REGRET is a powerful emotion. So often people lament the lives they could have led and the dreams they could have pursued.

This cannot be said of the remarkable John Benham, from Colchester, who died last month at the age of 71.

John’s father Peter, a partner in a long-established firm of solicitors, had intended for his only son to follow in his footsteps.

And for a time John did pursue a career in law, but he never forgot his childhood passion – the circus.

For John was not only a solicitor, he was a lion trainer and a top jazz drummer.

His close friend Charles Molle said: “John could remember precisely his first visit to the circus, namely Lord George Sanger’s circus at the Cattle Market, Sheepen Road, Colchester – the 4.45pm performance on June 26, 1956.

“He was hooked. Anna, a lifelong friend, remembers when John, aged eight, launched Benham’s Circus.

“He would set up a circus in various neighbours’ gardens and give shows to whoever could be persuaded to watch.”

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“John loved everything about the circus.

“He would visit circuses whenever and wherever he could, helping to pitch and fold the big top or anything else he could find to do.

“At the same time, he was developing two other skills – first animal training with the family cat, Katie, who bore with patient resignation John’s early attempts.

“Secondly drumming. In 1963 John was given his first set of drums and started learning to play them, a pleasure, skill and interest that would remain with him all his life.”

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John Benham was descended from an almost dynastic family with a remarkable influence on the culture of Colchester.

Edward Benham purchased the Essex Standard newspaper in 1866, with his wife, Mary, taking over the management of the publication after his early death from tuberculosis.

Their sons Gurney and Charles then took on the newspaper, changing its name to the Essex County Standard.

Gurney, John’s great grandfather, spent 59 years as editor, was mayor of Colchester on three occasions and a director of the Colchester Gas Company for more than 40 years.

Colchester historian Andrew Phillips said: “This is one of the most outstanding families this town has seen in the last 300 years.”

But John wanted a break from convention.

He left school at the age of 18 in 1966, deciding to take a gap year before starting work in his family’s law firm.

He immediately made plans to work in the circus.

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Sir Robert Fossett’s circus – which operated through two world wars and the reign of five British monarchs across its 150 year history – took on the youngster.

John was a ring boy among other duties including building up and pulling down the cage, putting pedestals into the ring, rolling in tubs for the elephants and grooming the horses.

Friend Martin Daniell recalls: “On one occasion, John received the loudest ovation of the entire show when he entered the ring with a bucket and shovel to remove a generous gift deposited by one of the elephants.”

By the end of his gap year John had joined another famous circus, Bertram Mills, which was presenting a packed programme of performances at Olympia, London.

At the end of the season, John loyally returned home to embark on his career in law.

But he had not given up his ambition to become a lion trainer.

John studied at the College of Law, in Guildford, before qualifying as a solicitor.

He could not resist the lure of circus life and joined a famous group of performers, Chipperfield’s, in 1975, now as a drummer and an animal trainer.

It was his first experience in the cage with lions and tigers.

He moved on to Gerry Cottle’s circus and later Austen Brothers’ circus, where he drummed and presented African lions.

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Another friend recalls: “There was a new group of young lions to train and there was a vacancy for a drummer.

“The new lions were Lenny, from Circus Markus in Scotland, Ceasar and Sultan, from Augosto’s in Sunderland and Marcus and Brutus from Chipperfield’s.

“The first three were initially trained by Brian Austen but the last two John trained himself.

“It was an exhausting daily routine with two shows a day and three on Saturdays.

“He would drum for the first half, then change during the interval and supervise the setting of the cage props during the interval before presenting the lions.

“It was a quick change again before returning to the bandstand to drum for the rest of the second half.

“I remember visiting the show at Shepherd’s Bush Green, London,and being impressed with John’s confident and stylish presentation in an excellent programme.”

John met his first wife, Tanya ,when she joined Austen Brothers’ as an aerial artiste.

They were married in 1980, a short time before John decided to leave the circus and resume his career in law.

His daughter, Lara, was born in 1981 followed by Emma in 1983.

John practised as a solicitor until his retirement in 2013, but his passion for the circus never waned.

He drove lorries for the Great British Circus and attended the circus festival every year in Monte Carlo.

Lara even recalls standing in the circus ring with her father and a troupe of tigers, thanks to Martin Lacey of Gerry Cottle’s circus.

John continued drumming with jazz groups throughout later life, performing concerts and practising religiously.

After his marriage with Tanya broke down, John married his second wife, Sharon.

Their marriage lasted 13 years until she died in 2014 which marked the start of John’s decline in health. He was admitted to Foxburrow Grange in March last year.

Mr Molle, who was best man at his first wedding, said: “I am sure John would want me to warmly thank the staff at the home for all their care and kindness over the 18 months he was with them.

“Also his many friends who visited and supported him both before and after his admission, especially to those who made sure that John was never alone, night or day, during the final ten days of his life.

“Precisely at the time John passed away there was a loud clap of thunder, which we would suggest was a fitting and dramatic drum roll for a man who, surely uniquely, combined the vocations of solicitor, lion trainer and drummer.”

Friend Liz Castagnoli said: “Certainly from knowing John in the later part of his life he had more than a little of the bohemian about him.

“Although he followed a conventional path for much of his life, he was a free spirit in every way – never losing his love of the circus.

“He carried on playing music until he physically couldn’t do it anymore – and even then he was still drumming out beats with his hands.

“He loved animals, adored the lions and had a gentle spirit. He was an old school gentleman but had a roguish side as well.

“When it came to lion training he was fearless, he loved the excitement and the edge of danger to it.

“He enjoyed breaking the rules of convention at times.”