Any article is prompted by something or someone who feeds thoughts into the writer. My thoughts were initially triggered by the Spangle Day and Show of 2003 which was reported in the Winter issue of the Spangle Review.

Since I first say the very first Spangles bred in the UK by Alf Ormerod, who proudly displayed two baby Grey Green Spangles at The Budgerigar Society meeting in Droitwich, Worc. I was invited by Alf to photograph these birds along with the others he had bred. Having previously been offered the first Spangles by Rolf Christensen at The Budgerigar Society Club Show, unfortunately too expensive for my pocket at that time. It was a pleasure to see Alf’s efforts to promote this wonderful variety of the Budgerigar. Harry Bryan, who also had the first Spangles, bred a Violet Spangle cock, which I guaranteed, before it left for the USA. It was a magnificent bird which later founded some of the vast number of Spangles in America.

My personal thoughts on Spangles are they are visually a superb bird which has not only helped the fertility in our stock, but gave us a meteoric rise to quality birds once introduced to other birds of exhibition quality. The Spangle is a beautiful piece of natural art, the delicate markings on the wings surely can be claimed as one of the most stunning variety of Budgerigars.

When the fancy was exposed to Spangles increasing in numbers, it was obvious that a Challenge Certificate would be required for exhibition birds. This of course cam about and some wonderful specimens graced the show bench in the earlier years. Progress has been made by prominent fanciers in recent years. The double win by Frank Silva at The B.S. Club Show surely boosted the variety in great strides. Spangles are a major example of how man has developed a variety to its limit.

A Single factor Spangle is an aesthetic piece of natural engineering, with the markings so denoting the species. A Double Factor Spangle though technically a Spangle is not a visual example of its variety, therefore, my personal belief is that a double factor Spangle should never take the award for Best Spangle in Show. How can a bird with no markings at all be an example for the written word Spangle? Double Factor Spangles are wonderful birds in the area they are in, some excellent show specimens of size, style and shape have been seen, and a deserved award to the breeder should be recognised. Therefore, the solution is very simple, award a major prize for Best Spangle to a Single Factor Spangle and a major prize for Double Factor be given to a Double Factor. The Spangle Budgerigar Breeders’ Association is there for the promotion and development of the Spangle. The Society should promote the awards to all Spangle breeders and exhibitors, e.g. best Double Factor, best Single Factor and eliminate the "Best in Show". The National Exhibition, which I have judged on three occasions, make it very difficult to judge a Humming Bird from a Budgerigar.