The way forward for the UK’s Yorkshire canary fancy

I ENTERED the Yorkshire canary hobby in 1959, just before the introduction of the Golding Model. Even today, this model remains recognised worldwide, portraying a graceful, elegant bird which provides the ultimate challenge to birdkeepers across the globe.

I joined the Yorkshire Canary Club, along with the Lancashire YCC, as a young boy, and was largely unaware of the work involved behind the scenes of our great hobby. I exhibited at shows in and around Manchester, where I simply hopped on a bus, together with a couple of heavy wooden show cage cases. I ventured into Merseyside, the Midlands and the South at times, depending on whether I could persuade my parents or other fanciers to take me.

At that time, there were four specialist Yorkshire canary clubs in the UK. That