A DISPUTE arose in Malvern a century ago over a visiting circus which proposed to parade through Malvern's streets on Good Friday.

A letter signed by no fewer than 11 clergymen of Malvern was sent to the managers of Sanger's circus, deploring the proposal.

"The religious sense of the Christian community in this neighbourhood is outraged by the appearance of large posters announcing the holding of a grand circus performance and procession for March 28th, which is Good Friday.

"We hope that date may have been fixed through inadvertence and we earnestly trust that you will arrange for some other date, and relieve us of the responsibility of warning our congregation in no way to give countenance to such desecration of the most solemn day in the whole year."

The matter was even put before Malvern Urban District Council, which asked its solicitor to investigate if the authority had any powers which could be used to stop the circus.

Mr Southall, the solicitor, "stated that he was rather afraid they had absolutely no power to stop the procession".

"The clerk then read a letter which he had been instructed to forward to Mr Sanger, to the effect that in Malvern the feeling was very strong, and if they consulted their own interests, for future visits, they would fall in with the views of the council and abandon the procession."

It seemed the matter arose almost by accident: Good Friday was early that year, and when the circus rented the field, it was some time in advance, and no-one thought to check the date.