Editor's letter (August 20 issue)

Having recently survived a major refurbishment of my flat, I know how difficult it can be to find a suitable place to keep things in storage while the builders are hard at work. Bird clubs up and down the country that stage annual shows will know what I’m talking about. Where, for instance, do you put all that show staging when it’s not required?

Regular contributor Jim Addison shares a funny tale about this very subject which is bound to resonate with many of you. In Jim’s article “So where do you keep yours?” (see this week's issue, page 10), he recounts how one set of club staging has lived in an old folks’ home, a greenhouse and various attics. If only staging could talk, what a tale this particular lot would have to tell – especially as it seems to have been on the move for about 40 years!

If you have a similar tale to tell about your club’s difficulties in keeping the staging safe when it’s not needed, or, better still, a solution that might work for others, then do write in and let us know. 

In other news, it’s great to see some interesting captive breeding successes being recorded in zoos and bird parks this year. In this week’s issue we report on a world first – a beach stone-curlew in Australia – and a surprise shy giant wood-rail here in the UK (see page 3 in this week's issue for both stories).

Finally, if you don’t mind the odd tipple, don’t forget to enter our competition to win a case of 20 bottled beers from around the world. We have four to give away, and each case is worth £29.95. To enter, turn to page 5 of this week's issue, fill in the entry form and send it to us by the September 30 closing date. Good luck!