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Each year the Northern Cavy Fanciers sends out Pen Card support to any shows interested, these are awarded by the show secretaries for Best Self, Non Self, RV, Juvenile, Juvenile RV, Adult Owned Pet & Juvenile Owned Pet. These can then be returned by the members in exchange for a 'Diploma'. At the end of each year the person with the most diplomas wins a prize

Winner ~ P & A Jackson with 5 Diplomas (Winner of the trophy and Ł10 Cash prize)

Joint Second ~ Lesley Stephens & Jane Phillipson (dividing the second cash prize of Ł6 between them)

Joint Third ~ John Pashley & Charlotte Airey (Ł2 divided equally between them)

Talking of judges its ballot time. This year is the year for the re election of the committee & judging panel as well as the yearly ballot for show venues. So if you wish to stand for any position, committee or judging panel please let me know by the 30th September 2003. The ballot will go out with the Newsletter in mid October. Remember you will need to have someone propose, and second your nomination as well as signing it yourself. All current judges/committee members will be automatically put back on the ballot unless they inform me to the contrary by 30th September.

By the time you read these notes the Spring Stock Show at Oldham will have come and gone, we will have had our AGM and be approaching our Birthday show on June 29^th. All members will be sent copies of the minutes of the AGM as well as a club balance sheet with the next newsletter. If you want them sooner just let me know.

Cavies rather took me by surprise last month with their outstanding efficiency publishing our small advert one month earlier than I had intended, the full schedule will be published in JUNE cavies not May.

We have had some more raffle prizes donated. A HUGE toy dog from Mitsy Stud (that keeps causing my dogs to go into a frenzy of barking); a single carry box from Fenland Stud; a carry box from Slainte Mor Stud and a set of cavy models from Sweetpigs Stud. It will certainly be a raffle to remember. Also many thanks to those that have already promised pigs for the auction, S & C Airey and Foxhole Highlander Stud, they are much appreciated. Remember you will get some of the money back, and some will go to the club. You can promise stock at any time, and are welcome to let me know what you can offer when you put your entries in if you like.

Finally congratulations go to Red Robin Stud for registering a single championship with their Black sow ‘Red Robin Steadfast & True’, the first championship we have had for some time.

Club notes time again, it seems to come around quicker every month. By the time you read these notes our Spring Stock show will be almost upon us at Oldham, May 3^rd. Entries should go to chrisfort@northerncavy.co.uk the schedule will be elsewhere in this issue of Cavies. Can I also remind you that the club AGM will be held at this show at 1 30pm. There is still time to get things onto the agenda (as long as it doesn’t involve changing rules), so if you want something discussed make sure you get it to me at least 14 days before the show.

The Birthday show is approaching rapidly and the team are really working hard to make it a show to remember, here are the details so far …

The Show will be a members only show (so if you want to come and join in the fun, join now!!!) Double Points will be awarded. Our Judges will be Jim Fort for Selfs, Chris Ashton for Non Selfs (if the entry is large Jim may judge some of the Non Selfs or we may engage another judge), Ken Lomas for RV’s and Best In Show, Juveniles & Pets D Johnston, Novelty Classes C Fort. The Best In Show will receive a wonderful engraved tankard donated by the Winking Cavy Store, Best Of Breed’s will receive a special birthday award.

The Novelty Classes will be as follows; Most Glamorous Sow, Most Handsome Boar, Cheekiest Cavy, Fastest Muncher, Most Laid Back Cavy and Cavy Fancy Dress. Fastest Muncher will be judged as follows, each cavy will be given a dandelion leaf of the same size (provided by the show team), and first to finish is the winner. The Cavy Fancy dress will be judged at a specific time (keep an eye on club notes for exact details), exhibitors will be warned 20 minutes before the judging so that they have time to ‘dress’ their cavies. This way the cavies don’t spend all day in their ‘costume’, which would be impossible.

Also at the show we will be having a Supreme Raffle. Prizes donated so far are ~ Feed Vouchers from Allen & Paige, A travelling box by Paul Leach, an Indoor Cavy Cage and 2 ‘Rat Play Balls’ (all new) donated by Mitsy Stud, a mystery Prize from R & H Henshaw. A prize donated by Avondale Animal Housing and our star prize a Portrait of your pet done by a professional artist worth Ł100+ donated by Wathwood Stud. To see the quality of these portraits if you have access to the Internet you can visit http://www.geocities.com/luthien95/miscgal.html.

