Prats Of The Week

This week's prestigious "Prats of The Week Award" goes to Nanny's chums on North Norfolk District Council, who seem to have something against circuses.

Circus Mondao happily erected (can I say erected?) its big top in a field at Beeston Regis, near Sheringham, for a month long stay from August 1.

No problem, so far, with that.

However, owing to Nanny's complex licensing laws there was a bit of a bureaucratic cock up causing North Norfolk District Council to insist that the tent and all the equipment be dismantled after 15 days.

Then...wait for it...wait for it...be re-erected (can I say re-erected?) again on the other side of the field.

Petra Jackson, Ringmistress, thinks it's bollocks.

Quote:

"It's a complete nightmare.

We are going to have to perform for two weeks on one half of the field,

then take down the tent and move to the other side of the field

for the second fortnight.

The area that we perform on is classified as a 'premises',

and we are only allowed by law to do 15 days on that area before moving.

People are going to think that we are mad."

It's not the circus that is mad, but Nanny!

Ms Jackson said that the venue was belatedly added to their tour schedule, after two other venues dropped out. Therefore they did not have time to apply for a full licence.

Nanny's chum Tony Gent, licensing team leader at North Norfolk District Council, said the problem had arisen because Circus Mondao had failed to apply for a premises licence.

"If they had paid for a premises licence,

they could've stayed put for the whole month.

Instead, we've done our best to accommodate them with a temporary licence.

Because there's a road down the middle of the field,

which effectively makes it two fields,

we've given them permission to move from one side to the other

this was the best result I could come up with at short notice."

Er wouldn't the "best result" have been for the council to use some common sense and recognise that as they were happy for the circus to stay, then there was no need for the circus to move a few yards across the field.

After all, it is up to the council as to whether they would prosecute the circus.

Unfortunately, Nanny doesn't possess any common sense and uses her petty rules and regulations to justify her existence.

Those of you who want to see Circus Mondao can visit Cookie's field from now until August 29. The shows are at 3pm and 7pm, there is no show on the 25th and only one on the 29th.