The Budgerigar Society President, Dave Herring, will open the Convention at 2.00 pm on Friday, to be followed by two lectures in the afternoon; Jeff Attwood & Mick Freakley “Down Memory Lane”, and Brian Sweeting “The Life of Brian – Make ‘em Breed”. The evening promises to be a fun night with an Inter Society / Group Quiz.

World champions Richard & Michael Miller will kick off the Saturday sessions with “From Junior Exhibitor to Champion Partnership”, to be followed by the vet Kevin Eatwell on “Infectious Diseases”. The afternoon session will be presented by the International Partnership of Ron Pearce & Marcel Buhler on “The Development of the Modern Show Budgerigar”. After that fanciers can watch the judging for Best in Show and view the birds. The evening will be the highlight of the Convention with the Convention Gala Dinner. After Dinner Speaker, Eric Peake will no doubt entertain everyone with his usual wit and humour.

On Sunday morning officials of the Specialist Societies Ghalib Al-Nasser, Lyn Bancroft and Ian Fielding will be talking about “The Specialist Varieties” to be followed by the successful partnership of Chris Huxley & Alan Marchant “Pairing for Success”. The Closing Ceremony and presentations will be in the afternoon.

As always, the Convention will include a show for owner bred birds only with Challenge Certificates for the 19 colours pre-graded 7 points each. Judges engaged are all past Presidents of the society over the past 5 years; Janice Al-Nasser, Geoff Capes, Dave Cottrell and Bob Francis. Entries for the show should be sent to the Show Secretary, Pat Fielding, 16 Pilkington Road, Southport, PR8 6PD All entries to the show and lectures are free of charge!

The Budgerigar Society’s Convention is an event not to be missed and a great opportunity to catch up with fellow fanciers, both nationally and internationally; so if you are free that weekend then come along and celebrate with other members The Budgerigar Society’s 85th Anniversary. I look forward to seeing you there!

For further information go to www.budgerigarsociety.com

Whether you were there or not, we are offering the same format and can guarantee that almost all these elements will again be present, at the same superb hotel, in 2010! (We are keeping our fingers crossed that the “full hand” will be completed by the return of an equally enthusiastic sun!).

We have already, of course, given advance notice of this event and its provisional programmed. Sadly, one disappointment, in that sadly Reinhard Molkentin is not well enough to attend and we send our good wishes for his future health.

So what do we still have on offer? All the ingredients recalled from 2006, although offered by different folk – except that Kevin Eatwell returns by popular demand to tell us more that we should know about budgerigar health and welfare – a prime subject. In addition, we have what should be a very entertaining evening with our own “Quiz Inquisitor”, Grant Findlay, hosting an Inter-Society/Group Quiz. Have you organised a team for this?

Whether you decide to take the full package on offer, at what is a very modest tariff for such excellent service and fare, or make alternative arrangements (there are many alternatives on offer at Southport) we hope that you will “Come & Join Us”.

The full programme and further information is available on the BS website:

• 2010 Convention page on BS website