Many of you may know the ‘You-tube’ phenomenon of Christian the lion cub bought in Harrods in the Sixties, but did you know Boxford had its own famous lion too?

George Smith was landlord of The White Hart public house in Boxford and became famous in the 1930’s for riding his Indian Scout motorcycle on the Wall Of Death under the pseudonym ‘Tornado’ Smith. His wife was equally accomplished at riding the wall of death but it was perhaps the spectacle of their pet 12 stone lioness ‘Briton’ travelling round the wall on the handlebars and later in a sidecar that most sticks in people’s minds.

When not performing, Briton lived in the back garden of the White Hart and after she died her remains were buried under the forecourt of the pub. Her story is still celebrated in Boxford where the village sign shows her riding in the sidecar.

The wall of death recently returned to Boxford, this time with the landlord of the White Hart’s son dressing up in a lion costume and riding on the handlebars! Perhaps Tornado Smith and Briton were the 1930’s equivalent of Christian the Lion, not a You Tube phenomenon but just as famous in the village of Boxford?