Gravesend, Northfleet and Swanscombe Cage Bird Society
Giving a voice to the club
HOMEPAGE - Kent bird club
- This page was last updated: 16 April 2012. (Website last updated: 28 April 2012)
Welcome to the Gravesend, Northfleet and Swanscombe Cage Bird Society's website.
We're a Kent bird club and we hope this website will promote both the club and the keeping of cage and aviary birds in and around the Gravesend and Medway Towns area.
We're keen to stress that the focus is on local matters, providing information about this and other Kent clubs, and a guide to where to find birds and buy equipment.
We've also included a link on keepers' language , which sets out what we mean by terms like specialist societies. In this way, we hope the website will be useful whether you've years of experience or yet to own your first bird.
News
The Ashford Bird Club is no longer operating and details about the club's bird sales have now been removed from our website.
Please note that, because of the dates for Easter this year, there will be no club meeting in April. Our next meeting is Monday 14 May 2012. Click here for the dates for 2012.
The club elected a new committee for 2012 at the recent AGM mtg with John Gray taking over from Mick Price as club secretary. Click here for the new committee. The 2012 club show was also set for Sat 10 Nov at our usual venue. Click here for a list of shows across Kent and the South East.
The club's 2011 annual show went off with a rush at the door and a very welcome turnout by the local community. Click here for an update and pictures taken on the day.
Very unhappy news that Leeds Castle is to close its established aviary in October 2012. The trustees have stated that they want to use the money spent on the aviary (£200,000/ year) 'to plough back into the castle'. Renowned for breeding rare and endangered species, the aviary is seen by many as a high point of the castle. The news is therefore bewildering. Curator of birds, Laura Gardner, was quoted in Cage and Aviary (26/10/2011) as saying that all the birds will be re-homed before it shuts its doors but this closure will be a huge loss to aviculture in Kent, not to mention the livelihood of the staff employed in the aviary.
2010 Fife canaries just out of the egg.
[Photographer: Ron Turner]
About the club
The Gravesend, Northfleet and Swanscombe Cage Bird Society (GNS CBS) has a long history and our club name provides an indication of past mergers. With the dissolution of many bird clubs in recent years, GNS CBS is now one of the few still remaining in Kent.
The club meets every second Monday of the month for presentations, discussions, table shows, and general banter/ exchanging of advice. The highlight is the Saturday, annual show that's open to the public. Not all keepers show their birds though and potential members shouldn't be put off if they're only keen on knowing more about the hobby in general.
Club membership
If you'd like to consider joining this Kent bird club, come along to one of the monthly meetings and have a chat with the members. You shouldn't be put off if you're new to bird keeping and we welcome new members even if you're still considering which birds to keep. Membership for 2011 runs until 31 Dec 2011 and subscriptions are £4 (individuals), £3 (seniors & juniors).
History
The Swanscombe and Northfleet Cage Bird Society was founded in 1924 and held its inaugural meeting in the Queen's Head pub on The Hill in Northfleet. The Gravesend and District Cage Bird Society was founded in 1937 where it initially met in Freeborn's Hall in Peacock Street, Gravesend before moving to St. James Hall on Darnley Road. The two amalgamated in 1946 to form the current society with meetings originally being held at Princes Street Hall in Gravesend before moving to the current location in St Mark's.
Web accessibility
The website has been designed to provide, as far as we're able, optimum accessibility to users with regard to type of browser, resizing of browser window, and screen reading software. We'd therefore like to hear any comments or problems that you may have encountered in using this site. Many thanks.
