Also known as Cliff Attenborrow, Guardsman Attenborough
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From Bricklayer to Artist
Cliff Attenborough was born Clifford George Attenborrow on 2nd February, 1901 in Marlborough Road, Small Heath, Birmingham. He was the son of Dick and Edith Attenborrow and the second of their eventually seven children.
As the First World War was coming to an end sixteen year old Cliff joined the Dolabran Athletic Club which was based in the Moseley Road Friends Hall. It was here that he learned wrestling and gymnastics. By 1921 twenty year old Cliff had followed in his father’s footsteps and was working alongside his dad as a bricklayer for Streets Builders. Shortly afterwards he began eight years of military service and joined the Royal Horse Guards, where he continued to wrestle and box.
Following military service he lived in London, where he joined the Camberwell Weightlifting Club, and held the record for the “One hand dead lift.” Putting his exceptional strength to practical use Cliff travelled the country, where his act included carrying a piano and a pianist on his back and supporting a troupe of dancing girls on his chest.
With professional wrestling re-introduced into Britain in December, 1930 Cliff was quick to seize the opportunity and turned to professional wrestling. Weighing fifteen stones, standing a shade over six feet tall, and with his phenomenal strength Cliff had a very good record against top men. We have unverified records from 1931 but our first documented evidence is in 1934 when he defeated Phil Siki, a win which suggests he was a wrestler of note. Reports state that he was a skilled and orthodox wrestler who stuck within the rules, something of a rarity in the 1930s. Other victories included Black Butcher Johnson, King Curtis, George Gregory and Dan Davey. The real powerhouses, such as Douglas Clarke, did prove too skillful for Cliff, but reports state that he always gave a good account of himself.
It was a short lived career, as life (in the form of a world war) took an unexpected turn of events, with Cliff last seen regularly in 1939. By 1939 we find him living in Southwark, London, with his wife Lilian, occupation stated as wrestler and Physical Training Instructor. We did find an appearance wrestling Chick Knight at Manor Place Baths, London in December, 1943.
During the Second World War Cliff took up work as a caretaker at Morley College in Westminster, doubling up at times as a model for art students. The story reported is that one day he was critical of a student’s work. When challenged to do better it was discovered he was a natural artist and could!
When Morley College was bombed during the war Cliff’s sculptors decorated the damaged courtyard. For many years he rejected suggestions he should study the subject seriously. In 1946 he was given a new job at the college as a physical training instructor. In the 1950s he enrolled at the college as a sculpture student in wood, stone and clay.
Cliff Attenborrow died in Colchester on 26th January 1977.
We thank Cliff’s granddaughter, Lorraine, for use of all the photos
Page added 06/04/2026
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