Kay Smart
Kay Smart | |
|---|---|
| Born | Kay Pentice 13 March 1926 |
| Died | 25 September 2016 (aged 80) |
| Occupation | Circus performer |
| Spouse | Ronnie Smart (m. 1950) |
| Children | 3 |
| Relatives | Billy Smart Sr. (father-in-law) Billy Smart, Jr. (brother-in-law) |
Kay Smart (née Pentice, 13 March 1926 – 25 September 2016) was an English circus performer, of the Smart's circus dynasty.
Early life
Smart was born in Lambeth, London on 13 March 1926.[1] Her father Albert Pentice was a circus acrobat.[1] Her mother Adeline Pentice (née Manning), who performed as Adele Bromley,[1] died when Kay was three.[2] Smart worked as a trapeze artist as a child.[2]
Circus career
As a young women, Smart moved to Blackpool, Lancashire, where she worked as a conductor on the trolly buses, performed with a trapeze act called The Juleos and performed at Cody’s Circus.[1]
Smart married to Billy Smart, Jr.'s brother, Ronnie Smart on 12 March 1950, making her the daughter-in-law of Billy Smart Sr.[2] They had three children.[1] Working at Smart's Circus, Smart took on a number of roles including presenting the animals in the ring, selling balloons, drinks and ice cream, and overseeing the orchestra.[1] When Smart’s Circus stopped travelling in 1971, Smart and her husband set up Windsor Safari Park.[1]
Smart appeared as a castaway on the BBC Radio programme Desert Island Discs on 26 May 1958.[3] She also wrote the introduction to David Jamieson's book, Billy Smart's circus: a pictorial history (Circus Friends Association, 2004).[4] Smart was also an Executive Committee Member of the Royal Variety Charity[5] and a member of the Order of the Lady Ratlings.[1]
Death
Smart died in Jersey, Channel Islands, on 25 September 2016.[5]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Smart, Kay, 1926 - 2016". Discover Our Archives, University of Sheffield. Retrieved 25 April 2025.
- ^ a b c Ind, Jo (18 July 1998). "A Smart return to the Big Top". Retrieved 4 October 2016.
- ^ "Desert Island Discs - Castaway : Kay Smart". BBC Online. BBC. Retrieved 27 July 2014.
- ^ Jamieson, David (2004). Billy Smart's Circus: A Pictorial History. Aardvark. ISBN 978-1872904269.
- ^ a b "KAY SMART RIP". Royal Variety Charity. Retrieved 25 April 2025.
External links
- Lion Cubs - British Pathé newsreel of Smart and her daughter Christine with lion cubs.