Having retired from full time work in 2018, one might imagine I would have had more time to keep up my blog. However, raising 83 young canaries and writing regularly for Cage & Aviary Birds weekly newspaper, I found I had run out of energy during a busy show season.

Rather than a show by show report, I thought I would just highlight the journey of last show season which, unusally for me, included two European shows, The Goldren Ring in Belgium in early December and the World Show in the Netherlands in January, 2019.

Following Loanhead, I exhibited at Grangemouth and Musselburgh, winning several classes at each event. Musselburgh saw a buff hen take Best Scots.

At the Old Variety Canary Association northern show, another buff cock took Best Scots and 2nd Best Old Variety and a Belgian was Best Belgian and 3rd Best Old Variety and a Giboso took Best Rare. That was a great day out amongst good friends in the fancy in Northumberland.

After a week's break, we headed 400 miles south to the High Wycombe Canary Breeders Association show which has a great old varieties section. I had 3 class wins in Scots but was delighted, against serious competition, to win Best Belgian and Best Giboso. It was a long journey which we did over 4 days so a wee holiday in rural, southern England.

The end of November saw the Scots Fancy Specialist Club show at Linlithgow and I was pleased to win Best Belgian, Best Any Other Variety (the latter with a Giboso) and three trophies for my Scots, Best Piebald, Best Yellow and Most Points. Gordon Alexander took best Scots with a lovely bird.

The Golden Ring show in Belgium is a great event. This year, I sent my birds on ahead and went to Belgium by plane and spent a night there before returning. The Scots won nothing in this competition but what became apparent was the difference between the European Scots Fancy and the UK variety. I found the European winners disappointing - crossed wings and hollowed backs. It is becoming a different bird in Europe. However, one of my Belgians took a bronze medal and the Gibosos took two gold and two silver medals. A real thrill.

Kelso Ornithological Society is the last UK show of the year for me. I had only 1 class win (there were only 4 classes) but again a Belgian did well. I didn't take the Gibosos as they were tired after their long trip to Europe and wanted to save them for the World Show in Zwole, Netherlands in January.

The World Show is the Olympics of the bird world. I entered 12 Scots and again won nothing, noticing again the difference in the European bird. My Belgians did not win anything either but to be honest, last year's crop were better birds. However, one of my Gibosos, Ring No 4/18, on which I had had my eye for some time took a bronze medal against serious Spanish competition. Its sibling was 4th in its class so I was over the moon.

All in all, a wonderful show season. Whether we will be allowed to exhibit our birds in post-Brexit Europe remains an open question. I can only hope so.