Big Red Book

Celebrating television's This Is Your Life

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THIS IS YOUR LIFE – Mary Chipperfield, animal trainer and circus entertainer, was surprised by Eamonn Andrews while giving a talk on circus animals to schoolchildren, for the ITV children's programme Magpie, at Stanley Road Junior School in Teddington.

Mary's grandfather managed Chipperfield's Circus, and both her parents were involved with the business until Mary's father Jimmy broke away in 1955. After a brief spell at farming and managing other shows, he and Mary began training and providing animals for film and television work.

In 1961 Jimmy founded Southampton Zoological Gardens and he and Mary used this as a base for taming a variety of wild animals for Chipperfield's Circus and for more film work, including the 1967 film Doctor Dolittle. At the same time Jimmy began to develop drive-through safari parks, and Mary and her husband Roger Cawley became actively involved in the creation of the Longleat Safari Park.

programme details...

• Edition No: 459
• Subject No: 456
• Broadcast date: Wed 2 Mar 1977
• Broadcast time: 7.00-7.30pm
• Recorded: Wed 16 Feb 1977
• Venue: Euston Road Studios
• Series: 17
• Edition: 19
• Code name: Sawdust

on the guest list...

• Roger Cawley - husband
• David - son
• Suzanne - daughter
• Fred the chimp
• Millicent Martin
• Jimmy Chipperfield - father
• Rose - mother
• John - brother
• Margaret - sister
• Dick - uncle
• Ann - cousin
• Dick Jr - cousin
• John - uncle
• John - cousin
• Tommy - cousin
• Charles - cousin
• Maud - aunt
• Mary Ann - cousin
• Gay Newbury
• Sue Slater
• Mary Vandy
• Fredy Knie
• Lyn Pond
• Ted Edgar
• Lord Bath
• Johnny Morris
• George Varl
• Charlie Cairoli
• Rosie the elephant

related appearances...

• James Chipperfield - Mar 1961
• Norman Barrett - Oct 1990

production team...

• Researcher: Lavinia Warner
• Writers: Tom Brennand, Roy Bottomley
• Directors: Royston Mayoh, Terry Yarwood
• Producer: Jack Crawshaw

• names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life

The Big Top

the circus is in town

Family Life

keeping it in the family

Charlie Cairoli

James Chipperfield

Screenshots of Mary Chipperfield This Is Your Life