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Photos: Clowns tramp to London on annual pilgrimage honouring Grimaldi

Scores of curly haired, red-nosed devotees travelled by plane, car and foot -- wearing oversized shoes -- to the All Saints Church in Haggerston for the the annual memorial of the legendary Joseph Grimaldi in London, which has been held annually since 1947. Ballons and bunting hung above the normally sombre pews, which were taken over by wags wearing tiny hats, huge bow ties and novelty flowers in honour of the English actor and comedian, who lived from 1778 to 1837. Unicycles rolled down the aisles, while other fans sat holding custard pies throughout the service.

Updated on: Feb 05, 2019 9:44 AM IST

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A clown on a unicycle performs for visitors before the 73rd annual Grimaldi Memorial Service at the All Saints church in east London. The streets of east London were awash with a surreal splash of colour on Sunday as clowns from across the world gathered for the annual memorial of the legendary Joseph Grimaldi. (Daniel Leal-Olivas / AFP)

Updated on Feb 05, 2019 9:44 AM

A clown on a unicycle performs for visitors before the 73rd annual Grimaldi Memorial Service at the All Saints church in east London. The streets of east London were awash with a surreal splash of colour on Sunday as clowns from across the world gathered for the annual memorial of the legendary Joseph Grimaldi. (Daniel Leal-Olivas / AFP)

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Clowns walk to the church for the memorial service. “King of clowns” Grimaldi was a 19th century English stage performer, and is recognized as having invented the look that came to define the role of a clown. (Daniel Leal-Olivas / AFP)

Updated on Feb 05, 2019 9:44 AM

Clowns walk to the church for the memorial service. “King of clowns” Grimaldi was a 19th century English stage performer, and is recognized as having invented the look that came to define the role of a clown. (Daniel Leal-Olivas / AFP)

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Two clowns grab a bite before the service. Scores of curly haired, red-nosed devotees travelled by plane, car and foot on Sunday - wearing oversized shoes - to the All Saints Church in Haggerston for the service, which has been held annually since 1947. (Daniel Leal-Olivas / AFP)

Updated on Feb 05, 2019 9:44 AM

Two clowns grab a bite before the service. Scores of curly haired, red-nosed devotees travelled by plane, car and foot on Sunday - wearing oversized shoes - to the All Saints Church in Haggerston for the service, which has been held annually since 1947. (Daniel Leal-Olivas / AFP)

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A clowns puts on make-up before the annual Grimaldi Memorial Service. “We have people flying in from Canada, Ireland, from France, people coming down from Scotland” for the “funny reverential service remembering the legend,” organiser Bibbledy Bob said. (Daniel Leal-Olivas / AFP)

Updated on Feb 05, 2019 9:44 AM

A clowns puts on make-up before the annual Grimaldi Memorial Service. “We have people flying in from Canada, Ireland, from France, people coming down from Scotland” for the “funny reverential service remembering the legend,” organiser Bibbledy Bob said. (Daniel Leal-Olivas / AFP)

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Ballons and bunting hung above the normally sombre pews, which were taken over by wags wearing tiny hats, huge bow ties and novelty flowers in honour of the English actor and comedian, who lived from 1778 to 1837. (Daniel Leal-Olivas / AFP)

Updated on Feb 05, 2019 9:44 AM

Ballons and bunting hung above the normally sombre pews, which were taken over by wags wearing tiny hats, huge bow ties and novelty flowers in honour of the English actor and comedian, who lived from 1778 to 1837. (Daniel Leal-Olivas / AFP)

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Unicycles rolled down the aisles, while other fans sat holding custard pies throughout the service. “There’s circus clowns, theatrical clowns, party clowns, tramp clowns - there’s lots of genres of clowning,” explained Bibbledy Bob, a party clown. “There’s many ways to become a clown, you only have to look a the Houses of Parliament,” he joked. (Daniel Leal-Olivas / AFP)

Updated on Feb 05, 2019 9:44 AM

Unicycles rolled down the aisles, while other fans sat holding custard pies throughout the service. “There’s circus clowns, theatrical clowns, party clowns, tramp clowns - there’s lots of genres of clowning,” explained Bibbledy Bob, a party clown. “There’s many ways to become a clown, you only have to look a the Houses of Parliament,” he joked. (Daniel Leal-Olivas / AFP)

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Clowns perform inside the church. The unusual gathering attracted puzzled looks and enthusiastic fans. “People stop you for autographs,” Bibbledy Bob remarked. “If I told you that David Beckham was coming today, you’d totally believe me, there’s paparazzi from all over the world.” (Daniel Leal-Olivas / AFP)

Updated on Feb 05, 2019 9:44 AM

Clowns perform inside the church. The unusual gathering attracted puzzled looks and enthusiastic fans. “People stop you for autographs,” Bibbledy Bob remarked. “If I told you that David Beckham was coming today, you’d totally believe me, there’s paparazzi from all over the world.” (Daniel Leal-Olivas / AFP)

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Clowns attend the 73rd annual Grimaldi Memorial Service. Grimaldi became the most popular entertainer of the Regency era of the early 1800s, performing in pantomimes, notably in London’s West End. His whiteface make-up and catchphrases have since entered into the cultural consciousness. (Daniel Leal-Olivas / AFP)

Updated on Feb 05, 2019 9:44 AM

Clowns attend the 73rd annual Grimaldi Memorial Service. Grimaldi became the most popular entertainer of the Regency era of the early 1800s, performing in pantomimes, notably in London’s West End. His whiteface make-up and catchphrases have since entered into the cultural consciousness. (Daniel Leal-Olivas / AFP)

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