Gap year abroad inspired founding of Gloucestershire circus

Gap years abroad are often the catalyst for future careers, as highlighted by the case of Nell Gifford, who now runs a circus in Gloucestershire.

The Evesham Journal reported that Ms Gifford, now 36, a former Oxford University student and the daughter of a television director, drew inspiration for her future career after taking a gap year in the US.

As reported by the news source, Ms Gifford worked her way up from making popcorn at the Chinese State Circus to riding elephants in Bobby Robert's Circus before becoming a ring-mistress in 1996.

"It's been quite difficult to start a circus because we don't have a strong culture for it at the moment. It's difficult running a circus - but it's also been great because people have rediscovered circus through Gifford's," she went on to say.

After first being exposed to circus life on her US gap year, her life-long passion for the art form has meant that she has now entertained more than 250,000 people, including the likes of Kate Winslet and Sir Ben Kingsley.

Recently, gap year student Linda Bloomfield claimed that her time spent in Africa "opened her eyes" to the world around her.

Read about gap year stories.

( Last Updated: 2010-06-17 23:22:51)