Gangsters, Pimps & Prostitutes: London's West End
Dan Snow's History Hit
00:00
The Circus in London
London is now we all think theatre town, west end. When does this reputation begin? It begins really at the very end of the seventeenth century. At 20 to piccadilly, in about 17 97 or so, he created astley's hippodrome inside a ball room. What he did was create an internal sawdust ring, have stables at the back and the horses would canter round. The horse would drop down as if dead, hit would then get up. Riders would jump on the back of the horse perform all kinds of equestrian feats of daring do. And people loved that. People were emused, entertained by science. I'd h been
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