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In 1953 at the age of eleven I was given my first two birds, a pair of pigeons. My father had built a small loft for the which I kept them in for the correct time and when I let them out they went straight back from which they were bought from, this happened another two times. So I gave up the keeping of pigeons.
My brother who was in the Royal Navy brought me back from the Canary Islands six canaries which my father had built an aviary for them in the garden. At the same time a friend of the family who lived nearby in Pansy Road Southampton kept budgerigars and he gave me a pair a opaline sky hen and a light green cock. So that is where it all started. I joined the Southampton CBS in 1954 and won my first rosette for being best junior. The show was held in the Avenue Hall. Southampton. My father bought me a pair of harlequin budgerigars from Mr. Loader who live in Bitterne Park. Southampton. A shy blue cock and grey green hen. You don’t see this variety around anymore.
I kept keeping birds until 1973 when family and business commitments made me give them up.
On retiring in 2005 I decided that I would again take up the hobby so I built my first bird room which was 8ft x 8ft with a flight and 6 breeding cages. I purchased my first birds from my now good friend Bill Farr which consisted of three pairs, also birds were purchased from Les Stanley and Mike Freeborn.
In the following years I purchased birds from Rodney Harris in Cornwall, Bob Still in Sussex and Kevin Burnett who lives in Chandlers ford to whom I have become very good friends. In 2012 Kevin decided to give his birds up and he offered me is whole stud of birds which I was pleased to purchase, but on the understanding he would get some back if he decided to come back into the hobby which he did in 2014. My existing pied line came from Kevin’s birds.
I have in recent year been lucky to purchase birds from Brian Sweeting in Somerset and Tony Cash in Fareham.
The type of birds I was keeping was to really change in early 2014 with the chance meeting with Kevin Welch and his father who visited me on their way to Bill Farr, out of that meeting we later swapped a number of birds and from that meeting I have become very good friends with Kevin, we have visited other breeders together namely Brian Sweeting and Barry Lowe in Devon. He has been a massive help to me guiding me through the pairing and breeding of birds. Giving me a great insight into all aspects of the keeping of budgerigars. In that period my birds have progressed beyond belief for which I cannot thank him enough.
I joined the South Hampshire BS and the Budgerigar Society in 2005. I have since become Treasurer, Show Secretary, Patronage and Membership Secretary of the South Hampshire BS and in 2015 was made Honorary Vice President together with Tony Cash, which is a great honour. I joined the L&SCBS in 2013 and have since been elected to its council.
I very much enjoy the showing of budgerigars with my first CC gained with a lutino cock in 2009 at Torbay F&BS open show. I have since won Best Beginner Any Age and Young Bird, Best Novice Any Age and Young Bird and this year my first year as an Intermediate have gained Best Any Age and Young Bird several times and my best result that of Best Young Bird at the 2015 Somerset BS Open Show. Best Opposite Sex has also been gained on three separate accassions at Dorset BS and Swindon BS Open Shows and at L&SCBS Area Show.