The Wall of Death was first reported in the United Kingdom in 1929, when the World's Fair newspaper said "The Wall of Death - the very latest thrill at Southend" the article goes on to describe how "America supplies us now with most things, and this time it is with one of the greatest and most wonderful thrills that has ever been witnessed".

The Wall of Death in question was presented at the Kursaal, Southend-on-Sea by Captain De F. Moorhouse and was owned by Motor Silodromes (Pty) Ltd., a company which was to be responsible for all the early Walls of Death to be presented.
This early Wall is described as "a large vat thirty feet in diameter and twenty feet deep" and as having a team of six riders, although only Billy and Marjorie Ward are named. The Wall pictured above is an early one travelled by Elias Harris.

Another early wall is pictured on the left. This was travelled by Horace Parker and his brother, Len. Len came to a tragic end when he was killed, not riding the Wall but when a gust of wind blew over one of the panels as he was handling it!

 

 

On the next page we take a look at Southend, home to not only the first reported Wall of Death but also possibly one of the best known Walls of Death in the country, that of Tornado Smith

 

© Neil Calladine 2004