OSTRICHES were running wild in Bishampton 75 years ago at a private aviary, including the first birds ever to be televised in England.

There were a number of birds not usually found in the Vale at Larches Farm in Bishampton from Stanley cranes, marabou storks and penguins.

The farm was said to be one of the largest, most interesting and most valuable private aviaries in the country where birds from all over the world were kept under one roof.

The birds were the property of the appropriately named Mr Partridge, who had more than 150 species of foreign birds.

The Journal reporter who paid a visit to the farm in July 1937 was first introduced to Jacko, a grey parrot more than 20 years old. Jacko was in fact not one of the most valuable birds but was one of the more important – as he held the honour of being the first bird to be seen on television in this country.

The event took place at the Alexandra Palace, where Jacko did tricks.

A toucan and a laughing jackass also made the journey to London and in doing so became the second and third birds to be on the box.

During the Journal’s visit to the aviary Jacko was not inclined to talk and the reporter said he seemed rather bashful, running all over his cage and cracking sunflower seeds.

When he was pressed for an exclusive story he became quite nasty and took a peck at the finger of the reporter.

Mr Partridge continued his tour and led the way through a shed in which caged some of the small multicoloured birds from India, Japan, Abyssinia and Brazil. The 1937 report said their colours were too bright and varied to put into words, with some having feathers which could rival those of a rare tropical butterfly.

In a neighbouring cage were the laughing jackasses who nearly laughed themselves sick looking at the reporter.

Amongst the rarer birds in another part of the aviary were a yellow-fronted New Zealand parakeets, a species that at the time was nearly extinct.

The rarest of all the birds was a pair of Australian mallee fowls, possible the only two in Europe and America.

A pair of 18-month-old ostriches were also at Mr Partridge’s farm, but they were soon to make a move to Dudley Zoo.

The Journal reporter’s visit concluded with an introduction to an interloper, a shy little monkey which blinked its eyes as it listened to the raucous chattering of the birds and seemed to wonder what all the fuss was about.