Yellow LInes, Slosh Entree 1972

The Cast

Charlie Cairoli — Foreman / “Council worker” and master of the chaos
Fred Desmond — Egyptian dancer / sand dance performer
Paul Connor — White-face clown and partner in the dance
Jimmy — Council worker; bucket-carrier and chief mischief-maker
Junior — Council worker; repeatedly drenched and “painted”
Norman Barrett — Ringmaster (unsuccessfully tries to restore order)
Jack Mark — House manager; slips and becomes part of the act
Ring boy — Sent to tidy the mess… becomes a victim of it
Daniel Potier — Narrator (and occasional unwilling participant!)

In 1972, the local paper (The Gazette) was filled with complaints about the increasing number of yellow lines in the town centre. Everyone seemed to have an opinion. Charlie, always quick to seize on current topics for inspiration, decided it would be fun to “join in” with the debate. He imagined the council might even order the circus to have yellow lines painted in the ring — and the idea became an entrée.

Borrowing a special spraying machine from the council works department — who enjoyed the joke — he set to work.

Charlie mixed his usual slosh, shaving soap coloured with strong fabric dyes. Unfortunately, the dye was so powerful that anything it touched stayed yellow for days. My sheets were constantly stained and had to be washed again and again!

The plan was to revive the popular “Wilson, Kepple and Betty” sand dance. Fred Desmond and white-face clown Paul Connor began dancing on a specially laid sand board, only to be interrupted by council “workmen” — Charlie in his council jacket, with Jimmy and Junior dressed in blue boiler suits. They brought with them all the tools of the job: a wheelbarrow full of slosh, buckets of water, and a trestle for refilling buckets.

As Jimmy and Junior set up the trestle, Fred protested loudly about the interruption, and ringmaster Norman Barrett was summoned — to no effect. The “council team” carried on regardless.

From there, chaos began.

Junior, busy cleaning sand, didn’t notice Jimmy, who was carrying a bucket. He stumbled, tipped the bucket onto Junior, and overbalanced into Charlie, who also got drenched. Furious, Charlie lifted the plank, sending the bucket skidding straight into Junior’s back.

Paul and Fred tried to keep dancing but, seeing the fun, Jimmy and Junior joined in. Charlie placed Junior on the painting machine and slapped a heavy dollop of yellow slosh across his face. Fred followed, adding more. Soon, everyone’s aim shifted from painting lines to painting each other.

Fred tried to smear slosh on Charlie’s trousers, while Junior “carefully” painted Fred — who slipped, kicked his own bucket, and covered himself completely. Paul, enjoying the spectacle, stepped into a bucket “by mistake” and retaliated by ramming it onto Fred’s head.

A ring boy came in to tidy things up — then naturally became the next victim. His jumper was lifted over his head and his backside thoroughly painted. (I wasn’t in that scene except when I visited Blackpool on holiday — and was promptly painted as well!)

Normally, house manager Jack Mark would step in to rescue the ring boy, but even he slipped on the now-slick plank. Each attempt to stand resulted in another fall, as Charlie, Fred, Jimmy and Paul kept refilling buckets from the barrow and drenching the unfortunate pair.



While I was working there on holiday, Jack was off sick for a few days — and I found myself constantly slipping on the plank alongside Junior, unable to escape. Eventually one of us was scooped up and dumped into the barrow, then wheeled triumphantly out of the ring.

— Daniel Potier