Covid: Gerry Cottle, circus showman and Wookey Hole Caves owner, remembered as 'the greatest showman on Earth'

Circus boss Gerry Cottle was known for touring big tops around Britain and the world for decades. He trained as a performer in 1960s before making his name running them in 1970s.

His circuses were featured on the BBC programme Seaside Special for a brief time in the mid seventies.

A pioneer in the industry, he joined the campaign for animal-free circuses in the 1990s and in a departure from the more traditional acts introduced the Circus of Horrors with John Haze, aslo known as Doctor Haze, which still runs today.

He also brought the Moscow and Chinese State Circuses to local parks. He retired in 2003 and established a circus school and museum at Wookey Hole Caves in Somerset.

He died with coronavirus in a hospital in Bath last month. His friend and partner John Haze with whom he founded the Circus of Horrors said after he was taken to hospital, he got better before taking a turn for the worst.

Mr Haze paid tribute to the impresario describing him as an energetic and passionate champion of circus entertainment and wants him to be remembered as "the greatest showman on earth."

He said: "He did so many ground breaking things, the first Rock and Roll Circus. He took the circus over to Hong Kong, the Middle East.

"I remember, the flying elephants, they were calling them on TV, and these elephants would go up on a plane and they'd be flying over to the Middle East. It was amazing.

"He was always a maverick and I wouldn't want it any other way. He did loads of things, loads of crazy things in his life and you'd love him for that because he was a real character."