However, he made his first independent performance at the age of four in a child-only cast of the pantomime Cinderella along with other music hall/circus children.

When he was not at school, George spent a lot of his time with the elephants Boney, Molly and Waddy and toured all over Europe with them.

These were told in various newspaper interviews and articles plus his Essays in Adventure radio broadcast and his book with Willan Bosworth, Grey Titan.

When he was seventy The Express newspaper reported that George Lockhart had his arm crushed by the elephant Burma whilst he was taking visitors around the circus stables.

Lockhart adopted the "pink" huntsmen tails, black hat, white shirt and gloves upon the advice of Bertram Mills when he worked for them in 1928.

Lockhart Close was built by Wimpy Homes in 1987 on the former site of his beloved Belle Vue Zoo in Manchester.