Is going to the circus a working class activity?

[Gooseinthewood]

I was born and raised quite working class, husband middle class.
I saw tickets advertised for a circus in a nearby town and arranged to take our children. He came along and appreciated the silliness but commented that he was surprised I took them as it's quite a low class activity. Bit tongue in cheek. He doesn't really care, but typically we are more theatre / rugby types.

I have to say he's probably right but I didn't really realise this is a thing.

I was born and raised working class and wasn’t allowed to attend the circus as mum said it was abusive to animals. DH was middle class and was taught the same.

Funfairs however are for everyone despite being run generally by the same people (Travelling Showmen).

I go to Sirkus Finlandia every year, proper traditional circus, and the audience is always full of all types of people. And there's always at least one clown and they're always brilliant. Very international too, performers from all over the world. I would not say it is a class based activity at all.
Also go to a non-traditional circus that's more like acrobatic theatre, with a storyline. That might perhaps be viewed as more middle class (if it were in the uk) and ticket prices certainly reflect that (thankfully we get discounts as my children are/were in circus school)

Going as an audience member, or going as a place of work?

We've taken my daughter a couple of times - they're not especially cheap things to do - so I'd disagree with it being quintessentially working class.

No. It’s an old fashioned activity, dating from before TV. Theatres were in towns and cities. Circuses travelled. One used to come to my tiny village when I was a child. Everyone went. It must have been one of the last small family travelling theatres that somehow survived into the 1980s.

A low class activity? That's hilarious especially when ticket prices are considered.

You and your DH sound like an insufferable pair of twits. Fancy even spending time considering whether attending a circus is a working class activity! For goodness sake, what's wrong with just enjoying yourselves, regardless of what it is you are doing?

Oh no! Not a (gasp) TRACKSUIT!

I've never been to the circus. It doesn't particularly appeal, but I've never thought that it was tied to one class. I thought they were for everyone.

its perfectly ok to have horses and even a dog or two in a circus. Just not animals that are not normally domesticated. Not sure anyone has these types of animals in uk circuses any more. Lots of the juggling, acrobatic and trapeze acts seem to be young people who didn’t make it as gymnasts from Eastern European countries.

Terrible typos!

Looking back to the '60s, I think we weren't as hung up on class because we hadn't quite moved on from the idea of people 'knowing their place', although it was in train. We accepted things that now we wouldn't, and not only to do with class - collecting paper golliwogs from marmalade jars, my brothers soft toy golly and being taken to see the Black & White Minstrels on holiday in Torquay were part of òur childhood but are hard to think about half a century later.

Oh yes she does!😁

It might depend on the circus. Definitely not if it's Giffords!

You sound like dicks with the theatre/rugby type thing

I've not attacked you and I still have no clue what your problem is. Maybe you've misunderstood my posts, maybe you're just looking for an argument. My post was about it not being good for children to try and segregate them based on social class.

@JLou08 And I asked you how this should be avoided? By doing what? You seem to spout an opinion but you cannot back up what you say? Most people live in areas of people quite like them and do activities with people quite like them. You think the middle class are wrong for doing that which is patently ridiculous. I’ll leave it there because you refuse to answer a simple question based on your provocative statement.

I once took my niece & nephew to an animal-free circus in "Twickers!", and I saw plenty of naice looking people there.

It seems like you have realised you misread my post and rather than back down you are buckling down with unfounded statements about me attacking you, being ridiculous and not answering a simple question.
I don't think it's good for children to have parents who try and avoid places they think are typically working class. As I wasn't the one who viewed certain activities as 'working class' I am unable to answer your question about what those activities are.
I haven't said anything about 'the middle class'. I'm not the one lumping a whole social class together. My response was to the OP not the collective middle class, whoever they may be.

It's not real life is it? I don't consider what class some activity falls into, just if I could afford it, usually no.

What a load of shite. From the both of you.

”theatre / rugby types”

stop admiring yourselves its embarrassing.

It’s because traditionally they’re run by traveller families, ditto fairgrounds. I don’t take my DC to fairs because they’re a rip off and I’m also pretty sure the rides aren’t rigorously tested. Did take them to a circus a couple of years ago and DS ended up bawling when the clown sprayed him with water so… Didn’t bother again!

Yeah, and tickets costing £100 plus. Not very working class.

I keep hearing what is working class behaviour on mumsnet (and it seems to be absolutely everything ESPECIALLY regarding kids days out)

The question should really be what is middle class behaviour?

For what it’s worth, touring circus acts, especially those with high risk - high lines, trapeze etc are paid on average £60k-£100k per year. Each touring group source the best acts from around the world..

I’ve heard it all now.

Victoiran classic entertainment for all classes , far from.tge madding crowd etc.