South Hampshire Christmas Social & Draw  

We then had a fund raising event of throwing coins up the skittle alley to see who could leave their coin closest to the Champagne.

Our congratulations to the winners of the evening:

Our thanks go to Peter Merritt and all his family for arranging the evening and his grandson for picking up and replacing the skittles etc.

After the Christmas draw was completed I (President) thanked everyone for coming and the staff for the quality food and service they provided.  I apologised to the staff regarding Steve Baileys “spotted dick” (those there will understand) and I also mentioned about the superb program for next year and that we need to support the club when we have top speakers.  With that said I wished everyone a good breeding season and a merry Christmas and on that note we finished the evening and wished everyone a safe journey home.

South Hampshire Judging Competition - November 2011  

Tony Cash, our Joint Secretary, opened the meeting and welcomed all there. Apologies were read out from John Burton, Richard Hall, Bill Farr, Les & Doreen Stanley, John Mullen and Steve Bailey.

With the birds benched and ready (any Normal Cock or Hen), he then handed over to our judge for the evening, Nigel Darley, who is a member and had travelled down from Tadley.

Whilst the judging was being carried out we were updated on the members show awards and talked in depth regarding the proposed new guidelines that judges have to adhere to in 2013.

This was a very lively debate on all aspects of the guide lines, as we had two panel judges in the meeting.  They gave their views regarding this, what they were seeing up and down the country and the various opinions voiced within the hobby.

After the judging was complete all present were given judging slips and asked to judge cocks 1 – 7 rundown  and hens 1 – 4 and award best bird overall. Then they were assessed / scored on points to who was closest to our judge’s positions.

First - Mick Freeborn

Second

Third

Our congratulations to the main winners of the evening:

·        Best Bird  Green Cock Class A6

·        Best Cock  Green Cock Class A6

·        Best Hen  Cin Grey Class B1

Winner / closest to judge’s order:

  Scott Moroney:                            43 Points

  David Rice:                                   38 Points

  Tony Cash:                                   37 points

It was good to see that our Beginners are getting an eye for a good bird!

Nigel then asked for questions and comments on his judging.

After the raffle Tony thanked Nigel for adjudicating and all of the members for bringing their birds.  He then closed the meeting and wished everyone a safe journey home.

South Hampshire Members Show - October 2011

Our congratulations to the main winners of the evening:

Best in Show & Best Young Bird in Show Steve Bailey

Best Champion Bill Farr

Best Beginner John Mullen

• Best Opp Sex Young Bird          Peter Merritt

• Best Opp Sex AA                         Peter Merritt                          

• Best intermediate                        Steve Bailey

• Best Novice                                Peter Merritt

Our thanks to Malcolm Freemantle, our show manager for the evening, who did a great job assisted by David Rice!

Note: Peter Merritt took to the floor to announce that Kevin Burnett had sold all of his birds (he’s bought them) and he was now keeping canaries & finches for a change.  He said he would still carry on as our patronage secretary for our open show and we all wished him well with his new venture!

After the raffle Bill, our Chairman, thanked Ron for adjudicating and not accepting any ‘expenses’ and all of the members for bringing their birds.  He then closed the meeting and wished everyone a safe journey home.

September 2011  

Bill Farr, our Chairman, opened the meeting and welcomed all there (10 only). Apologies were read out from John Mullen, Neil Johnson, Trevor Tanner, Ray Nicholls and John Horstead. 

He then handed over to Tony Cash to read out the minutes of the last meeting, which all accepted as a true description of events, and he gave a reminder that next month’s meeting was our members show with Ron Payne as our judge.

We were handed a copy of the open show accounts, which was impressive as we only made a loss of £16.34.  If other revenue that was generated by the show had been factored in we would have shown a profit.  

We also talked about the success of the Southern Classics bird auction and thought it would be a good idea to introduce this at our next open show in August 2012 to bring in additional revenue.

The evening was dedicated to problems with our birds and the way forward, ie: feather, size and the shape / deportment of the exhibition budgerigar.

Malcolm Freemantle brought along a bird for general discussion on and asked us all to identify the variety etc. None of us were completely sure but it turned out to be a heavily marked Grey Wing Sky Blue cock.

Doing this reminded me of a test I did years ago under the L&SC BS judging scheme at Coulsdon village hall for my subsidiary judges’ certificate under the guidance of Ron Pearce.

This led on to the question of open shows and the new guide lines laid down by the BS and the implication of them and how we will be affected as breeders and exhibitors, as a lot of us have birds with major faults.

The future rules will make us keep our show team and stock birds as two separate types of birds in our studs. I think it would be good to introduce a new class at open shows for the birds that don’t conform to the new regulations i.e.; flecked & long flights etc.

NOTE:

It may still be worth thinking about not having a meeting in September 2012 as most members are busy or on their holidays? (Because it’s so early in the month it’s the August factor)

Bill our Chairman then thanked all members and closed the meeting and all were wished a safe journey home.

August 2011 - Maurice Roberts

Bill Farr, our Chairman, opened the meeting and welcomed all there (15 only). Apologies were read out from John Mullen and John Horstead.   He then handed over to Tony Cash to read out the minutes of the last meeting, which all accepted as a true description of events, and a letter I received from Gerald Binks with a donation of £50 to the club show fund (many thanks GB). I then introduced our speaker for the evening, Maurice Roberts from Cornwall.

Maurice’s favoured variety is the Light Green, as nature provided it and a good one is the best sight you will ever see.

