Charlie Holland

@charlieholland

19th century Circus & Music Hall history & Contemporary Circus. Co-organiser of European Circus History Conference (circusconference.org), British Music Hall Society Conference, London Juggling & Flow Arts Festival ().

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Charlie Holland@charlieholland· 26d

Throw your hat(s) in the air! Tickets for Thrown Together, London’s Juggling & Flow Arts Festival, go on sale Thursday. Https://ThrownTogether.org has been updated with all the information and links.

Charlie Holland@charlieholland· Jul 9

Heads Up! Tickets for ThrownTogether.org (London’s Juggling & Flow Arts Festival) shows (23-25 Oct) at Jacksons Lane will go on sale in a fortnight on 22 July. Only 144 seats on sale. Each show performed once only. Book early to ensure you get tickets.

Charlie Holland@charlieholland· Jun 9

Such a shame that Naum Gabo’s Grade II* listed Revolving Torsion Fountain, owned by @tate.bsky.social, in the grounds of St Thomas’ Hospital @gstt-nhs.bsky.social which maintains it, is neither spraying water nor rotating (and that you can’t photograph it) @se1.news

The fountain sits in an empty pond with Big Ben in the background. In the foreground are prominent signs, one saying not to feed the pigeons and the second saying ‘No Photography’.

Charlie Holland@charlieholland· May 21

Driver privilege #motornormativity

Approved mileage rates from tax year 2026 to 2027
Vehicle type
First 10,000 business miles in the tax year
Cars and vans 55p
Motor cycles 24p
Bicycles 20p

Approved mileage rates from tax year 2011 to 2026
Vehicle type
First 10,000 business miles in the tax year
Cars and vans 45p
Motor cycles 24p
Bicycles 20p

Charlie Holland@charlieholland· May 16

In 1877 Papa Cragg, using the name de Castro, bought a wooden waxworks building on South Beach, Blackpool, & opened a variety show starring his family. The season proved a gigantic failure so he took down the structure and rebuilt it inland in Leigh, Lancs! #Seaside saga. #MusicHallVarietyDay

1877 advert in The Era:
A. DE CASTROS FAMILY, Male and Female Acrobats (Five in Number), conclude To-night Belle Vue
Gardens, Blackpool.
Open on Monday at DE CASTRO'S ROYAL
PAVILION, BLACKPOOL. A. De Castro thanks R. Bell, Esq. Barrow, for kindly cancelling engagement to enable us to remain in Blackpool. Address, Blackpool.

Charlie Holland@charlieholland· May 8

I am delighted that, perhaps consequent to my email to BBC London News, the article about a car committing racially aggravated assault has been rewritten. #AbsentDriver

Headline ,above a photo of a junction, reads, “Appeal after car drives towards
Jewish children”

An investigation has been launched after a car drove towards three
Jewish school children in northwest London.
The headteacher of Hasmonean High School for Boys said in a letter to parents on Wednesday that the Metropolitan Police was appealing for witnesses after what the school called an "antisemitic traffic incident".
The letter said a black car reportedly drove towards students waiting to cross Holders Hill Road, Finchley, on
20 April at approximately 15:40 BST.
The car mounted the kerb and the students moved away, the letter added. No-one was injured.

Revised headline, “Appeal after car driven towards
Jewish children”

Revised text: An investigation has been launched after a car was driven towards three Jewish schoolchildren in north-west London.
The Metropolitan Police said it was treating the incident on Holders Hill Road, Finchley, as "religiously aggravated assault".
The head teacher of Hasmonean High School for Boys said in a letter to parents on Wednesday that police were appealing for witnesses after what the school called an
"antisemitic traffic incident."
The father of one of the three 14-year-old boys involved said he believed the driver was trying to
"terrorise" the children.

Charlie Holland@charlieholland· Mar 28

Zooming into a Sangers Circus telescoping tableau wagon photo to show Britannia enthroned with a lion and a lamb at her feet. Early 1900s.

The top portion of a Sangers Circus wagon showing Britannia seated on a throne with a lion and lamb at her feet.

Charlie Holland@charlieholland· Mar 6

That reminds me - I’ve had not a reply from the Tate yet to my November email re Naum Gabo’s Revolving Torsion fountain outside St Thomas’ Hospital.

Please can you let me know whether the Tate or St Thomas' Hospital is responsible for the upkeep of the Grade Il* listed fountain, and whether there is a plan to have it revolve again and whether there is a policy regarding when the water spouts from it, presuming it isn't broken too?
https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/
gabo-revolving-torsion-fountain-t01754

Charlie Holland@charlieholland· Feb 24

Ugh! This one? Ugh.

Satellite view of a large house in a sterile wasteland

Charlie Holland@charlieholland· Feb 13

Well and truly outbid on this stunning Zazel music sheet cover which sold at auction yesterday for, gulp, £885 including commission.

A Victorian colour illustration showing Zazel being fired from a cannon in a packed theatre

Charlie Holland@charlieholland· Feb 6

Thrilled to have found a new photo of the Marvellous Craggs, from 1885 when the family was touring America with Haverly’s Minstrels.

