Join the  Circus Hilarious FaceBook Forget the football... two Blackpool funny men have been named Britain's funniest clowns by a major new book on the British circus industry. Circus Mania by Douglas McPherson (Peter Owen Publishers) is a journey through the rich variety of the British circus scene, talking to the stars of the big top about their unique lives, culture, superstitions and traditions. Alongside chapters on Cirque du Soleil and the making of the BBC1 sitcom Big Top, Circus Mania traces the history of clowning from Victorian pioneer Joseph Grimaldi (after whom circus clowns are still called Joeys) to the duo the author identifies as the funniest in Britain today - Blackpool-based father and son team Clive Webb and Danny Adams. Sunderland-born Clive began his career as a rock'n'roll drummer before running away with Roberts Brothers Circus as a teenager, where he progressed from drumming to clowning. He later came to TV fame with a three-year run on ground- breaking children's TV show Tiswas as well as regular appearances on Seaside Special which was broadcast each Saturday evening from Gerry Cottle's big top. Son Danny joined his dad's comedy-magic act at the age of four and became his full-time comedy partner as soon as he left school. Today, the duo tour the country in their own show, Circus Hilarious in which Clive is the forever exasperated ringmaster and Danny the perpetual mischief-maker - usually armed with a fire-hose, leaf-blower or copious amounts of wallpaper paste. While Ronald McDonald still represents the stereotypical image of a heavily made-up clown for many people, Danny represents the face of modern clowning, with minimum make-up, normal-size shoes and a highly verbal style that majors on picking on members of the audience. "We're not children's entertainers," says Clive, "And we're not adult entertainers. I would like to think we're family entertainers, and since the cabaret scene dried up there are not many places you can go as a family where the entertainment is not blatantly for the kids and Mum and Dad are bored stiff, or the other way around. So we start off with the kids, and once they're settled down we move on to Mum and Dad." According to showman Gerry Cottle, "I love Clive and Danny. They're a bit naughty at times. They're a bit rough. But they're bloody good! I saw them at Butlins. 2,500 people were watching and they went absolutely bananas." As well as Clive and Danny, Circus Mania gives prominent mention to Blackpool's very own piece of circus history, the century-old Blackpool Tower Circus, and local girl Valerie Murzak, who was born into a Russian circus family but grew up in Blackpool where she appeared with her parents in the long-running seafront show Eclipse from the age of ten before going on to star as a contortionist in the circus-on-ice show Cirque de Glace. Valerie performed two shows a day while taking her A-levels and her mother Svetlana sums up the dedication of the circus lifestyle when she says, "Valerie was doing very well at college and people were asking me why she wasn't going to university to be a lawyer or a doctor. They don't understand that we're circus people and this is what we do." BLACKPOOL CLOWNS NAMED BRITAIN'S FUNNIEST  The great circus showman Gerry Cottle described Circus Mania as "Not the usual bring in the clowns type of circus book but a passionate and up-to-date look at the hard work, danger and sometimes even death that top class circus performers can and do face every day." Circus Mania retails for £14.99, but Circus Hilarious fans can save £5 by ordering it direct from Peter Owen Publishers at the special offer price of £10 postage-free. Simply call 020 7370 6093, or send a cheque of postal order to: Peter Owen Publishers (Sales) 73 Kenway Road London SW5 ORE Click to Enlarge New Panto Poster