If you go down to Dalston on the first Sunday of February, you’re in for a big surprise… for on this date, at the Holy Trinity Church, the annual clown church service takes place.

Held in memory of Joseph Grimaldi, the world’s most famous British clown, clowns from all over the world, all resplendent in their individual make-up and costumes, attend the service.  This annual event has been held since 1946, moving from Islington, where Grimaldi is buried, to the Holy Trinity in 1959, which is now such an important building for  the clowning community that a stained glass window of Grimaldi has been installed in the church.

The service is open to the public, but you have to get there a lot earlier than the 10am start to ensure even a standing place, such is its popularity. Fear not, if you get there late – you might miss the slightly odd sight of clowns singing hymns, but it is traditional for a clowning show to be put on after the service for all the spectators waiting outside.

The church, although not home to the large amount of clown memorabilia that it once was (due to fires and damages it has now been moved to Wookey Hole in Somerset) still has some fascinating artefacts. For example, did you know that to become a proper clown, your must ‘copyright’ your make-up, and this is done by having a portrait painted on an egg? Every single clown, from the smaller children’s entertainers to the grand dames of clowning has been immortalised in egg form. There is a cool Flickr group of portraits here, and some of the eggs are on display at Holy Trinity.

Photos by Joelle Cleveland and  Mark Auer used under a Creative Commons License