Salt and Sauce in London?

My attention was recently brought to the website of the long established and renowned Circus History Society in the USA.  A message had been posted up their message enquiring after the identities and verification of two elephants who temporally lived in London.

 4417. Elephants WWII, 22 Sep 2014 - I know this might sound ridiculous, but I believe it to be true. I am not sure whether it was during the war or just after. I was child then, but two circus elephants were housed in garages in Hendon Park Row, Temple Fortune, London NW11. Our flat overlooked the garages and I do remember this - once I even knew the names of the elephants! People don't believe me though and I would like to authentic this. I think they were from Billy Smart's Circus, but I could be wrong. I guess circus animals were housed somewhere safe during the war, although bombs dropped nearby because of the proximity of Hendon Aerodrome. Would anyone have a record of circus animals' whereabouts at that time? I hope you can help, kind regards, Jean Hall (Mrs)

Salt and Sauce helping the war effort

I am very grateful to George Pinder Snr, whose family feature quite heavily in the early part of my book "The Legend of Salt and Sauce", for posting up this archive piece from a Wolverhampton newspaper on his Facebook profile. George told me "my grandmas sister aunt nellie, lived in wolverhampton, and sent her this cutting, i came across it today sorting out some old stuff, its from the 1940s ww2". I don't have the full details yet, but it reveals new information to me about the two famous elephants, Salt and Sauce's activities during the 1940s. Prior to this I understood that the elephants, who were still owned by John "Broncho Bill" Swallow, were touring during the war years (1939-1945) with Paulo's Circus and engaged at various theatrical venues during the Christmas seasons. We did have an unsubstantiated report that they had helped clear a site for the war effort. However, this article shows the two elephants leading a plough for Kingswood Bank farm during the 1940s as a matter of "national importance" for farmer, Robert Wilkes. It was more than likely a type of publicity stunt, which John Swallow - a consumate promoter - would have dreamt up. 




Jamie Clubb's other blogs: www.beelzebubsbroker.blogspot.com www.clubbchimera.com

In Memory of Salt and Sauce: Wolverhampton's Elephants

From Wolverhampton's "Spaghetti Gazette":

Thurs 13 Nov, 6.30pm The Legend of Salt & Sauce: Wolverhampton's Elephants
The Black Country Society and the Wolverhampton History & Heritage Society jointly present an evening devoted to the memory of Salt and Sauce -Wolverhampton's two circus elephants who lived in a yard in Gorsebrook Road from 1920 until the Second World War. Their owner was John Swallow, the proprietor of Broncho Bill's Circus and Wild West Show. Jamie Clubb and Jim Clubb, who have written a book on Salt and Sauce, will give an illustrated presentation.The event will be chaired by Ned Williams, the President of the Black Country Society, and after the presentation the Clubbs will be selling copies of their new book. Cost: £1.
http://www.light-house.co.uk/whats_on_article.php?id=119

Wolverhampton elephant recollections 2

The articles in the Wolverhampton Express and Star continue to arouse old fond memories of Salt and Sauce the elephants when they were regular residents there in the 1920s-40s. Recently I was sent the following recollection from Harry Jones who has kindly allowed me to reproduce it for this blog:

"During the second world war my father was in the fire service [I don't know whether he was in the AFS or the NFS at the time], but I can remember him saying to me " Can you guess what I rode my bike into last night ". He used to cycle along Gorsebrook road on his way from Cannock road , where we lived, to the fire station on Newhampton road. Apparently it must have been one of the occasions that the elephants got free and he rode into one of them, fetching him off his bike. During the blackout the front lamp of a cycle had a cowl on it that deflected the light downwards , only illuminating the front wheel. The poor elephant didn't stand a chance !!!

Prior to living on Cannock road I lived in Lloyd Street, off Newhampton road, with the "Summer house" pub on the corner.
The trainer of salt and sauce used to walk the elephants round the streets, then pop into the pub for a drink, leaving the elephants outside, where a group of us children would feed them stale bread. Fathers of the children in the street would send them to collect what the elephants had deposited on the road, And on one occasion Tonys' truck had that much muck on, the wheels collapsed.

I decided to write this,after reading the article in the Express and star about salt and sauce, I thought you might be interested.

