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Bellhouse, Billy (William), 1907 - 1980

 Person

Biography

William Bellhouse (1907-1980), aka Cyclone Billy, was a speedway rider and dare devil motorcyclist from Sheffield. Billy travelled throughout Europe on a Wall of Death show between 1932 and 1935. His main speciality was the Globe of Death, on which he performed gravity defying leaps on his 'Indian' motorbike.

Billy showed an interest in motorbikes from an early age, after holding various jobs in his native Sheffield, he started working as a mechanic aged 17. Two years later, he became a member of the Millhouse Motorcycle Club. During the late 1920s Billy worked as a chauffeur and mechanic and was riding motorbikes on dirt tracks on his spare time and by 1929 he was a member of the Northern Association of Track Riders.

In the 1931-1932 season, Billy was engaged to work for the showman F. Sedgewick as a Globe of Death rider at Kelvin Hall, in Glasgow. Billy appeared on Sedwick’s advertising bills under his pseudonym, Cyclone Billy, together with Fearless Fred Farrow. Soon after launching his career as a professional stunt rider, he was touring his act around Europe, as far as Poland, Hungary, Romania and Gibraltar.

During his five-year career, Billy rode at break-neck speed around both the Wall of Death and the Globe of Death. His death-defying stunts made audiences gasp with amazement, and the show never failed to attract large crowds. Billy was paid 60% of the takings and a share of the tips.

The Globe of Death was Billy’s biggest challenge. This was where he performed his most dangerous stunts. The motorbikes used for the globe of death did not use gears, instead they were fixed and once the rider let the clutch in, the bike rode at a set speed. While performing in Spain in 1935, Billy went into the globe cage as usual and while attempting to do the loop he came off the bike. Billy fell to the bottom of the cage and the motorbike followed suit, striking him on the shoulder and taking the flesh away as the wheel continued spinning until help arrived. The wheels continued spinning because the engine could not disengage by itself. Through the course of his riding career, Billy had several accidents, but it was this last one, which forced him to give up his career as a stunt rider in 1935.

Billy had married Elsie Swift (b.1906) the previous year and they had a son, James Anthony ‘Jim’ (d.2000). Upon retirement, he returned to Sheffield, where he opened a fish and chip shop, which his son Jim and descendants continued running until closing in 2016.

Cyclone Billy lived a quiet life until his death in 1980, aged 73. Although his love of motorbikes continued, he never performed on the Wall of Death again.

Found in 71 Collections and/or Records:

Card for Piccanis Act, 1933

 Item
Reference code: 178Z15.10
Scope and Contents

Piccanis Act business card from Budapest.

Dates: 1933

Cazanaul Mortii-Halal Kazan Handbill, c1930 - 1939

 Item
Reference code: 178T5.1
Scope and Contents

Wall of death handbills featuring Billy Bellhouse and Danny Carter in Romania. Contain illustrations and text. 1p.

Dates: c1930 - 1939

Cazanul Mortii- Halal Kazan Handbill, c1930 - 1939

 Item
Reference code: 178T5.10
Scope and Contents

Wall of death handbill featuring Billy Bellhouse and Danny Carter. Small handbill with black and white photographs of Billy Bellhouse and Danny Carter's act on the wall of death.

Dates: c1930 - 1939

Christmas Greetings, c1920 - 1939

 Item
Reference code: 178Z15.14
Scope and Contents

Christmas greeting from the British Embassy in Warsaw.

Dates: c1920 - 1939

Correspondence, c1930 - 1950

 Series
Reference code: 178F8
Scope and Contents

Business correspondence addressed to Billy Bellhouse related to his career as a wall of death rider.

Dates: c1930 - 1950

Correspondence from Thomas Cook, 10 May 1932

 Item
Reference code: 178Z15.21
Scope and Contents

Letter from Thomas Cook detailing travel arrangements for Billy Bellhouse to Poland.

Dates: 10 May 1932

Danny Carter's Business Card, c1920 - 1939

 Item
Reference code: 178Z15.9
Scope and Contents

Danny Carter's business card.

Dates: c1920 - 1939

Documentation from Poland, 1933

 Item
Reference code: 178Z15.16
Scope and Contents

Documentation from Poland.

Dates: 1933

Grocery Ticket, c1920 - 1939

 Item
Reference code: 178Z15.37
Scope and Contents

Burgon and Son of Sheffield grocers ticket.

Dates: c1920 - 1939

Guide to Budapest, 1914

 Item
Reference code: 178Z15.42
Scope and Contents

Pictorial guide to Budapest Thermal Baths.

Dates: 1914

Guide to Warsaw, 1931

 Item
Reference code: 178Z15.39
Scope and Contents

Guide to Warsaw.

Dates: 1931

Handbills, c1930 - 1939

 Series
Reference code: 178T5
Scope and Contents

Wall of death handbills featuring Billy Bellhouse and other wall of death riders in shows around the United Kingdom and tours around Eastern Europe.

Dates: c1930 - 1939

HOBO! HOBO! Handbill, c1930 - 1939

 Item
Reference code: 178T5.12
Scope and Contents

Wall of death handbill featuring Billy Bellhouse and Tommy Campbell performing on the wall of death.

Dates: c1930 - 1939

Hotel Advertising, c1920 - 1939

 Item
Reference code: 178Z15.41
Scope and Contents

Advertisment for Hotel Regina Cordoba, Spain.

Dates: c1920 - 1939

Hotel Cecil-Orient Cards, c1920 - 1939

 File
Reference code: 178Z15.24
Scope and Contents

Hotel Cecil-Orient, Seville cards.

Dates: c1920 - 1939

Hotel Rit Algiers Receipt, c1920 - 1939

 Item
Reference code: 178Z15.22
Scope and Contents

Blank receipt for Hotel Rit Algiers.

Dates: c1920 - 1939

Jack Bulldog Drummond's Business Card, c1920 - 1939

 Item
Reference code: 178Z15.36
Scope and Contents

Business card for Jack Bulldog Drummond Globe of Death Rider from Edinburgh.

Dates: c1920 - 1939

John G. Cunlais Lister's Business Card, c1920 - 1939

 Item
Reference code: 178Z15.34
Scope and Contents

John G. Cunlais Lister's business card.

Dates: c1920 - 1939

Kelvin Hall Ticket, 1931 - 1932

 Item
Reference code: 178Z15.33
Scope and Contents

Kelvin Hall Carnival exhibitor's season ticket.

Dates: 1931 - 1932

Letter Headed Envelope from Luna Park, c1920 - 1939

 Item
Reference code: 178Z15.17
Scope and Contents

Letter headed envelope from Luna Park, Bucharest.

Dates: c1920 - 1939

Additional filters:

Type
Archival Object 70
Collection 1
 
Subject
Amusement parks 9
Business 22
Exhibitions 2
Fairs 2
Family 5