Hal Brooks, Clown Etc: A Life in the Making

This fascinating autobiography follows the life of an eighty-eight year old clown, woodworker and artist who left school at 14.

Hal Brooks was born into a working class family in 1921, and grew up in North Kensington, London, before serving for six years in the Royal Artillery as a signaller.

He moved to Mumbles in Wales, where he started entertaining in Welsh clubs as a lightning sketch artist, and he and his wife Deena spent four seasons at Butlins working as children's entertainers.

Hal also toured the country as Kerby Drill to promote awareness of road safety and was featured on various television programmes such as Blue Peter, Crackerjack, Vision On and BBC Look Stranger.

During the sixties his clowning acts included a car act with a Model T Ford, and a skating act in the Albert Hall. He now contributes a regular feature for Clowns International Magazine The Joey.

As an artist he uses a variety of mediums, including oil paints, papier-mache and wood. Prince Charles has two pieces of Hal's woodwork and Hal had the privilege of meeting Princess Diana whilst clowning on the QE2.