Published: November 22, 2008
In photos: Christmas circus performers roar through Burnham-On-Sea

These were the colourful scenes in Burnham-On-Sea on Saturday (November 22nd) when a group of circus performers, accompanied by 30 motorbikes, roared through the town to promote the start of a series of Christmas circus shows at a local garden centre.

Clowns, trapeze artistes, hula hoopers and acrobats from Paulo’s Circus Americano rode from The Goat House restaurant’s car park in Brent Knoll to Burnham, doing a tour along the town's High Street before travelling to Sanders Garden World in Brent Knoll.

They were escorted by a group of around thirty Harley Davidson motorbikes from Riders of Bridgwater, organised by Freewheelers Emergency Voluntary Service, a charity that transports medical supplies to hospitals across Somerset on ‘blood bikes’.

Santa also arrived at the garden centre for the first time on Saturday lunchtime to host his first grotto of the season.

The garden centre helped raise funds for the Freewheelers during the day, and Peter Burks, the garden centre's General Manager, told Burnham-On-Sea.com: "Any money donated on the day through our collections was given to the Burnham-based charity Freewheelers to go towards its work in the community. We wanted to raise as much money as possible for the organisation, as well as having a great time."