Bernard Longbottom

Bernard Longbottom was born on June 10, 1913. In the early thirties he and his brother, Edward, kept rabbits, cavies and budgerigars on a fairly large scale. It was not until 1953 that Bernard joined the mouse Fancy in his own right.
Starting up with Dutch, 12 months later he acquired a complete stud of Chinchillas of Mr A Whitworth. These became his favourites and he has probably won more awards with chinchillas than any other fancier.
The highest award he has won was Best Adult at this year’s Annual. He was thrilled to win best in show at Airedale in 1955 and attain his first championship the same year. The best AOV award has been his on many occasions.

B Longbottom

Elected a life member of the National Mouse Club in 1971, completing the hat-trick for the Calder Valley committee, joining his brother, Edward, and myself.
His experience and ability have made him very much in demand as a judge. He has judged all the main events in the mouse calendar.
Bernard is one of the reasons Calder Valley keeps going year after year. He is always present on the evening prior to a show, putting up the tables. He is one of the last to leave on show day.
I have known Bernard since long before his active participation in the Fancy and one could not wish for a more reliable friend.

Mr and Mrs E Longbottom

I first met Ed Longbottom at a show of the Halifax fanciers in 1932. Born in 1911, Ed is a year older than myself. This casual meeting resulted in a friendship of nearly forty years and the forming of Calder Valley in 1936. To my daughter Pat who is now 30 years old, he has always been Uncle Ed.
Together we have travelled thousands of miles to shows all over the country.
In the late 30s we both married, and our wives became firm friends and joined in the pleasures we shared as mouse fanciers.

Mr and Mrs E Longbottom

Apart from the war years, Ed has never been without small livestock, having kept rabbits, cavies, budgerigars, foreign birds, all having been superseded by mice over the last twenty years. He had many successes with choc Tans in the 30s, and supplied the legendary CH Johnson with his stud of choc Tans. He was responsible for getting a mouse section at Halifax Agricultural show and was section secretary for many years. He is a life member and judge of the NMC.
At present he is breeding Self Blacks, Chocs, Sables and Choc Tans. Choc Tans are his favourite variety. In his career he has exhibited most varieties. He accidentally took up Sables in the early 50s whilst doing some cross-breeding, and almost certainly saved them from extinction.
He has been best in show with Sables on four occasions, including best in show Bradford in 1962, best in show spring cup in 1958. He had a championship with Sables in 1958, and others with Choc Tans.
Apart from joining, with Ed in his mouse interests, his wife, May, has a record in her own right.
After the war, in 1946, she decided that mouse fanciers visiting Calder Valley should have better facilities for lunch and tea than were available. Together with my wife and other Calder Valley wives, they built up the Calder Valley catering service, now extended to Airedale. Taking into account the average attendance, and number of shows per year, I calculate they have made 2,500 lunches, and over 8,000 cups of tea, and become known to every mouse fancier in the North. No Man/Wife team has contributed more, or given more time to further the interests of the mouse fancy. To me they are part of my life, to the mouse fancy, irreplaceable.