Break Out Culture With Ed Vaizey by Country and Town House

71. Red-Blooded Circus, Clover Stroud on Giffords Circus and its founder, her late sister, Nell Gifford

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Episode notes

This week the author Clover Stroud, known for writing ‘about the way life feels’,  talks to us about her new book The Red of my Blood. In it she recounts the year she spent mourning her sister Nell Gifford’s death, who died tragically of cancer aged just 46. The book is described as a Story of Death and Life, and on the podcast Clover describes her idyllic childhood in Wiltshire, which inspired Nell to start the magical Giffords Circus with her husband Toti in 2000.

The phenomenally popular Giffords Circus re-opens for its summer tour on 14th April at its home at Fennells Farm near Stroud in Gloucestershire. It will tour England till 22nd September when it will be open at Fennells Farm again until 2nd October.

Clover talks about Nell’s vision, her legacy and how the circus is changing and gives us an extraordinarily moving and searingly honest account of her struggle to come to terms with her beloved sister’s death.  Listen in as the podcast is also a valuable lesson in how to react to and behave around people who are grieving.

We’re taking a short break till Sunday 24th April. Happy Easter!