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My Profile I first began keeping budgerigars in the late sixties at 12 years old. A neighbour of mine gave me a sky blue hen which was 2 years old, she thought it was a cock when she bought it. I was given a sky blue cock by the dad of a friend, I made a cage, put them together in the garden shed and they bred like wildfire. I used to do quite well selling the babies at the local pet shop, which was more profitable than the paper round and not as far to walk. I started keeping exhibition type budgies in the early eighties I got my first two pairs from Ken Marsden of Glossop who later became the partner of the late Alf Ormerod. I consider Ken to be my mentor as well as a very close friend, he has freely given me help, advice and plenty of good quality birds over the years. I gave up keeping birds when my job meant me being away from home for long periods of time that was in 1992. I started up again in 2004 and again went back to Ken for my stock. I also have birds from Brian Sweeting, John Wilson and my Golden faces from Rene Heylen Belgium. The main difference in the budgies which I can remember from the past to the best of to-days birds is in the quality of the head, the width is far better, perhaps the influence from the introduction of the European style budgies into our stock. I have had a reasonably successful time in the beginners on the show bench with my share of winners over my 3 years. The best result was getting best beginner young bird in the 2005 Y.B.S open show with a light green hen which also won the C.C. I am looking forward to my first year in the Novices and hope to meet some old friends and new fanciers when the show season begins.
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