We also plan to have a ‘Lucky Dip’ if you have any ‘bits & pieces’ that you think would be suitable and would like to donate see me at any show.

There will also be an auction of top quality stock on the day… for more details see Daisy’s notes (hopefully below these)

Offers of help will be gratefully received. If I can just ‘thank in advance’; David Collier & Dot Hamer have offered to run the kitchen. (I am sure they would appreciate help not to mention lots of cakes…do we have any bakers out there). Daisy, for her offer to run the Auction, Elaine Padley for her offer to help to write the prize cards, and Chris Fort for her invaluable help so far which I am sure, knowing Chris, will extend to the day.

Northern Cavy Fanciers

Just a short note this month as most things were covered in the recent newsletter. First of all many thanks to the 164 people that renewed their membership promptly in (or before) January it makes our lives a lot easier !! You should by now have received your copy of Issue 6 of Northern News. If you haven't received your newsletter then the most likely explanation is that you haven't renewed your membership, upon receipt of your renewal you will of course be sent one immediately. If you HAVE renewed and not received your newsletter please get in touch and we will investigate.

Finally some Birthday show news, The Winking Cavy Store are providing us with a wonderful engraved silver tankard for the Best in Show trophy. I am sure most people would love to win this and many thanks must go to the Winking Cavy Store for their donation.

I said the note was short this month !!! happy showing.

Heather

Northern Cavy Fanciers

It never rains but it pours.... and pour it certainly did on the week leading up to Tockwith show, I have never seen such rain in summer before, the news was telling of flooding all over the North and yet still I held out hope. That hope was sadly thwarted by 'someone upstairs' and Kathy Dudding had the unenviable task of first of telling me the show was cancelled and then phoning the majority of the exhibitors to let them know, all of this on the Friday afternoon before the show. Kathy you did a sterling job and you deserve a medal.

It isnt all bad news though, Kathy has once again come to the rescue with an alternative venue. We will have to wait a while ( you cant organise a show in the blink of an eye), it will be in December, but on the positive side, we can have a true Christmas show. I have all sorts of ideas for specials so watch this space. The date will be the 8th December, the venue Barnetby Cavy Club. This will for one year only replace our Summer Stock Show and points will be awarded as usual. Thanks again Kathy.

Another piece of news is regarding the Humberside Championships show, as you will know we are having our Autumn Stock show at this venue. I can now announce that this show will also be The Barbara McKechnie Memorial Show. It has been delayed by Foot & Mouth and inclement weather in years gone by, but this year nothing will stop us going ahead with it. We are having some beautiful rosettes made and there will be a special award for Best Longhair ( Barbaras Breed), it will be a show to remember so I hope to see as many of you there as possible.

It is that time of year to start submitting venues in writing for the 2003 Northern Stock Show. I would like as many as possible please ,so secreatries if your club is able to cater for the NCF, then give it a go, as many dates as you like. They will all go to ballot and the members will decide. I need any submissions by October 31st at the latest please.

As always you can contact me at anytime (not after 9pm please) using the details inside the back cover of Cavies magazine. Happy Showing

Heather

The breeders register is proving very popular indeed, I am receiving many phone calls from featured breeders testifying to its effectivness. Rememebr this is a free service to all NCF members and may well help you sell that excess stock that we all have from time to time. If you are not in then people may not know you are there, just contact me with your details to be featured. You can contact the club here, or you can write to me or phone.

By the time you read these notes it will be January and the first NCF show at Warrington on the 13th January will be upon us. There will be rosettes a plenty and between writing cards I look forward to meeting some of those members I only know by name.

January also means that your subs are now due so please pay them as soon as you can. I will take subs at Warrington, I will be at Doncaster on the Saturday, and you can also send them to me at my address which I will put at the bottom of these notes.

The ballot results are in and the results are detailed elsewhere in this issue of Cavies. May I welcome 2 new judges to our panel, David Collier & Peter Wardman, I hope all NCF members will support them and give them bumper entries in the shows they are chosen to judge at. Indeed David has been plunged in at the deep end and is judging at Warrington for the NCF so I wish him good luck in his first engagement.

A note to Club Secretaries. The Northern Cavy Fanciers offer pen card support to any club in our area with recognised judges. Please do apply for them, send any requests to me with an s.a.e., we would like to get both the points competition and the pen card competition off to a flying start this year.

