FEATURE As we all go through life certain events
come to mind and in my case it is the number nine. In 1929 I became interested in bird life. 1939 found me in Khaki and being called up. I was already in the Territorial Royal Engineers so I was already familiar with our drill hall. January 1941 found me, along with
many thousands of others, in the largest convoy to ever leave our shores.
Sixty-
eight boats in all. I travelled on the Monarch of Bermuda, a luxury liner.
Five of the boats stopped at Gibraltar
where I was lucky to spend 2 years and 289 days. Others went to various destinations but the majority went to Singapore, captivity and death. In 1949 I was elected to the Budgerigar
Society General Council representing the South Midlands. In 1959, after I had hung up my
football boots for the Old Lutonians 2 years earlier, our names were all put in hat and I was lucky enough to get a ticket for the Cup Final when Luton Football Club took part and lost. The match coincided with the South
Midlands Annual Dinner and Dance at St Albans Golf Club.
After travelling back Bengalese Finch
John has recently been elected as a Bengalese Finch Judge and is already judging at premier events up and down the country.
from Wembley, I got there very late and all the guests were seated by the time I arrived. As I was Chairman at the time there was much mickey taking. It was a time when I used to go dancing in London, not that I was much good, my partner got two tickets for the annual Actors Charity Ball at the Festival Hall. The draw took place during the evening and the winning number was mine, No 111. The prize was a holiday for two in the luxury suite used by Lord and Lady Docker who had been banned from Monaco and consequently Cannes. Travel and accommodation for a week’s stay, a wonderful 1st prize. Two of my other friends from Highbury made up a party of four to tour France,
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