ROBERT Brothers' Circus is in Chippenham and I got a taste of life at the sharp end this week.

Clutching a handful of ten-inch steel blades, ace knife-thrower Maverick propped me up against a wooden board and complained about feeling a little tired.

He took up position ten yards in front of me, arranged his knives in a fan in his left hand and said: "Don't move. The wind's a little strong."

Standing rigidly to attention and looking dead ahead I weakly murmured "ok" and tried desperately to resist the temptation to run away.

Seconds later seven blades thwacked into the wood in quick succession, inches from my legs, arms and head.

Speaking afterwards to Maverick Karl Orry, 51 and his assistant of more than 20 years Miss Lily Amanda Sandow, 38, I asked if he had ever missed, expecting him to say no with a laugh.

Instead, the cowboy, who has been throwing knives for 34 years, revealed he has hospitalised Miss Lily three times, wounding her in the head, arm and legs, at which point I paled and swallowed hard.

"You just try to carry on if you get nicked and make an effort to avoid smudging your make-up if you're crying," Ms Sandow said.

The circus, which has been touring Britain for the past 60 years, has pitched its tent opposite Allington Farm Shop, on the A420 Bristol Road, and will be there until Sunday.

Maverick's knife-throwing is one of many exciting acts.

The highlight of the show is the wheel of death, which consists of a rotating bar with a wheel on each end, spinning from a central axis suspended with metal wires from the roof of the tent.

As the bar spins at increasing speed, acrobats walk, jump and skip inside the wheels.

To be in with a chance of winning a family ticket for four either for tonight or tomorrow, answer the following question:

What is the name of the tent under which circus acts usually perform?

E-mail your answer with your full name, address and daytime number to gazettecompetitions@newswilts.co.uk stating Circus Competition in the subject header. E-mail your entry by 1pm today. Winners will be telephoned.

The Gazette may wish to contact you from time to time with forthcoming promotions.

To book tickets which start at £8 call 07941 377070.

Andy Davey