2008 Report

Sheffield Budgerigar Society continues to maintain its membership around 35 to 40 members from quite a wide area, meeting nights are reasonably well attended usually 20 to 25 attendees and support for YBS events and local Championship shows is improving. I think the adage use it or lose it is finally striking home. A number of our members have been very successful on the open show circuit last year achieving a good number of top awards and challenge certificates, Dennis Spruce is someone who immediately springs to mind winning Best Breeder and Best in Show a number of times with a lovely Yellowface Grey Cock - split Recessive Pied !!!

We continue to hold our two Nest Feather and one Young Stock shows jointly with Doncaster BS and they are reasonably well supported although it would be more encouraging if more members would bring birds, there are Rosettes and Trophies donated by A & A Newsham for Best in Show at the nest feathers and there is a certain amount of friendly rivalry to see which society member takes the top award. We continue to invite top speakers and some professional people to talk at our meeting nights and it is very encouraging when members take the time out to phone in and say how much they have enjoyed the previous meeting.

This years agenda includes a talk in March by one of Hollands leading Breeders and Exhibitors Jac Cuyten. This is an open meeting and anyone from other societies would be most welcome, there will be a raffle on the night to help cover expenses so please be prepared to support it as admission will be free. Later in the year we are having an aviary visit to Sam Wildes of Burton on Trent who is one of the hobbies up and coming younger fanciers, a talk by Eric Peake is scheduled in the middle of the year, a film show and talk by Kenny Fagan and an evening with the Ron Pearce and Marcel Buhler international partnership. We have already had a panel from Middlesborough and many members have said how much they enjoyed it. Judges for our Open Show are already booked for this year and next, this years judges being the BS Club Show Winners Mick Freakley and Ian Ainley accompanied by usually one of our most valued out of town helpers at the show John Cooke so this year it may put more work onto his wife Christine who also helps in the office! The society is always very grateful for their and other out of town help

It was good to see so many of our members supporting the new YBS 50/50 draw by purchasing numbers for the year – many buying more than one number, in fact on opening the Budgie Bits I see one of our members has won third prize in the first draw – congratulations Bill Ruthven. It is some years since a full year book was printed, but a loose leaf version is under way not only containing members details , but lots of useful day to day information on feeding, seed mixtures, lighting, medicines, contact addresses for the specialist societies and much much more, making it more of a fanciers handbook and reference manual which being loose leaf can be updated as necessary. If anyone is interested in joining our society we hold our meetings on the third Monday of the month at Sheffield Lane Working Mens Club on Hatfield house lane Shefield S5 or for any more details phone me (PHILIP REANEY) on Sheffield 0114 2492740.

Thankyou

SHEFFIELD BUDGERIGAR SOCIETY

Yours Sincerely

Philip Reaney

Sheffield Budgerigar Society

BEST IN SHOW

R Steele 7-1

BEST YOUNG BIRD

A Rees 306-2

BEST OPPOSITE SEX ANY AGE

D Spruce 214-1

BEST OPPOSITE SEX YOUNG BIRD

D Spruce 313-1

NORMAL GREEN