About Me

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Delta, British Columbia, Canada
I took very early retirement from teaching in '06 and did some traveling in Europe and the UK before settling down to do some private tutoring. As a voracious reader, I have many books waiting in line for me to read. Tell me I shouldn't read something, and I will. I'm a happy, optimistic person and I love to travel and through that believe that life can be a continuous learning experience. I'm looking forward to traveling more some day. I enjoy walking, cycling, water aerobics & and sports like tennis, volleyball, and fastpitch/baseball. I'm just getting into photography as a hobby and I'm enjoying learning all the bits and bobs of my digital camera. My family is everything to me and I'm delighted to be the mother of two girls and the Gramma of a boy and a girl. I may be a Gramma, but I'm at heart just a girl who wants to have fun.

Monday, July 03, 2017

Z is for ZOO (Chester Zoo, England)

Recently, I watched a BBC TV mini-series called "Our Zoo," the story of George Mottershead and his family who founded the Chester Zoo in the 1930s.  At the turn of the century, when George's father took him to a zoo, he told his father that one day he would have a zoo with no bars! So, in 1930, with his family in tow, he bought Oakley House and 7 acres of land for 3,500 British Pounds and brought with him a group of animals from a zoo near Crewe.  Thus began his struggle to get the zoo going amidst opposition of the townspeople and even the local clergy.

However, George persevered and finally opened his zoo in 1931 and in 1934 The North of England Zoological Society was born. After the second world war, the zoo grew very quickly and now it takes up 125 acres of land.  One of the zoo’s slogans back then was, ‘Always building.’ George’s amazing energy, enthusiasm and skill earned him an OBE, and honorary Master of Science degree, and a term as President of the International Union of Zoo Directors.
Today, Chester Zoo is one of the top 15 zoos in the world, and highly respected for global conservation and research, as well as passionate campaigners for wildlife.

All this, because one little boy over 100 years ago cared so much about animals.

Some interesting websites to see more about the Chester Zoo:

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-29014122

http://www.chesterzoo.org/

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2593529/Images-life-growing-daughter-owner-Britains-biggest-zoo.html  (This one has photos of George's little girl June playing with some of the zoo animals.)

And so we end Round 20 of the original ABC Wednesday, created by Mrs. Denise Nesbitt, administered by Mr. Roger Green, assisted by "moi" and a team of zany helpers who zoomed around each week making sure everyone had comments.  We now turn the ship over to Melody and her new team of assistants and wish her the very best in continuing the tradition.

Be sure to check out the new ABC Wednesday here!

16 comments:

Roger Owen Green said...

Zoos have changed a LOT in my lifetime.

Thank you, Leslie, for your able assistance this half decade.

Roger Green, ABC Wednesday

Trubes said...

Chester Zoo is a 30 min drive from my home
so when the girls were younger we spent many
a happy day there during school holidays.
Picnic packed and car loaded and off we would go.
Now they take their children there.
Di xx
ABCW team.

MelodyK said...

Chester Zoo is on my bucketlist... if I ever go across the large waters I hope to visit it...

Thank you Leslie, looking forward to our new 'project';-)

photowannabe said...

I really like this type of Zoo the very best.
Thanks for all the work you have done over the past 10 years.

Anonymous said...

zoos should be abolished. it is cruel to take an animal from its habitat, especially social ones like elephants.

Carin said...

I've always liked going to the zoo. That Chester Zoo seems amazing with no bars!

Shooting Parrots said...

Chester Zoo is one of my favourite places and we try to visit at least once a year. The last time was between Christmas and New Year when I took a few photos and despite the reservations that some people have about zoos in general, I think this one is a magical place.

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Ann said...

I'm very appreciative of your vigilant work for ABC Wednesday. Zoo's are such a fun experience for everyone.
Ann

Joy said...

Someone I know joined their adopt an animal scheme, which was something obscure which I am now desperately trying to remember, unsuccessfully; they do a lot of work on preserving imperiled species.

Su-sieee! Mac said...

Hurrah for George!

Anonymous said...

lovely.

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