Wednesday, May 7, 2008
John Cooper, What can you tell us about this place, and is it still in existance?
Posted by
Wade G. Burck
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A Blog designed for discussion of topics related to, but not limited to, Circus, Zoos, Animal Training, and Animal Welfare/Husbandry. Sometimes opening up the dialog is the best starting point of all. And if for nothing else when people who agree and don't agree, get together and start discussing it, it will open up a lot of peoples minds. Debate and discussion even amongst themselves opens a window where there wasn't one before.
5 comments:
Wade Burck....
This place is about 5 miles from where I'm typing this.
Windsor Safari Park was bought by the (Billy) Smart family from the family of Horace Ford, as in cars (or perhaps I should call them "automobiles").
It ceased to be a safari park more than a few years ago, and is now Legoland, a theme park for devotees of Lego, which is a type of plastic brick from which children (of all ages) can build things. The original Legoland was and still is) in Denmark.
Next question.
John.
John,
Thank you for the great info. "Safari Parks" disappeared almost as quick as they appeared. Were the Fords the original builders of the park or later proprietors? Wasn't there a dust up in the Smart family, over who got what years ago.? I am grateful my children are not going to have to go through that.
Regards,
Wade
As far as I'm aware the Smart family created the safari park having bought the place for the purpose.
The first safari park was at Longleat, the ancestral home of the Marquis of Bath, a long way from London. It was the idea of Jimmy Chipperfield (father of Mary and, thus , uncle of Dickie who showed cats on Ringling's a while back).
Windsor is much closer to London, and Windsor Castle is definitely on the tourist trail.
I have a feeling that the Smart family wasn't going to let the Chipperfields have the whole thing tied up.
As with almost every family, some members got on well, others didn't.
Yasmine (daughter of David) is one of the nicest people you could hope to meet.
John.
John,
Thank you. Honestly though, you have to admit some "circus dynasties" have taken "not getting on" to new levels. I don't know why you have to take Yasmine back. I'm a bit sore. I liked referencing her as an example of the right way we do horses in the States.
Wade
I believe it's Yasmine's decision to return to Europe so that she can be nearer to her mother who was widowed fairly recently.
John.
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