Harry Jones"

Toffees in a tin - Salt and Sauce return to the Express and Star

The Wolverhampton Express and Star newspaper was a major source for my research on the elephants Salt and Sauce when they were owned by John "Broncho Bill" Swallow. Swallow had a very close relationship with his local paper and regularly sent reports back to it when he was touring with his own circus and later when he toured on other circuses with Salt and Sauce the elephants. His son, John D. Swallow - the third member of the family we know of who bore the name John - became the paper's editor. Historian Ned Williams wrote a lot on the circuses and faires that visited Wolverhampton and I am grateful for his research on the Swallows and Salt and Sauce. He will be promoting a special signing and talk I will be giving at a Wolverhampton cinema on 13th November. He recently had an article published on my book "The Legend of Salt and Sauce" in the Wolverhampton Express and Star, and below is a scan of Christin Groscutt's article written in response. The 78 Wolverhampton local tells of her fond memories of Salt and Sauce who she gave toffees and claimed as her "pets" at school.

Review for upcoming "Kingpole" Magazine

"The Legend of Salt and Sauce"
By Jamie and Jim Clubb
Published by Aardvark Publishing, 2008, ISBN 9781872904368, £20

This book's subtitle is "The Amazing Story of Britain's Most Famous Elephants". I am not sure that elephants have "fame" outside the world of those interested in circuses or zoos, but the book certainly lives up to the claim to be "amazing"! It is perhaps amazing that it is possible to produce a biography of two elephants at all so the authors deserve great praise for coming up with such a detailed story.

The attractive glossy paper cover of this A4 148 page book features the elephants themselves on the front, and an attractive Broncho Bill's Circus advert on the back with a few notes to put us in the picture, plus two recommendations - one from Nell Gifford and the other from Dr. Heather Valance. Thus, anyone picking up the book casually should soon be persuaded that this book is going to be a good read. As the blurb says, "Never has the story of their lives been told in its entirety. Until now…"

After a short prologue the story begins with a dramatic telling of a tragedy that occurred in Salt and Sauce's lives in 1904, resulting in the death of George Lockhart. It is proof that a good story does not always begin at the beginning, as describing this incident makes sure that reader comes face to face with the "amazing" qualities of the story without further delay. Once our attention has been grabbed the authors return to the chronological approach we would expect of a biography but we have to follow it with the knowledge that the heroines of the tale are as much the subject of "legend" as of truth.

The book therefore cleverly proceeds on two levels. On one level we follow the eventful and colourful life of two elephants - meeting many interesting human characters along the way. On another level we pursue a detective story - the Clubbs searching for the elusive truth. It is this constant attention to the business of disentangling the story while telling it that makes the book so fascinating. Only authors with an ability to penetrate the circus world could have dealt with such complexities.

The Clubbs are well served by the witnesses and archives that have been available to them. My only regret is that I was unable to "organise" a meeting between the Clubbs and John Swallow - the grandson of Broncho Bill. John had helped me explore a little of the story of Salt and Sauce when I had been researching a book in the 1990s. As a result of a misunderstanding I had the impression that he was no longer interested in helping anyone explore his grandfather's part in the story. The truth turned out to be that John Swallow was not well. Once I discovered this, and found out his new whereabouts I was able to send him a copy of the book. John died on Tuesday 15th July but I gather that the book meant a great deal to him during the last few days of his life - and helped him to connect with an enjoyable part of his past. Just before he died he wrote: "Now my two best boyhood pals are giving me thoughts about what I would have never have known about them."

John was a schoolboy when he developed his friendship with his grandfather's elephants and they obviously meant a great deal to him. The book shows that Salt and Sauce meant a great deal to lots of the people they encountered. Whether that is true of all circus elephants or whether Salt and Sauce were extra special you will have to judge for yourself, but the book will give you plenty of food for thought. So, once again I must congratulate the Clubbs, father and son, who have produced a book that lives up to its claim to be "amazing", creates an interesting tension twixt "fact" and "legend", and leaves the ready with plenty to think about. Read it and buy copies to give to your friends - it deserves a wide readership.

Ned Williams

For details on the quarterly publication "King Pole" please follow this link http://www.circusfriends.co.uk/kingpole.html