Kings Lynn Fur & Feather Society

The principal object of the King's Lynn and District Fur and Feather Society is as set out in the first of its rules - " the joint promotion of all forms of small livestock keeping as a hobby and the staging of shows for the exhibition of small livestock."

Originally, membership of the Society was restricted to fanciers living within fifty miles of the town of King's Lynn in Norfolk, England but nowadays, membership is open to anyone in the United Kingdom interested in the Society's aims.

Fur and Feather Societies, embracing all the forms of small livestock were once very common but are now met with only here and there. The Second World War gave such clubs a boost with an increase in rabbit, egg and poultry production to help towards self-sufficiency in food.

The King's Lynn Society, however, is much older than that as, in 1954, it was advertising its "55^th Annual Open Show, to be held in The Corn Exchange, King's Lynn on 10^th and 11^th December."

Originally, classes were staged for poultry, rabbits, cage-birds, pigeons (fancy and racing) and, on some occasions, for cavies (guinea pigs) too.

Large shows (the one referred to above attracted an entry of 600 pigeons) were usually held in The Corn Exchange and were known as "The Norfolkman" but by the 1960's, the Cage Bird Section had formed its own society but still staged its shows along with "The Norfolkman."

The Society was, for many years, responsible for staging the Fur and Feather Section at the Sandringham Flower Show, held on the last Wednesday in July on the Royal Estate at Sandringham in conjunction with |King's Lynn Festival Week. This became the Society's "Summer Show", at which members of the Royal Family were usually present and who were interested in viewing the birds and animals on display.

An Annual Dinner and Prize Presentation - with performers or entertainers! - was also held in King's Lynn.

The Society probably reached its zenith during the 1950's, 60' and 70's. Interest rather fell away during the 1980's through a lack of workers but the Society did not disband altogether, although the former poultry keeping members formed their own very successful Norfolk Poultry Club.

Then in 1992, the rabbit and pigeon fanciers locally decided to rejuvenate the old Society and shows resumed. Unfortunately, however, a suitable venue could not be found in the area large enough to house both sections at the same time, so separate rabbit and pigeon shows were staged. Shows were held at Fincham, Sandringham, Three Holes, Wayland and Long Sutton as no suitable venue in King's Lynn could be found.

However, in 2006, all the Society's rabbit pens were stolen from storage at Three Holes Village Hall which, regrettably, has brought about the demise of the Rabbit Section for the time being.

Nevertheless, the Society still attempts to promote rabbits along with its publicity for pigeons by use of the Society's publicity stand, used at Sandringham and Wayland Shows and at the "Spring Fling" event for children at the Norwich Showground.

In addition to Sandringham and Wayland, the Pigeon Section now holds its Annual Show in Long Sutton in January and has staged its first successful "Garden Lawn Show" in the Society's recently purchased garden marquee and which is stored along with pens, tables, trestles etc. in the Society's own warehouse.

Prospects, therefore, for the Pigeon Section in the immediate future appear most encouraging and we hope will result in more people taking up the hobby and supporting our shows. Further, it is the wish of all concerned that it may be possible to reinstate the Rabbit Section at some future date and so stage joint shows again of all the Society's interests as it did in the past and in the memory of all those grand fanciers who, over the past one hundred years, have given so much time and effort into keeping this very old Society in being.

Kings Lynn Fur & Feather Society from start to the present day.