21-02-2014, 07:17 AM
1
A Day to Forget
It was 50 years ago on Saturday 5th August 1960, probably about 3pm and Val and I had been married exactly 3 weeks. We were living in the Causeway Flats adjacent to the Causeway in Perth (West Australia). Val was taking a bath and I had just finished bringing the furniture off the balcony after spring cleaning our unit. We had large French doors leading onto the balcony and the curtains were about a foot (30 cm) short and left a large gap at the bottom. Out of nowhere I heard a bump against the French doors and then noticed those gigantic hairy feet, marching back and forth along our balcony with only a sheet of glass between me and what turned out to be an escaped lion from Ashton’s Circus. I immediately went to the bathroom and said to Val “ get out of the bath, there is a lion on our balcony”. I then opened the front door for a quick departure as Val came out of the bathroom with a towel barely covering what Val liked to cover, and she said, “what is wrong?” I pointed down at the bottom of the curtains, and in an instant my new bride covered 20 feet and was in my arms all in about 0.5 of a second. The towel was a problem, I seem to remember. We were standing at the front door ready to bolt the instant that thing broke through the glass door. Which was likely, as the lion was bumping it’s bum against the glass as it continually pranced up and down the balcony. Then the lady that managed the units came past and asked what we were doing. I said there’s a lion on our balcony, look and pointed. She was no chicken, but with arms full of folded bed sheets she made about 5 steps at a time on her way up to the next floor. She returned shortly after and said to me “don’t leave your wife like that, get her something to put on”. I should point out that I was 20 year old and she was a bossy piece of gear so I did not argue. I had to walk within a meter of the glass doors to get to the bedroom when I quickly grabbed Val’s going away coat from our wedding night, and hastily retreated to the front door. I was completely stressed out by this time as the lion had been on our balcony about 15 - 20 minutes and I had had to walk passed it several times, then Val says “not my going away coat”. Being a brand new husband of only 3 weeks, I took a deep breath and said as nicely as I could through gritted teeth “please put it on sweetheart”. It probably took the circus people a good half hour to arrive with truck and trainers etc, and back it up to the balcony and put rope netting around the sides before they started coaxing the lion into the truck. The rest of the night was a night to forget, neither of us could sleep and packed up and went and woke up the in-laws at about 1 or 2 am, looking for a safe bed.Now the reason for all the excitement. Apparently during the circus’s afternoon show the lion truck was backed up to the performing ring at a slight angle and the last lion decided to jump up through the gap at the top and ran along the roof of the truck and jumped down. It then proceeded to run around Langley Park for maybe a Kilometre past 1000s of teenage girls and boys playing Basketball and Hocky etc, as they did every Saturday afternoon. The Lion was obviously totally confused and lost when it landed on our balcony. Considering Langley Park was absolutely packed with kids , it could easily have been a disaster. People said “ you didn’t have to worry they are well trained” and I said “maybe they are but I am not, and the look on my face would have spooked it, without any doubt.
21-02-2014, 10:00 AM
5
Re: A Day to Forget
Oh Simmo that is a fantastic story and what a laugh.
You survived though as it was 30 years ago. One could
ask have your learnt over the years that a lady needs
more than a towel to cover her modesty
Great story and you should write to a magazine and get
some cash as the best letter of the week.
Glad you have survived
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