He said he has a variety of different mixtures of soft food and said not to be frightened to give the birds a change, i.e. carrot, beetroot, buckwheat and mung beans, mixed in with egg food (Witte Molen). Maurice said he prefers to use Versa Laga plain seeds and grit in preference to others and mixes all the seeds by hand (saves on VAT), but on retirement will buy and use electric cement mixer to do all the hard work.  

He uses traditional wooden breeding units (Pat Bowles) but with plastic nest boxes with wooden concaves and not wire cages like he used to use. When he eventually retires he will revamp his birdroom completely to make it easier and less stressful to maintain and build a new concrete block store room which will allow his bird room to be a lot more user friendly then now.

Open Show Pics

South Hampshire July

Bill Farr, our Chairman, opened the meeting and welcomed all there (19). Apologies were read out from Geoff Biddlecombe and John Horstead.  He then handed over to me to read out the minutes of the last meeting, which all accepted as a true description of events.  Another well done to Richard for best bird.

I then went on to speak regarding the last committee meeting held on the 6th June at Tony Smith’s and went through each item to confirm that all items discussed were being implemented.

a) Staging to be collected by Peter & Steve and to be at the hall by aprox 4pm. Steve to get a larger van and additional labour to help out. (Thanks).YES

b) Peter Merritt to bring photo copier. YES

c) Phillipa to sort out trophies similar to last year and also the president’s chain of office. Yes

Lunch vouchers to be given out to exhibitors that have paid for them with their entry fee as they enter their birds at the show hall. Yes

d) Entry drop off area and Bio security moved further down the corridor towards the canteen. Yes

e) Show manager to nominate chief stewards and instruct on their duties. Yes

 (Tc to print copies of BS ruling) Will do

f) Birds will not be taken out of cages in main hall to check ring numbers; they must be taken to secure room. Show Manager to enforce

g) Section rosettes to be sorted into trays by Kevin and given to chief stewards to put on cages, which will avoid the usual delay in getting them on cages. Yes

h) All CC`s and order of merit certificates will be put into the wooden holders on top of cages. Steve Bailey to make additional ones if required. Yes (6 by Steve).

i)  The 4 major show winners will be on separate staging Yes

j) Raffle prizes required. Sorted

4: Any Other Business:

Peter Merritt is collecting monies for the adverts in schedule at £10 for full page and £5 for half page

Colours of rosettes were discussed with various ideas but no decision being made to change it at moment. (RED & WHITE)?

We then discussed the costs of setting up the South Hampshire web site with a domain name, which was £120 for setting up including the domain name and then £70 for subsequent years to maintain and update. Mick Freeborn said there were enough members in the hall to take a vote, which was unanimous, so it is under way as the treasurer gave me the cheque made out to Terry Tuxford so we could implement it.

We then had the raffle and the evening concluded with questions and various comments on the preparation of the show birds.

I was given a message that Gerald Binks has many young birds for sale (at costs between £40 and £80 each) after obtaining the Havenhand stud. Please group together and contact him to make arrangements to visit if interested etc.

 Bill then thanked all members and closed the meeting and all were wished a safe journey home.

South Hampshire June 2011

Bill Farr, our Chairman, opened the meeting and welcomed all there (16) including a new member John Mullen from Portsmouth and then introduced our Judge and speaker for the evening Roger Carr.

Because it was a young stock show the classes were grouped together ‘cock and hen’ to simplify the judging and Roger said that condition was not paramount, as it was a members young bird show.

Whilst judging Rorer  explained what features he was actually looking for in the birds and said that when there were two very similar birds it was difficult to place them first and second, as you needed to take into account all of their features / faults. He also stressed that birds entered deserved the time to allow them to perch.

As the judging went on Roger kept up a running commentary and ensured that everyone could see what he was doing. He asked for questions and comments as he was judging and after.

Bill then thanked Roger for his constructive talk while judging the birds explaining the new rules and how they apply to the birds in front of him, having said that the best bird won on the evening which was owned by Richard Hall, so well done Richard! We then had the raffle and the evening then concluded and all were wished a safe journey home.

Nice to have new a new member join us, which proves our drive to expand the membership is starting to work?

16 Members (1 New) and 31 birds present

South Hampshire BS - April

Bill Farr, our Chairman, opened the meeting and welcomed all there (14) and then handed over to the Secretary to update the meeting with the latest news and events.  Apologies were received from John Horstead, Mick Freeborn, and Peter Merritt.

First I gave an explanation on the change of officers from those elected at the AGM, in that Tony Smith stepped down at the committee meeting and Bill Farr took over the Chairman’s position with Steve Bailey coming on as Vice Chairman. Tony Smith is staying on as Show Manager for this year’s show with Pippa doing the show secretary’s job for 2011 only.  Peter Merritt indicated he would be prepared to take on that position next year.

I explained the reasons why Fred Wright was unable to turn up and thanked Malcolm Freemantle for stepping in to do a talk in part one of the evening on clearwings and the way he is trying to improve the wing markings and bring back good body contrast in colour with  cleaner wing markings.

Part two of the evening, after the raffle was drawn, was a bird quiz which all enjoyed.

As there are some members without email addresses I will bring along hard copies to meetings in the future of news letter and/or any changes to our programme.

Bill then thanked Malcolm for his talk etc., and the evening then concluded and all were wished a safe journey home.

“Nice to see Bryon Shaw and his better half again back at the meetings.”