Shropshire Star

Jane returns to town with circus

When Jane Delbosq arrived in Oswestry with the Circus Funtasia company it brought memories flooding back.

Published

For it was at the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital just a couple of miles away from the Oswestry showground where the circus is based that Jane went when she broke her back in a trapeze act 45 years ago.

She says without the skills of the staff at the hospital she would never have walked again.

But Jane not only learned to walk - leaving the unit without her wheelchair, she is now passing her skills to the next generation - by teaching acrobats at Circus Funtasia to walk upside down.

In 1973 Jane Delbosq was just starting out on her glittering career as a circus artist when tragedy struck. At just 20 years old she was performing the exceptionally dangerous flying trapeze act with her family troupe when she fell and broke her back.

“Accidents are rare in the circus world but when things do happen, they are life-changing” says Jane.

“I was paralysed from the waist down and the doctors told me I would never walk again.”

She was admitted to the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital in Oswestry. "The staff were incredible, they never gave up on me. I was determined to walk again and get back to performing in the ring.”

Treatment at the Oswestry hospital included physiotherapy in the swimming pool. After two years of intensive medical care, Jane learned to walk again and was able to leave the unit without her wheelchair.

“I went straight back to the circus,” Jane said.

“I never did flying trapeze – but I used to have a medicine ball balancing act with my friends. I could balance on the ball, but I needed help to get on and off it.”

In recent years Jane has been passing her skills onto the next generation of circus performers teaching them to walk upside down. She now works with Circus Funtasia, which is appearing at the Oswestry Showground until March 24.

“Being in Oswestry has brought back fond memories of the spinal injury unit. I am so grateful for what they did for me, I’ll never forget it. My surgeon was a wonderful man.”

Jane has taught Funtasia's Rosey Delarue to do the “skywalk” which involves walking upside down in the roof of the Big Top.

Rosey said: “I’m so lucky to have been taught by Jane, I couldn’t have done it without her. This is my first ever solo act for Circus Funtasia, and I’m actually the only female doing the skywalk in the UK today. It’s very special.”

The skywalk is performed alongside fire eaters, motorbike stunts, the Wheel of Death, jugglers, and much more at Oswestry Showground. On Saturday the cast will don risque outfits and perform Cirque du Vulgar for an adult audience. For full details and to book visit www.circusfuntasia.co.uk or call 07706168507.