Tenth-generation Circus Ginnett act thrilled by laughing crowd

Luke Austin plays a "booze-a-phone", with the same beaters used by his great-great-grandfather

A boy who has become a tenth-generation circus act and fifth clown to tour with his family has spoken of his joy at carrying on the "way of life".

Luke Austin is part of Circus Ginnett - first founded in the 19th Century and based in Tilney St Lawrence, Norfolk.

As part of his act, he has revived the "booze-a-phone" - an instrument first played by his great-great-grandfather Albert "Bandbox" Austin, born in 1872.

The 17-year-old said it was "wonderful to hear the crowd laughing".

"My friends think it's cool to travel around the country in a caravan and perform in so many different places," he said.

Luke has become the fifth clown in the family over 10 generations that have been in the circus

Circus Ginnett began with Jean Pierre Ginnett (1798-1861), who was captured as part of the French cavalry during the Napoleonic wars and shipped to England, where he settled and used his horsemanship skills to form a circus.

Between 1890 and 1930 it became one of the biggest circuses in the country, but the company folded in the 1940s and family performers joined other big tops.

In 1989, Luke's grandfather, Mike Austin, a man with a long pedigree in the circus and whose grandmother Adelaide Ginnett married "Bandbox" Austin, revived the family name.

Patrick Austin (right) said his son Luke was bringing new life to the 200-year-old Circus Ginnett

Luke grew up in Wiltshire with his mother and visited his father Patrick Austin, the company's present owner, at weekends and school holidays.

Last year, after leaving school, he started messing about with old props at the company's headquarters between Wisbech and King's Lynn, and got the performing bug.

He came up with routines and his father suggested he tried his skills in front of an audience.

"I was a little nervous at first, but have now relaxed. It is wonderful to hear the crowd laughing," he said.

Clowning around

Luke dresses as a clown and plays the "booze-a-phone", which is a series of bottles hung from a length of wood and tuned by filling each bottle with varying amounts of water.

It is then played like a xylophone, with Luke using the same beaters as his forbear.

"It is amazing to be holding the very same beaters that my great-great-grandfather used over 100 years ago. One of them is heavily taped up, but I would never replace them," he said.

Luke's great-grandfather Len "Spider" Austin (right), with the "booze-a-phone" in the 1950s

Luke's grandfather, 84-year-old Mike Austin, is a descendent of the Ginnett family, and has run and worked in circuses.

He said: "It was emotional to see Luke playing an instrument that has such a history for me.

"My father Len 'Spider' Austin and my grandfather Albert were clowns, the latter dubbed 'Bandbox', who performed for Queen Victoria in Scotland in 1893."

Luke is pictured in rehearsals with Lightning the Wonder Dog

Patrick Austin, 47, said he was proud his son was "bringing new life to the long established business".

Circus Ginnett can be seen at Bretton Park in Peterborough until 14 April, before moving on to Market Harborough and Huntingdon.