A 20-year-old Dalton woman was one of the stars at the Barrow and District Caged Bird Association show in October 1991 when her budgies and lovebirds gained top marks.

CAGE: A pair of yellow African ring necks which were judged to be the best parrots in the show in 1996

CAGE: A pair of yellow African ring necks which were judged to be the best parrots in the show in 1996

Sharon Benzie, of Littlefield, won the prestigious Tyson Cup and Evening Mail Trophy at the annual show, held at Forum 28 in the town.

The event attracted more than 250 entries.

Sharon said she was ‘very pleased’ to win at what was her second show.

“I showed at Ulverston last week,” she said. “Then it’s Whitehaven and Egremont and that’ll be it for this year.”

Sharon had kept birds for five years. She had 30 budgies, but only entered four, as well as the pair of lovebirds, which came top of their class.

Norman Leach, the association’s publicity officer, said the show had been a success with a high standard of entries. Results were the following:

Border: Best Borders: C T Newby; best opp sex, W H Swallow; best novice, W H Swallow; best champion, C T Newby; best dark, A Dancer; best white, A Edwards.

Gloster canaries: best gloster, T Anderson; best champion, T Anderson; best novice, R Giles.

New colour and AOV canaries: best new colour, N France; best Norwich, A Edwards, best Fife, J Kenyon; best AOV overall, J Kenyon.

Budgerigars: best, M McPhilips, best opp sex, D Hartley; best breeder, T Murphy.

Foreign: best finch N France; best zebra finch, I B Mulcaster; best Bengalese, R Swallow.

BIRD: From left: Cecil Newby, of Ulverston, Alec Dancer, of Barrow and Alan Edwards, of Ulverston, with their border canaries and Norwich canary

BIRD: From left: Cecil Newby, of Ulverston, Alec Dancer, of Barrow and Alan Edwards, of Ulverston, with their border canaries and Norwich canary

British: best British, R Simms & Son; best mule or hybrid, C Philipson.

Junior exhibitors: best junior exhibit, Miss C Leech; best junior Border, P Philipson; best junior AOV canary, P Philipson; best budgie Miss C Leach

Pet bird class: best pet bird, S Benzie.

SHOW: Katie Chadwick, four, from Daltron, who went along to the show in 1996 with her mum to admire the birds

SHOW: Katie Chadwick, four, from Daltron, who went along to the show in 1996 with her mum to admire the birds

At the show in 1996 Edward France, aged six, won the 'best junior' section.

"I like the different colures of the birds," said Edward, who lived at Middlefield, Barrow and whose grandfather, Norman, had been showing birds since 1855.

Enthusiastic young bird lovers like Edward were the future of the Barrow and District Caged Bird Association, said secretary Brian Robinson, who scooped the Tyson and Evening Mail trophies at that's year's show.