Report by Janice Al-Nasser, Publicity Officer

The Chairman of the Spangled BBA, Stuart Forbes, welcomed members to the 2004 Spangle Day at a new venue in Lincoln, hosted by the Mid Lincs. B&FBS, and thanked members for attending and bringing birds to the show for the Society’s outgoing President Alan Moore to judge.

The guest speaker for the event was the outgoing B.S. President Dave Cottrell who gave a Power Point presentation showing slides with commentary of his set-up and life in the fancy. He informed members that in 1985 he went into partnership with his long time friend and mentor Eric Peake and his stud was altered at that point. Initially he had a stud of normals which did well for him on the show bench but with the partnership, spangles and dominant pieds were introduced which resulted in winning a spangle CC in 1991.

Most outcrosses obtained over the past 7 years were from Frank Silva and he believed that a grey spangle cock that Frank bred in late 1999 from his BIS at the 1999 club show is the best budgie that he has ever seen. Frank refers affectionately to that bird as the No. 7 son.

Winners with Judge & President Alan Moore (centre) and Speaker Dave Cottrell (far right).

Dave showed a slide of a quality dominant pied that won him 11 CCs and is now a registered champion. This bird was bred from a spangle x dominant pied pairing. He is now working with many spangles in his pairings. Dave also outlined his feeding method with the use of red millet sprays, soft food with plenty of carrots. Other additives used were the Vydex products such as Growrite, Entrodex, Ascorbivite & MVS 30.

Dave also gave his views on judging specialist varieties by saying that you need to look at the bird first and variety second. With spangles as well as recessive pieds you may have a good budgie in front of you but lacking in wing marking against a smaller bird with good marking. It is only a dilemma if you consider the marking first. Dave thought that perhaps the B.S. needs to look again at the Scale of Points for the specialist varieties and make it 50/50 instead of the current 60/40 ratio.

On a question posed to Dave about the current system of patronage, Dave suggested that we need to have an overhaul of the current system whereby we dispense with the section awards and allocate specials to each colour in each section but retain the BIS award. He felt that there is no logic in show officials working to the end of the show sorting out section awards. It must be easier to allocate awards from the colour run down sheets.

Dave also mentioned that the new B.S. Guidelines gives the opportunity to stage shows by colour, thus making less movement of birds.

Dave said that the best spangle marked bird that he had seen was Tom Deacon’s 2002 BIS but that Frank Silva’s best young bird was a better budgie, but not as well marked as Tom’s.

When asked for his Presidential Year highlight, Dave was honest enough to reply that there was none, as the year did not exist for him.

At the conclusion of the presentation and Question & Answer session Stuart Forbes thanked Dave for a most enjoyable session with a quality presentation and honest answers.

Fanciers were still not confident enough to come out with their birds to shows but the Members’ Show still attracted a total of 49 spangles from 9 exhibitors, which was up on the  previous year. The Best spangle in show and best intermediate went to L. R. Boshier (Spangle Dark Green cock); best champion, C. & D. Jones (Spangle Grey cock); best novice, S. C. Speed (Spangle Grey hen); best beginner, B. Hirst (Double Factor Spangle White cock); best Opposite Sex, A. Stevens (Spangle Opaline Skyblue hen). There were no juniors exhibiting this year.

Outgoing Spangled B.B.A. President Alan Moore,
handing over the Chain of Office to Chris Keeler President for 2004.

At the AGM, Chris Keeler was inaugurated as the new President and Alan Moore was elected to the post of President Elect again to compensate for the non-eventful year that he had. All other officers remained the same and were announced as: G. Al-Nasser, Life Vice President; S. Amos, J. Attwood, F. Canham, B. & C. Heale, R. Molkentin, F. Silva, R. Stringer & R. Thumwood, Vice Presidents; Stuart Forbes, Chairman & Treasurer; Clifton Wixon (98 Highworth Crescent, Yate, Bristol BS37 4HL. Tel: 01454 881334 e-mail marionwixon@blueyonder.co.uk), Secretary; Marion Wixon, Vice Chairman & Editor; John Cosby, Membership Secretary; Rod Clarke, patronage secretary; Janice Al-Nasser, Publicity Officer; Sue Clarke, Trophy Steward; Bob Allen, Cy Thorne and Ian Rickwood, committee members.