John "Digger" Pugh , circus artist in United Kingdom Born 1902? dead 1985 . Digger Pugh was born in England in 1902, although the family emigrated to Australia in 1912, where Digger grew up. From a young age Digger trained in tumbling and trampolining and soon started performing in variety and music hall theatres. Eventually his career evolved from performer to Producer and Supplier of acts for the variety and circus sectors. Digger returned to England and set up what became world famous dance tumbling acts including ‘The Wallabies, Digger Pugh Ariel Ballet’ and ‘The Digger Pugh Troupe of dancers and acrobatic Circusettes’. The shows introduced elaborate and lavish aerial acts for circus and variety, which toured the UK, Europe and USA. His troupes became most popular in leading circuses across the globe during the 1950s and the 1960s. Between the middle of the twentieth century and the beginning of the twenty first the Pugh family had an international impact in the popular entertainment sector led by innovation, branching out into the most successful forms of entertainment of the day. Digger was married to Sheila Smale Pugh and had a son, John Wallace Pugh and a daughter Janice Bell nee Pugh. Digger Pugh troupes were most popular in leading circuses across the globe during the 1950s and the 1960s, and could be appearing at the Blackpool Tower or Great Yarmouth. I had the pleasure of touring with one such troupe when with the Lord George Sangers Circus during 1962.
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