John May, aka Simon The Clown

John Woodhouse meets balloon bending expert Simon The Clown, whose experiences have taken him far beyond Hanley High Street.

TENNESEE has given us some famous exports – whisky, Elvis, and the Chattanooga Choo-Choo to name but three.

Not only that, but if it wasn't for this southern state, we'd never have had Tessie O'Shea's Two Ton Tessie From Tennessee, and that really would have been a loss to the world.

The harassed parents of this region, however, may honour a slightly less well known ex-Tennessee resident. John May, aka Simon The Clown, is a chap who, with the twist of a balloon, can deflate even the most fractious of infant situations. Only last week he created a T-Rex and a monkey for my pair which kept them contented for hours. The bit where they pop can be problematical, but you cross that bridge when you come to it.

John, aged 59, a regular fixture around the town centres and fetes of the area, now lives near Chesterton with wife Abi. The road that took him there is a long and winding one, peppered with dips and summits.

Reaching his formative years in the political and cultural heat of Sixties America, John, like many of his generation, was shaped by the Vietnam War. Vehemently opposed to the conflict, he eschewed the standard path of heading towards a steady career and joined a hippy commune. "I suppose you could call me a bit of a rebel," he laughs.

Helped by 'Jesus People' to gain a direction in life and imbued with "the ethos of trying to help others", John's independent spirit would see him later take up Christian voluntary work in India for five years, witnessing the extreme poverty of cities including Chennai and Hyderabad.

"It's very sad," he says.

"But it gives you a frame of reference for the rest of your life."

The desire to help those less fortunate has run alongside a continued disaffection with his home country.

"Let's just say I'm not all that fussed about their political views when it comes to the rest of the world," he says.

Not surprising then that he set up home with his first wife in Australia, having the small matter of nine children, the oldest now 37, and one of whom has followed his example and is now doing Christian voluntary work in Nepal. It would be 25 years before he stepped back on U.S. soil.

He came to Britain in need of an alternative career and thanks to second wife Abi's roots in the area – she works at Stoke-on-Trent College – and the expertise accrued raising and entertaining nine children of his own, he became Simon The Clown, the stage moniker coming from an old nickname "that just stuck".

"I really do like it here," he says.

"The people really are friendlier. I was living down in Bedfordshire and people there would say 'hi' and whatever, but here there's more to it, they'll really carry on a conversation."

He didn't go to Clown School, doesn't do juggling and his car isn't prone to falling apart at the drop of a giant hat. When it comes to Simon, balloon-modelling is as far as it goes, modestly stating that pretty much anyone can pick up the skill from videos on YouTube.

"Once you've got the knack you can pretty much do it with your eyes shut," he says. "In fact every so often that's exactly what I do."

Among his creations are bears, penguins, tigers and pigs. It's not many who have the ability, as he does, to illustrate the story of Noah's Ark through the medium of inflation.

But the bigger skill in Simon's possession is his ability to relate to his audience. The Tennessee twang might arouse the interest of the adults, but it is with the youngsters that John really clicks.

"They're just fun to be around," he says. "OK, I suppose you get the odd awkward one, but pretty much they're just good company."

Like any 'busker', John has to deal with the occasional less palatable adult customer, but he has seen enough in his life not to let it bother him. He's got enough of the comedian in him to deal with the odd heckler.

As a busy summer looms, John will be found dealing with a multitude of characters, big and small, polite and cheeky, across the county. And whatever the audience, he will always have one thing in his favour.

"My family used to be a bit of a circus," he smiles. "So the thing is I will kinda always know what I'm doing."

John May's perfect weekend

Describe your perfect weekend:

Sunshine and blue skies and a nice beach somewhere.

Lie-in or rise and shine?

Rise and shine – you get used to it when you have kids and as you get older you don't need as much sleep anyway.

Eat in, eat out, or takeaway?

I'm chief cook and bottle washer, so eat in.

If I won the lottery I'd...

Go on a round-the-world trip, visit my kids in Australia, and have a nice little stay in the Bahamas.

If I had more time I'd...

Ride my bike more – England is a beautiful place and I love riding round seeing places.

By this time next year I'd...

Like a camper van to travel around – something a bit better than one of those old VW ones! I've had one of those in the past.