Skip to main content

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:

Lodging Bill, 28 July 1935

 Item
Reference code: 178Z15.28
Scope and Contents

Lodging bill from Pension Isabel Deso, Gibraltar.

Dates: 28 July 1935

Motor Cycle Club Membership, 1926 - 1927

 Item
Reference code: 178Z15.4
Scope and Contents

Millhouses Motor Cycle Club membership.

Dates: 1926 - 1927

Negatives Envelope, c1920 - 1939

 Item
Reference code: 178Z15.12
Scope and Contents

Negative enveloped from Budapest.

Dates: c1920 - 1939

Newspaper Cutting from Gazeta Warszawska, 1932

 Item
Reference code: 178G15.2
Scope and Contents

Illustrated review, Poland, 2p.p.

Dates: 1932

Newspaper Cuttings, 1932 - 2016

 Series
Reference code: 178G15
Scope and Contents

Various newspaper reports and articles in Hungarian and Polish about Billy Bellhouse's performances on the wall of death, some have been translated. Also an article about the closure of the chip shop business.

Dates: 1932 - 2016

Photographs and Negatives, 1929 - 1960

 Series
Reference code: 178C59
Scope and Contents

Black and white photographs and negatives related to Billy Bellhouse career as a wall of death and dirt track rider.

Dates: 1929 - 1960

Picture Card Book, c1920 - 1939

 Item
Reference code: 178Z15.13
Scope and Contents

Picture card book from Poland.

Dates: c1920 - 1939

Polish Ticket, c1920 - 1939

 Item
Reference code: 178Z15.38
Scope and Contents

Polish ticket.

Dates: c1920 - 1939

Programmes, c1933

 Series
Reference code: 178K6
Scope and Contents

Wall of death programmes featuring Billy Bellhouse performing in Budapest.

Dates: c1933

Railway Luggage Stickers, c1920 - 1939

 File
Reference code: 178Z15.23
Scope and Contents

Luggage stickers for South African Railways Union Castle Line.

Dates: c1920 - 1939

Railway Tickets, c1920 - 1939

 File
Reference code: 178Z15.19
Scope and Contents

Ticket from Hungarian railways.

Dates: c1920 - 1939

Railway Tickets, June 1935

 File
Reference code: 178Z15.27
Scope and Contents

Railways tickets to Algiers.

Dates: June 1935

Receipts and Takings Books, 1929 - 1939

 File
Reference code: 178H5.1
Scope and Contents

Receipts and takings books for Billy Bellhouse. Includes receipts for stays in Gibraltar, application for work with Sheffield Corporation Tramways and contract for riding a Wall of Death in Budapest. Manuscript and typescript.

Dates: 1929 - 1939

Remembrance Card, c1920 - 1939

 Item
Reference code: 178Z15.11
Scope and Contents

Remembrance card from Mrs Collins.

Dates: c1920 - 1939

Roller Skating Ticket, 1929

 Item
Reference code: 178Z15.1
Scope and Contents

Complimentary pass for roller skating at the Sheffield Owlerton Stadium.

Dates: 1929

Sciana Smierci Handbill, c1930 - 1939

 Item
Reference code: 178T5.3
Scope and Contents

Wall of death handbills featuring Billy Bellhouse's performance at Poznan, Poland. Contain illustrations and text. 1p.

Dates: c1930 - 1939

Sciana Smierci Handbill, c1930 - 1939

 Item
Reference code: 178T5.5
Scope and Contents

Wall of death handbills featuring Billy Bellhouse's performance at Poznan, Poland. One of the items contains handwritten note. Contain illustrations and text. 1p.

Dates: c1930 - 1939

Sciana Smierci Handbill, c1930 - 1939

 Item
Reference code: 178T5.6
Scope and Contents

Wall of death handbills featuring Billy Bellhouse's performance at Poznan, Poland. Contain illustrations and text. 1p.

Dates: c1930 - 1939

Sciana Smierci Handbill, c1930 - 1939

 Item
Reference code: 178T5.7
Scope and Contents

Wall of death handbills featuring Billy Bellhouse's performance at Poznan, Poland. Contain illustrations and text. 1p.

Dates: c1930 - 1939

See! The Crazy Liverpool Girl Handbill, c1930 - 1939

 Item
Reference code: 178T5.2
Scope and Contents

Wall of death handbill featuring the Crazy Liverpool Girl, Fred Farrow and Cyclone Billy Bellhouse at Tower Gardens, New Brighton.

Dates: c1930 - 1939

Additional filters:

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