Lion

In employment it is often prudent to have a Plan B, a fallback position, a rainy day option and the like.

Don't get me wrong. I have a great job from which I have had the privilege to earn a living for the last 30 years. Mine is one of those rare jobs where there is something different every day to capture the interest and challenge ideas, long held perceptions and practices. I work with good people and I get to meet new characters some of whom remain firm friends and acquaintances.

It is by no means all rosy and smooth going and there are times when the workload and accompanying paperwork can give me that feeling of just about treading water against an unceasing tide. When this occurs there are many triggers that can lift me out of my morose mood such as a long drive through unspoilt countryside to a distant appointment, a view out to sea from a crumbling cliff edge, low cloud in a steep sided dry valley on the Wolds or the antics of mad March hares in a newly tilled field with me as the only human witness.

I have in the past mused on what my fallback would be.

I may have toyed with a notion of running a bicycle shop which would be potentially idyllic given my long love affair with cycling or working in a cafe in some tourist destination where I would revel in a perfect live/work balance and meet interesting types.

There was that family holiday in the Ionian Islands of Greece when I was seduced by the idea of establishing a business in the sun and relaxed environment as a means of residing there on a more permanent basis. Asking around amongst Ex-Pats revealed a chronic shortage of two skills, being swimming pool maintenance and a commercial laundry. Neither are included in my skill set.

In Australia I passed a few moments in conversation with a Brit running a small roadside hypermarket. My perception of a great lifestyle and a means to earn a living was somewhat deflated by the man who just complained about being tied to a business which could as easily have been the situation back home.  A superb climate, outdoor activities and excellent standard of living appeared to be scant reward in his opinion for what was, after all, a role as just a shopkeeper.

My dream fallback ? -well I dare not really mention it now as it appears to be in danger of becoming extinct under impending banning legislation.

I am of course referring to Lion Taming.

The iconic appearance of that proud circus tradition is well rooted in my mind from childhood recollections of attending Big Top performances, watching grainy black and white broadcasts of shows, marvelling at big screen movies and even playing with my toy car models of giraffe and elephant transporters in Chipperfield livery.

There is by all accounts only one Lion Tamer left in the UK, surname, you should be able to guess- Chipperfield.

His family can trace their involvement with performing animals as far back as the Frost Fair of 1683 when the River Thames froze over for many months allowing it to function as a Fairground and Leisure Arena.

In the modern era pressure including physical threats, abuse and violence has dogged the professional and responsible reputation of the Lion Tamer role causing many to abandon the use of animals, from lions and tigers to elephants, giraffes, gorillas and chimpanzees in the name of entertainment.

Vociferous and media attention grabbing activists have boycotted Circus sites and yet have overlooked the critical fact that working with a mighty lion is based on mutual trust and respect.

As explained by the last lion tamer " They (the lions) have to perceive you as the alpha male, but you have to be the boss in a way that doesn’t force them to resent you or be afraid of you. It’s a fine line to walk, because if you’re too soft you’re perceived as weak, and if you’re too hard you’re seen as a threat, and either way you’re going to get hurt.You can’t afford to mistreat a lion or tiger, because eventually they will turn. They will realise they are a lot stronger, faster and more dangerous than you, and it can only end very badly.". 

Ironically, in a seemingly damning atmosphere in relation to the genre of Circus there are more touring today than for many decades. Granted these are mostly human acts in the tradition of trapeze, clowning, conjuring, juggling, and feats of strength but somehow the dwindling number of animal training artistes leaves a yawning gap in the age old experiences of circus audiences.

There is room for both under the Big Top and perhaps my fallback dreams of becoming a lion tamer may not yet be dead in the water. In the meantime........carry on with the day job.