GIFFORD'S Circus rolls into Cirencester next week and will be in Stratton Meadows from Thursday, June 30 to Monday, July 4.

This magical family entertainment never fails to surprise and delight all ages from grannies to toddlers.

Even teenagers come away enthralled with the show - this year on the theme of The Cockerel - which recreates the circuses of the 1920s and 1930s when the world was a very different place and the village green was where a host of bizarre characters would pitch the Big Top and treat the local population to an evening of high entertainment.

The smell of the sawdust, the skills of the riders, the horses, the acrobats, the clown and all the other artistes, the music, the singing and dancing - it's all there in this show which manages to be traditional and sophisticated at the same time, with amazing costumes and a great atmosphere.

And no sad, caged animals - just happy horses and a few chickens!

And when you emerge hungry at the end of the show, there's the chance to dine at Circus Sauce, the restaurant in a waggon, which produces local and organic food and where you can meet the stars of the show.

Tickets can be booked through Cirencester TIC on 01285 654180 or are available from the Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham on 01242 572573, www.everymantheatre.org.uk