I have been interested in birds from the age of ten when I moved from the heavily bombed area of New cross, south London to Roehampton village, opposite Wimbledon Common. What a contrast, woods, ponds, lakes, heath land and birds. From day one my interest in birds had begun. Climbing very high trees, armed with string and a cotton bag,eggs from a variety of nests were plundered, and lowered down to a waiting accomplice .Within a couple of years I became aware that this wasn’t the right thing to do and developed a long and lasting interest in birds and their conservation .I joined the R.S.P.B. in my teens , but never met another Birdwatcher until I encountered an R.S.P.B. stall at a fair in Hampton. It was run by a young lad of 17 , his name was Keith Betton and he persuaded me to come along to a Local members, group meeting the following month in, Twickenham.