It’s been around for years but I’ve never been to Blackpool Tower circus.

On Saturday I took the plunge with my daughter and her mate not knowing what to expect from the Christmas special.

The indoor circus arena was packed with young faces — many of them scouts and girl guides — and we took our places on seats at the back that were telling of the age of the place as the row was coming away from the wooden frame.

The year-round show took on a festive theme with circus performers knitting the panto’ Aladdin into their acrobatic routines.

Apart from a few good performances the acting wasn’t fantastic although the young audience seemed not to mind — the evil Abanaza drew plenty of boos and Mooky the clown was fantastic in the traditional ‘jester’ role.

But let’s not forget these people are circus performers not trained actors and to reinvent a circus show for Christmas and give it a festive theme is something a bit different and it worked.

Death-defying stunts that made your heart skip a beat, daring acrobatic performances from high up — without the use of safety nets — and stunning dance routines.

I’m a big fan of dance with lace ropes and the artist performed a beautiful display while an acrobatic troupe amazed the audience with somersaults, one on a stilt!

These people must train day and night to perfect their acts, yet still their first-rate performances looked fresh.

The all-family show runs until January 14 and is well worth a visit. Book online via the related link right or call 0844 856 1111 or 01253 299277 for group bookings.