Meet the woman who grew up in the circus and started performing at the age of two

Meet the woman who grew up in the circus and started performing at the age of two.

Romy Bauer, 33, and her family have toured as part of Gandeys Circus circus for almost 30 years and her ties to it go back seven generations.

Romy was just two when her grandmother, Madge Summerfield, then 62, performed a circus act which involved juggling family members - including the tot - on her feet.

Romy's mum, Kim, 61, and her dad, Max, 68, performed a slack wire act together and she's spent her most of her her life on the road touring alongside them - before following in their footsteps and pursuing a role as a roller skater and aerialist.

Since she was a six-week-old baby, Romy has travelled with the circus across the world to places such as Spain, Luxembourg, Italy and Hong Kong.

Romy even met her partner, Joel Hatton, 34, in the circus and together they perform a roller-skating double act - involving death-defying lifts and upside-down spins - as part of a theatre show 'Cirque - The Greatest Show'.

Romy, who was born in Blackpool, Lancashire, said: "For me as a kid growing up there weren't any bad bits to being in the circus.

"I didn’t know any different, I think most kids are happy just playing and running about.

"What I loved and still love about being in the circus is how many different people I meet, people from all over the world.

"Nobody judged each other we were all there for the same goal - to entertain people."

Romy's circus background stretches back seven generations with her grandfather, Holley Gray, once holding the world record in plate-spinning - while her grandmother’s parents were tight-rope walkers.

Romy said: "My grandmother would spin us round across this long pole for a very long time - I guess that was my first introduction to the circus.

"Since that day I have been totally absorbed in all things circus."

Romy was brought up in the circus, but says she was always given choice over what she wanted to do with her life.

She said: “I had an education. When the circus was off I’d go to a school that was local and they would set me coursework.

“I was always taught that I had the freedom to do anything I wanted, even if that was outside of the circus life, but I have always felt that this was what I was meant to do.

"Then there are the perils of performing extreme stunts, which invariably leads to the occasional scrape.

“I have broken a rib while performing and just had to carry on, it was hard and difficult to breathe, I’ve also broken my arm.”

“Injuries are quite common - it’s rarely something terrible, but it’s not for everyone.”

Despite her lifelong circus performing, Romy had a taste of a normal job during the pandemic - when circuses weren’t running.

“I volunteered to work in the NHS as a healthcare assistant," she said.

“It was such a big change, but I love helping people and it was such a rewarding job

“I couldn't just sit in my house while people were losing their lives, but the circus is still my real calling.”

In order to maintain their fitness, Romy and Joel train “most days of the week”.

Romy said: “We do a dangerous act, so we have to keep our strength up.

“We usually have just one day off per week.

“For four days of the week we are performing at different theatres, it’s very intense.

“You travel seven hours in tour bus to be in a place for three hours maximum but at this point I’m used to it.”

Romy says one of the downsides is long stretches away from family.

She said: "My family are also in the circus, but while we’re on tour it’s hard to see them a lot.

"But you do end up becoming like family with people who are on the show with you.”

Romy says that she will continue in the circus in some capacity for the rest of her life.

“There’s always a time limit on performing, maybe 50-year-old me wouldn’t look very good doing the same stunts," she said.

“But there are a lot of other jobs that are part of the circus, like the box office and sales management.

“Both my parents still in circus, it really is a job for life.”