A CLOWN from Christchurch celebrated his dream of running his own successful circus at a homecoming show.

Paul Carpenter, also known as Popol the clown, brought his Circus Wonderland back to Canford Magna Garden Centre and entertained a full house yesterday afternoon with trapeze artists, magic and lots of laughs.

The 38-year-old, who went to Twynham School and the Jellicoe theatre at Bournemouth and Poole College, performed with his clown sidekick Kriss Freear for ten years before they finally struck out on their own last year.

“It was always our ambition to launch our own show and it was a dream come true for us,” Paul said. “We were very lucky to have a business partner who invested in us.”

The show includes acrobats and trapeze artists from the Hungarian state circus and a James Bond act.

Paul added: “It was not the easiest year to launch a new business but we’ve survived. Our policy is to create a show for the whole family and keep the price as low as possible to keep it affordable but still high quality.”