TO people of a certain age the name Billy Smart's Circus conjures up an image of magic and entertainment from a bygone era.

Turn the clock back more than 30 years and the excitement of the big-top - elephants lions, tigers and horses included in those days - was broadcast to the nation on TV.

The family firm gave up the circus business in the early 1970s, but now the Billy Smart name is back in the North-East, competing - minus animals - with all the attractions of the digital age.

Only days after the death of Billy Smart Junior, son of Billy Smart, who founded the circus in 1946, it is back in the region.

It opened last night in Durham City and will be there until tomorrow when it moves to Tynemouth, North Tyneside, and will run from Monday to Sunday, June 5.

At its height, the circus became the first colour broadcast by the BBC, had a 5,000-seat big top, 400 employees, a herd of 20 elephants and made Billy Smart a rich man.

But in 1971, it toured for the last time. The lavish productions were becoming too expensive to stage profitably and there were rumblings from the emerging animal rights movement.

In 2003, the circus was revived by a new company with the blessing of the Smart family and, according to marketing director Chris Barltrop, is winning new fans.

Today, the circus offers only human acts, performers such as clowns, acrobats and jugglers from places such as Russia, Moldova and Hungary.

Mr Barltrop said: "The circus now is about a quarter of the size that it used to be. The big top has 1,200 seats and there are 70 to 80 people working on it, but it has the same quality. Compared to say 40 years ago the show has more pace. There aren't many things now that entire families - from children to grandparents - can go to together."

Mr Barltrop said there was a dark cloud on the horizon. The Government's Licensing Act could make it prohibitively costly for circuses to pitch tent.

Until now, circuses have not needed public entertainment licences, as pubs and nightclubs do, but they will have to apply, and pay for, a licence for each performance.

The last time Billy Smart's Circus visited Durham was in the late 1940s or early 1950s when a truck carrying the kingpin - the main big top ten pole - got into trouble turning from Claypath into Providence Row outside what is now the Rajpooth restaurant.

The Durham shows, on The Sands, start at 4.45pm and 7.30pm today, and tomorrow at 3pm and 6pm.

Ringside seats for tomorrow's shows have sold out but other seats are available. For details and booking, call the ticketline on 0870 444 1505. Details of the shows in Tynemouth are also available.