In the world of modern clowning there are educational clowns, tranny clowns, traditional Auguste clowns, new-age cyber clowns and even those who prefer to stay away from children. Photograph: Mark Johnson
"I'm 72," says Tom Fun. "I'm a bachelor, I've never had children and so I'm not a children's entertainer." Fun is one of 350 clowns who belong to Clowns International, the oldest established clown organisation in the world. When it started, in 1947, most clowns worked in circuses; now it's parties. Photograph: Mark Johnson
The climate has changed for clowns. "When things get bad, we are the first to feel it," says the veteran Mr Woo, now 68. "Businesses say, 'We don't need a clown out there on the forecourt doing balloons.' I used to perform for a lot of playgroups and young children. It's all gone quiet." Photograph: Mark Johnson
The kids are different, too, says Benzy, 13, a goth clown who supplements his make-up with a dab of black lipstick. His dad and grandfather performed on stilts and juggled; Benzy specialises in balloons. "Children come up and ask, 'Can you do me a gun?' " He tells them, "No, I can't." In the past he has specialised in dogs, swords and giraffes, but now they're too easy. "I've seen a person make a small motorcycle out of one balloon." He shakes his head in disbelief. Photograph: Mark Johnson
So what keeps them slapping on the make-up? For some it's a desire to recover the fun of childhood later in life. "I got to a stage when I just needed to play," says Hattie Maths, a clown and maths teacher. Photograph: Mark Johnson
Plummie, a mountain of a man, worked as a professional wrestler - Charles the Gent - before he became a Christian and decided clowning was morally more acceptable than receiving punches to the head. Photograph: Mark Johnson
When they join Clowns International, clowns register their individual make-up - their faces are painted on eggshells which are kept in a gallery. "Every clown's face is registered," says Jam, who has been clowning for about 40 years. Photograph: Mark Johnson
When clowns gather there are laughs, pratfalls, hugs, big shoe appraisals and discussions about the most powerful substance for attaching wigs and noses. When a clown dies, friends gather in costume to throw confetti in the grave. Photograph: Mark Johnson
Once a year, a service is held to honour the memory of the famous clown entertainer Joey Grimaldi. To the sound of an organ softly playing Send In The Clowns, the names of the dead are read out. This year it was Boxcar, Bozo and Uncle Dippy. Photograph: Mark Johnson
