Cage & Aviary Birds Magazine No.5780 My Bengalese Journey Back Issue

DON'T PANIC! ROB Innes has not retired from his position of editor of Cage & Aviary Birds, he is simply on holiday for the next two weeks. So, once again, I am stepping into the breach. This past week has been busy but fruitful, as my colleague Laura Welch and I attended the BS Club
Show in Doncaster on November 16-17. Laura came back from last year’s event saying what a great time she had and how welcoming everyone was. And I have to say, I agree with her sentiments. Everyone we met was so helpful and friendly. Plus, it was fascinating to see how a large show like this is run. Thanks to the Budgerigar Society for being such generous hosts and to everyone who took the time to speak to us and have their photograph taken. Although the number of entries were down on last year’s, the fanciers I spoke to didn’t see this as a negative, as the quality of the birds benched were the best that have been seen for a while. Congratulations to regular contributor Richard Miller, who, in partnership with his father Michael, won best in show with a goldenface grey cock. This bird was pipped to the post for top honours at last year’s show, so it was a happy moment for the Millers when this bird was chosen for best in show this year. You could certainly feel the tension in the air as the birds were being judged. For those of you who visited the Cage & Aviary Birds stand at the show, you may have spotted that we took along two posters of past front covers, one of which featured the Millers’ winning budgie. Did the Cage & Aviary Birds team predict the Club Show winner? We have many talents here, but we never knew we were psychic! For more information on the Club Show, including lots of photographs, see news pages 2-3 for a full round-up of the weekend.