J.W. Cragg with two of his sons, each wearing an opera hat (collapsible top hat) and evening tail suit - the starting costume for their acrobatic act.

Charlie Holland@charlieholland· Jan 31

I made sure to visit recently being a fan of the Ganjou Brothers and Juanita, adagio act. Two of them became owners of the restaurant in 1957. I’ve no idea who now owns it but I enjoyed the food and the vodka.

A 1957 newspaper clipping, “SERGE GANJOU
BOB GANJOU AND C. KONARSKI
(Ganjou Bros & Juanita)
(Halama & Konarski)
CORDIALLY INVITE
all their friends and their friends to visit them at their new restaurant
"THE
DAQUISE
20 THURLOE ST., S.W.7. (KEN 6117)
(next to South Kensington Tube Station)
where they will be able to have the finest of
CONTINENTAL FOODS AND COFFEE
- We are proud of our Patisserie -
CAKES BAKED ON OUR PREMISES ARE OUR SPECIALITY”

Photographs showing the troupe in action, Juanita being thrown around “like a cork in a rough sea”.

Charlie Holland@charlieholland· Jan 27

Top tip if Google maps says you need to walk forever to get to, for example, the National Railway Museum in York. Reverse the search!

Google maps showing a 33 minute walk the long way round to cross some tracks to the railway museum

Google maps showing the same journey takes 5 minutes when starting at the destination and walking to your starting point.

Charlie Holland@charlieholland· Jan 26

Every time I return home via Highgate Station, I eventually realise that my hand is black with dirt. Do regular users complain? Can anything be done to fix the escalator handrail that I presume to be the cause? A tiny story for @jim.londoncentric.media perhaps.

An open hand coated with black soot like grime.

Charlie Holland@charlieholland· Jan 9

Lots to see and many people attending the London Archives music hall open hour today.

People sitting and standing at tables looking at music hall documents from the London Archives.

A plan showing part of the basement of the Alhambra in Leicester Square.

Charlie Holland@charlieholland· Dec 13

Current challenge - which hippodrome (word on the caps) / circus does this c1890s photo, by Albert E. Coe of Norwich, show? Do click on the image!

Standing in a brick building, a posed group of almost 100 circus people including clowns, musicians, ventriloquist with dummy, animal trainers and keepers, plus elephants, dogs and a lion skin.

Charlie Holland@charlieholland· Dec 8

What skill did you master that you will never, ever use again? Riding a giraffe unicycle (and - not shown here - juggling fire torches on it, including a throw under a leg).

Charlie Holland@charlieholland· Nov 30

Obligatory sun and Thames photo

Charlie Holland@charlieholland· Nov 9

Delighted to pick up The Hanlon Volta Waltzes, 1885 sheet music composed by Charles Seaton who had a stall at Crystal Palace where the five strong aerial troupe performed.

Sheet music cover with five men, in red leotards against a green background, swinging on, and flying to, trapezes. Elegant typography says Crystal Palace / The Hanlon Volta waltzes / composed by Charles Seaton.

Charlie Holland@charlieholland· Nov 4

As I expected, the NCCA’s scratch cabaret at the Underbelly Boulevard by graduates since 2019 was a succession of solo female single-point aerialists (nine in total) moving competently to backing tracks, plus a female hula-hoopist.

A female aerialists contorts on an aerial hoop

A female aerialist in a flapper dress swirls on straps.

A female aerialist in kinky boots swings on aerial chains.

A female aerialist suspended by her hair.

Charlie Holland@charlieholland· Nov 3

@hackneycyclist.bsky.social have you a council contact please to get the Hoxton Market cycle parking decluttered of dead bikes?

Row of cycle parking stands rendered unusable by multiple broken bikes

Charlie Holland@charlieholland· Oct 27

Oh look @jim.londoncentric.media, The Metro suddenly has an ‘original’ story on snail farming tax avoidance remarkably like the wonderful story that @londoncentric.media comprehensively researched and published a few days earlier.

A Facebook ad by Metro promoting their article that reads:
“Metro 2d
Companies and landlords are setting up underground snail breeding rackets in another way to avoid paying their share of tax
METRO
Why are there snail breeding farms in London's most expensive buildings?”

The Metro’s headline with byline that gives no credit to London Centric:
“Why are there snail breeding farms in London's most expensive buildings?
ORIGINAL
Brooke Davies
Published October 24, 2025 6:00am
Updated October 24, 2025 10:11am”

Charlie Holland@charlieholland· Oct 5

The Hay Wain, rural Brixton, October 2025.

Bales of hay on a bicycle trailer parked at Loughborough Junction.

Charlie Holland@charlieholland· Sep 30

In this Instagram/TikTok age, I imagine that a full scale, working replica of Church’s Stagecoach (about 1830) with a modern engine etc. might pay its way. Model in Turin’s automobile museum.

LONDON
AND
BIRMINGHAM
Steam Coach
28 inside & 22 outside seats.

Charlie Holland@charlieholland· Sep 30

Shopping for a new car whilst in Turin. Has to be red, obviously, but I’m struggling to decide which to pick, the Cisitalia 202, Alfa Romeo Disco Volante or Maserati Osca?