Also on the cards is a new Breeders Register, this will be on our website (www.northerncavy.co.uk) and be made into a booklet which will be sent out with Welcome packs. It will contain contact details for members who are willing to set people up with stock when they have any available, or maybe even just supply pets to members of the public who would rather go to a breeder than a pet shop. This will be a free service to all Northern members and if you wish to be included please let me know.

The next issue of Northern News will soon be in production so if you have any contributions or would like to advertise please get details to me by the 15th February. Advertising will be at the same rate as before Ł3 per issue or Ł10 for 4 issues ( a year)

And finally may I say thank you to all of the members who have given me encouragement and help since I took on the job as secretary, especially Chris & Steve Ashton, Chris Fort, and Mac. Your advice & support has been invaluable, you all deserve a medal. I wish you all the very best of luck at Doncaster and in the whole of 2002. See you at Warrington.

Heather Henshaw, 94 Overdale Road, Romiley, Stockport. SK6 3JB Tel 0161 430 6659.

By the time you read these notes you should have received the first edition of the clubs newsletter. I am hoping to be able to publish the newsletter on a quarterly basis, and any contributions will be gratefully received. If you haven't received the newsletter then you need to contact me as I may not be aware you are a member. My apologies for the mix up with the memberships, it has been unfortunate but we are working on getting it sorted asap.

You should also have received your ballot paper for the officials and venues for the shows for the year 2002, please use your vote.

I would also like to welcome 2 new members to the club, Lynn & Trevor Greenwood from the Bradford area.

Elsewhere in this edition of Cavies you will be able to read the first
club notes from our new Secretary, Heather Henshaw, and I do not wish to meddle
in her activities in this area. This is just a few words to say thanks to all our members for bearing with the club through the last few problematical months, but also to say that the club really is in good hands now with Heather at the helm.

Heather has a lot of enthusiasm and is bursting with new ideas of her own, so give her your full backing and the club will move forward and you will reap the benefits.

Over to you Heather

Steve Ashton
Chairman

The Humberside Championship show was our host for only the second NCF show this year, thanks to foot and mouth. I am glad to report that the show was very well supported despite the clubs recent problems, congratulations go to Beryl Gibbons for B I S and to John Pashley for Best Juvenile, and also to our president Graham Phillips for BIS in the Humberside Champs.

Now down to business. At Humberside the club's AGM was finally held, delayed by the F & M, and I was elected as secretary. Thanks must go to Jeff & Barbara Billinger for 9 years hard work, I remember many years ago when I first joined Barbara was my first contact in the cavy fancy and made me most welcome, no doubt many other members can say the same. I am sure you join me in wishing them all the best in the future. I can only say that I will do my best to carry on the good work. I have many ideas of my own but I would really like ideas from YOU the members, after all its your club. My contact details for ideas are below.

Soon you will be receiving your ballot forms to elect our judging panel and show venues, please use your vote, returns are notoriously low, so vote and make a difference to your club. You will also be receiving..... as soon as I get it done..... a newsletter letting you know what is going on in your clubs, our ideas for the future etc, if you wish to contribute to our newsletter again please contact me with any contributions, thank you.

Once again apologies for the lack of notes of late- 2000 has been a very eventful year for both ourselves and the club. With a lot of major happenings it has been very difficult for us to keep you all up to date with the goings on in the club. At the time of writing there looks to be a good entry at Barnetby for our Autumn show and also there will hopefully have been the same for the Special Stock Show at Oldham- this is a show to replace the cancelled show Spring which was washed out at Honley.

Next years Stock shows have already been decided without the need for a ballot- therefore thanks to the clubs for putting forward we will be going to :- WINTER- Blackpool; SPRING- Oldham; SUMMER-Lincoln; AUTUMN-Humberside Championship show. Dates will be published as soon as possible.

2001 sees the issue of the next Club Handbook and therefore we would like to ask you all for material for it in terms of adverts and/or articles. Last time we ran out of space due to the amount of adverts placed so this time if you want to guarantee your place we must have your details and your funds as soon as possible.

Prices are Ł10 Full Page or Ł6 Half Page. We are aiming to issue the handbook sometime during Springtime next year.

You will have noticed that we haven't issued any trophies at the stock shows recently, this is down to members ( and now non members ) not returning their trophies when they should have done. Therefore I must announce that all the club trophies MUST be returned to ourselves by the end of the year.