The Ulverston and South Lakeland Cage Bird Society enjoyed great success at its second open show in 1987.

Competitors came from as far away as Blackburn and Carlisle, all eager to claim a best of breed trophy.

But on top of that was the opportunity to indulge their hobby and discuss feathered facts with fellow fanciers.

The event was held at the Wesleyan Halls in Ulverston.

The show was the culmination of almost a year’s hard work. The job of booking the judges, for example, is a task in itself and had to begin six months before the show, explained member Dennis Hartley.

One budgie expert had travelled 150 miles from Scotland to officiate at the event.

Budgies took up most of the floorspace with Carlisle entrant Doug Cleland taking the trophy for best in show.

Various breeds of canary, including birds in pastel pinks, kept up a constant commentary on proceedings.

The loudest visitor was an Australian Barbet in the foreign class.

Ulverston’s famed canary breeder Cecil Newby, who had been breeding the birds for more than 40 years, won the best canary in show, best Border canary in show, best champion unflighted Border, best champion flighted Border and best opposite sex Border.

But he would not take the trophies home. With his phenomenal success over the years, Cecil had already had enough.

“I get tired of cleaning them,” he joked. The prestige is all most breeders ask.

The society had been part of the Barrow-in-Furness society until recently. Since Ulverston enthusiasts had set up their own society they had been meeting each month at the Stan Laurel Inn.

In 1988 there were more than 500 exhibits at the society’s show. Among the local winners were: John White of Ulverston, who won the cup for the most points; Ian Mulcaster of Ulverston, who took the cup for best junior and also for the best zebra finch pair; and Alan Edwards, who won the best mule or hybrid cup and the trophy for best white canary.