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President Bill Bancroft & his wife Lyn
with their Whitewing Skyblue Hen
Best Opposite Sex in Show at the
M.B.A. Area Championship Show in 2005.
Welcome to the website of the Notts & Derby Budgerigar Association. It really does give me great pleasure to have the opportunity of writing these few words here and making full use of this modern technology. Who would have dreamt when I started out in the hobby in 1947, that some 60 years later people from all over the world could have access to my words at the press of a few buttons.
Notts & Derby Budgerigar Association is steeped in tradition having originally been founded during the war years, 1942 to be precise. In the articles section on this site those interested in the historical side of things can read an article originally written in 1958 by Mr C.E.Atkin, it tells of the progress of the Open Shows held by the Notts & Derby B. & F.B.A. up until 1958. Yes, originally the Association also catered for Foreign Birds too. How do I know all this, because in 1958 I was Editor of the Association's Year Book. In those days Gordon Lindsay was our Chairman, D.R Hackett was our Secretary & Treasurer and our Show Secretaries were Ken & Betty Gell. Bet also used to run the social section. The first Open Show held by the Society was on the 12th of August 1944 and was staged at Friar Lane Adult Schoolrooms. It was a one day show and attracted 480 entries.
1958 was also a memorable year for me as I was elected President of Notts & Derby for the first time. There can be few small local societies that can boast of having two of their members elected as President of the parent body The Budgerigar Society and who have also won their Silver Bird Award, but Notts & Derby can. Firstly, there is myself as I was President in 1977 and was awarded the Silver Bird in the same year primarily for introducing the Breeders C.C.s to the show scene. Our second recipient of these two great honours was our own Betty Gell who cut her teeth in the fancy at Notts & Derby. Bet was made President of the B.S. in 1983, at the time she was also Notts & Derby President and many of us were present to witness our lady President being made President of the Budgerigar Society. Bet was awarded the Silver Bird the following year for her services to the fancy.
Like any society, over the years Notts & Derby has suffered mixed fortunes. The Foreign Bird section was dropped from our title I believe during the 1980s. Indeed I think it would be fair to say that at one stage we nearly went under as attendances at our meetings dwindled so much that it became practically a one man and his dog scenario! Tony Nind desperately tried to keep things together when meetings were held at the Trentside Club at the turn of the century. However, by a pure quirk of fate it would appear that the virus year of 2003 saw the start of the Phoenix rising from the ashes. We owe a deep debt of gratitude to the likes of Bill & Margaret Walker whose support for the Association has been tremendous taking on many positions at a time when heavily committed to keeping other societies afloat. Then we have our current Chairman, Ivan Brough our father figure who we fondly refer to as "Mr Notts & Derby" having been in the hobby since 1967. We also have the help and support of our friends from Ollerton & Bevercotes C.B.S.
In 2003 the Society didn't stage an Open Show due to the restrictions imposed by the virus. The following year we couldn't hold a show, there were insufficient funds in the kitty to risk running one. However, slowly but surely we have clawed our way back and each year the entries at our Open Championship Show have gradually increased. We do rely heavily on the support of friends and fanciers from all parts of the country it is true, to help us stage our Open Show and I do hope that this help and support will continue. I think that sadly this is a sign of the times, long gone are the days when membership of the Budgerigar Society was over 20,000, and to some extent we must all draw our horns in and help one another.
We now have an excellent venue for our monthly meetings at the Fiveways. We also try to engage excellent speakers for those monthly meetings, and have had some great nights in recent years. We also have regular aviary visits and interact with other societies, holding quiz nights and inter-club competitions. Our membership is steady, and we have a regular nucleus of fanciers who attend our functions, but of course we would like more.
What does the future hold for Notts & Derby? Who knows. Will it still be around in another 66 years time? I sincerely hope so, although I shall not be around to see it. As I said earlier, it is a sign of the times that due to many circumstances we are faced with an ever shrinking hobby, but at the end of the day it is down to each and every one of us to promote this hobby that we love in the best way that we possibly can. It is a wonderful challenge and has become a way of life for many of us. We owe that much to all those individuals in the past that have given countless hours of their time, without thanks, or honours, or payment, to ensure that we have the facilities and opportunities we have today.
So, finally may I welcome you to this the Notts & Derby Budgerigar Association website. I hope you will enjoy browsing through it's pages and if you like what you see, perhaps you would like to join us, visit our monthly meetings, or show at our Open Show. Rest assured there will always be a warm welcome for you in Robin Hood country,
Yours in the fancy,
Bill Bancroft
President
Notts & Derby Budgerigar Association
