Count on these pageant clowns to have a fun time

Geoff is a graduate of the Christmas Pageant Clown School, and together with three other clowns has the important task of counting the crowd.

He not only has a license to be silly and have fun; he also has the chance to interact with children along the pageant route in a way that other characters can’t.

“As a counting clown, I have a tape and giant clipboard and involve the children at 10 pre-determined spots to help me hold the tape on the ground and count the crowd,” he said.

“In between that, there’s plenty of time for fun clown antics that the children expect and enjoy.”

As someone who has been involved in education all his life, engaging with children is second nature for Geoff.

“As counting clowns, we’re not linked with any particular float, which gives us a lot of license to create our own fun.

“I always wanted to be part of the pageant and back in 2006, the organisers were trialling a new way of counting the crowd. I was asked to give it a try, and I’ve never looked back.”

Geoff admits his first time in the pageant was very tiring.

“When I first started in the pageant I was working full time in an office job.

“For the pageant, I walked solidly for the full two hours and was bobbing up and down interacting with the children the whole time. I was exhausted afterwards.

“I’m much fitter now that I’m retired. I walk 8-10 kilometres a day and play golf a few times a week, so can handle the pageant better than I used to.”