Trogons at the Lions' Outdoor & Leisure Expo 2014

Text and photos by Andy Ruffle (unless credited)

This year the show was held at the Port Shepstone Country Club and this proved to be an excellent venue.

Herbie, Eric, Vaughan, Andy & Siyabonga set up the stand on the Thursday morning.

Eric, Vaughan, Herbie and Siyabonga
setting up the stand on Thursday morning

and by the end of the morning
there were just a few finishing touches needed

The basic theme for the stand was broadly based on the BLSA Bird of the Year, the Tristan Albatross.
Our message ''Please keep our rivers, sea and beaches clean - Rubbish Kills!!' was excellently conveyed through Herbie's concept of depicting a pristine beach (on the left) and a polluted beach (on the right).

Thanks to the volunteers (Vic & Kay Neilson, Margaret Jones, Irma Smook, Doug Butcher, Willie & Wilna van Zyl, Bob & Hazel van Rooyen, Herbie Osborne, Andy Ruffle) who manned the stand, we had a very successful show again.

Vic & Kay were the first on duty on Friday morning

Margaret Jones & Irma Smook

Saturday lunchtime, Herbie & Andy were called to go to the main stage in the outdoor arena, where Trogons were presented third prize for indoor stand.

Our prize certificate proudly displayed on the stand.
The spelling was corrected later.

A chuffed Herbie & Andy
(photo taken by Doug Butcher)

Bob & Hazel van Rooyen, Doug Butcher, Andy Ruffle
& Herbie Osborne(photo taken by Luke from Wild 5 Oribi)

Herbie, Doug, Wilna & Willie van Zyl

Many, many thanks to all the volunteers who erected, manned and dismantled the stand. We say it every year (and it is so true), we could not do this show without you.

A special thanks goes to Herbie for all the time and effort put in to making the stand happen. Well done Herbie. The prize was well deserved.

Finally, an unusual treat on Saturday evening was the appearance of these two beautiful mermaids on our stand. I just couldn't resist the photo.

Yes, they are real mermaids:):)