Japanese Water Gardens Supporting Circus Cruelty
Cruel and outdated…
Many people now accept that the use of animals in circuses is cruel and outdated. An investigation in 1997 found abuse of some kind or another in the majority of British circuses. For this reason, animal circuses are banned from council land in Nottingham and Broxtowe. However, the owners of the Japanese Water Gardens still make them welcome.
And on your doorstep!
 Tiger caged at the Great British Circus
A frequent visitor to the Gardens has been Martin Lacey’s ‘Great British Circus’. Lacey’s business was previously called Circus Harlequin: physical and verbal abuse of animals was found by an undercover investigator to be standard practice during the 1997 summer season. In one incident an injured lioness was kept hidden during a visit from the RSPCA. A vet had not been called. The name of the circus may have changed: the people haven’t!
A year after the report was published, Martin Lacey admitted on TV to having shot his bears, making clear that circuses kill surplus animals.

Click here for A4 colour tiger poster (50k pdf file)


They can’t cover the cruelty…

Zebra at the Great British Circus - Wild animals should not be captive for our entertainment
The only ‘great’ thing about the Great British Circus is the lengths they go to to convince the public that they are kind to animals.
They claim, for instance, to train their animals in the ring as part of the show, ‘which should put a stop to any suggestions of circus cruelty.’ What the public see, however, is not training but a rehearsal of an act for which the animal is already – in circus slang – ‘broken’.
The cruelty behind the scenes has been exposed on multiple occasions.

Click here for A4 colour zebra poster (40k pdf file)

And they can’t continue!
Many venues have stopped hosting animal circuses – including this one – under pressure from a concerned public. The Hippodrome Circus in Great Yarmouth, for example, dispensed with animal acts, after protesters informed circus-goers of the cruelty behind the scenes.
Please ask the Japanese Water Gardens to follow this example. Write to them at 251 Toton Lane, Stapleford, Nottingham NG9 7JA
Tel: 0115 939 7926; Fax: 0115 949 0451
Email: mail@japanesewatergardens.com

Further action
The following businesses are also based at the Japanese Water Gardens, also known as 'The Rose Garden'. However they may not be responsible for, or in favour of, the circus setting up along side them.
Please contact these businesses and encourage their support in lobbying the land-owner to refuse bookings from circuses with captive animals. Explain that they may lose business from potential customers boycotting the Japanese Water Gardens for their support of the animal circus.
Write to them at 251 Toton Lane, Stapleford, Nottingham NG9 7JA

Let us know of any responses as we would like to encourage support for those that support this campaign.



In 2009 the 'great' british circus failed to appear in Nottingham, but from 13th October Bobby Robert's Circus began a short run, with Annie, an elderly arthitic elephant, horses, dogs and a camel. Click here for details of protests to 'Cancel The Cruel Circus at the Japanese Water Gardens' and look out for the 'great' british circus elsewhere.