Gerry Cottle

Brusque and gracious circus proprietor. A grand figure in the history of traditional circus, Gerry Cottle broke into the family-dominated industry in the 1960s, and in the ensuing three decades made and lost his fortune several times over. His never-boring autobiography Confessions of a Showman: My Life in the Circus tells the full tale. In 2003 Gerry retired from the tented circus scene, liquidated his assets, and used the money to buy Wookey Hole, a weird sort of museum / amusement park / village / cave complex that now also runs a very accomplished youth circus.