Well, after the long wait its ........................... Talke Pits tomorrow :P

This is probably my favourite show, as it is purely softbills & is such a relaxed & friendly atmosphere :lol:

It is the the biggest team I have ever entered - 9 cages

May not sound a lot, but when they are all approx 24 x 12 x 16 cages & odd shapes it takes a bit of loading into the car, but have managed it with room for one or two more for next time :lol:
It certainly took me a while finishing off the cages, & catching up birds & settling them in :lol:

The team consists of:
Cinnamon Blackbird, Cinnamon Thrush, CYB Cinnamon Thrush, 2 x CYB normal thrush (a cock & a hen), Redstart, Pied Wagtail, CYB Dunnock & CYB Redstart.

So it will be an early start for me in the morning for the 130 mile trip up to Stoke :wink:

Bit late posting this but what a fantastic day out it was on Sunday :P

It is the freindly softbill show; you take your own birds in, check them in yourself, stage them yourself & then everyone stays in the hall whilst the judging takes place.
You even then just collect up your birds at the end & check your own birds out - its all done on trust m8)

There is an unlimited supply of tea or coffee, sausage butties for breakfast & then pies served at lunch - all free - you just donate what you want to help cover the costs.

In one corner is a TV playing DVDs & a sofa where you can watch some of the "home videos" of breeding stonechats, ring ouzels, wheatears etc etc - fabulous

There was 144 softbills entered - an amazing total as the show grows each year. The biggest show of softbills to be seen these days.

So here are the results:

Best colour variant, best large softbill & best in show was Ron McCluskey's super Blackbird Hen



Best Small softbill was Eric Booton with a lovely little pair of Meadow Pipits



Best CYB bird was Alan Lythe with an extremely well presented Meadow pipit:



Alans cages where an absolute work of art & I have never seen anything like it - certainly setting the standard, here is one of his with a Stonechat in:




Best Novice bird & 2nd best small bird was yours truly with the Redstart




I would just like to say a huge thank you to the judge Chris Atkinson plus John Green, Ron McCluskey and Eric Booton who were the main organisers plus & all the other helpers who made such a superb day.

Robb