Alex Michael will be revisiting an original routine from the trapeze (and leotard) creator himself, Jules Léotard.
This year, Martin said Alex is taking on the risky routine: “He literally lets go of one trapeze, flies 10 meters through the air, catches the other and he’s 15 meters high when he’s doing it.
“So there’s no room for error.”
One of Martin favourite acts though are the clowns which this year includes the “fabulous” Ukrainian female clown La Loka.
Queen’s Silver Jubilee mishap
In Zippos’ long history, one of the highlights was when they were invited to the gardens of Buckingham Palace for the Queen’s Silver Jubilee.
Even if Martin ended up having to apologise to the Duke of Edinburgh after a case of mistaken identity.
Dressed at the event in a ringmaster outfit, he was chatting to the royal who was wearing a straw hat when a six-year-old walked up to Martin and asked him if he was the king.
“I said ‘no, he is the Duke of Edinburgh’. The boy turned to look at the Duke of Edinburgh and then at me and said ‘You liar’ and walked off.
“I said to the Duke of Edinburgh ‘I’m terribly sorry sir’.”
Despite the royal highs, he added nothing is better than seeing the audiences after a show.
He said: “They arrive and they’re not sure what they’re going to get and they leave with a big smile on their face which is what we want to achieve.”
In the next few weeks, Zippos Circus is visiting Banff (July 15 to 17), Fraserburgh (July 19 to 22) and Stonehaven (July 24 to 28). Readers of The P&J can use this unique code to get 30% off: ZC257.
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