SHOWS
I HAVE yet to meet a fancier under 70 who doesn't have a misty-eyed memory of the Scottish National Exhibition of old. Memories of New Year's Eves (Hogmanay to us Scots), Ne'er Days and the second of January at a huge bird show, which attracted fanciers of repute as well as those starting out from across the country: these will flow when you ask about it. But times change and the old show died and many mourners wondered if we'd ever see a national show again.
The answer is yes but in a new format which, to be frank, had the hallmarks of a real success story. The reinstituted show, now run by Scotland National Bird Club (SNBC), took place at Bo'ness on October 8, 2023. For those of a romantic notion, it had about it an air of Section 1 (1) of The Scotland Act 1998 which, misquoted, might readNational Exhibition.” In 2011, I had been frustratingly unable to help when the call went out for new blood to come to help run the old Scottish National CBS. This time, obligations to others being in past for me, I was happy to be part of the team to bring this new event to life.
