Extracted from an old NKCSC yearbook  and updated.

Year President Chair Secretary Treasurer
1907-1932 No Information available
1933-1937 Lady de Gex Lady de Gex Mrs Milnes Miss Buckley
1938 Mrs Handley Mrs Milnes Miss Buckley Mrs Milnes
1939-1945 World War II
1946 Mrs Handley Mrs Mather Mrs Hawks Mrs Hawks
1947-1949 Mrs Handley Mrs Smith Mrs Hawks Mrs Hawks
1950 Mrs Darracott Mrs Smith Mrs Hawks Mrs Hawks
1951-1952 Miss Vincent Mrs Mather Mrs Hawks Mrs Hawks
1953 Miss Vincent Mrs Birks Mrs Hawks Mrs Hawks
1954-1955 Miss Vincent Mrs Birks Mr Paley Mr Paley
1956-1957 Mrs Castle Mrs Birks Mr Paley Mr Paley
1958-1963 Mrs Castle Mrs Birks Mrs Weston Mrs Weston
1964-1965 Mrs Castle Mrs Castle Mrs Weston Mrs Weston
1966-1969 Mrs Keswick Mrs Castle Mr Hulme Miss Dyson
1970-1971 Mrs Birks Mrs Castle Mr Hulme Mr Hulme
1972-1974 Mrs Jordan Mrs Castle Mr Hulme Mr Hulme
1975 Mrs Jordan Mrs Castle Mrs Martin Mrs Martin
1976-1978 Mrs McKenzie Mrs Castle Mrs Martin Mrs Martin
1979-1980 Mrs McKenzie Mrs Castle Mr Wainwright Mr Wainwright
1981-1989 Mrs McKenzie Mrs Castle Mrs Taylor Mrs Taylor
1990-1992 Mrs McKenzie Mrs Castle Mrs Bott Mr Wainwright
1993-1994 Mrs McKenzie Mrs Castle Mrs Bott Mrs Smith
1995-2000 Mrs McKenzie Mrs Castle Mrs Smith Mr Martin
2001-2006 Mrs Castle Mrs Plews Mrs Smith Mr Martin
2007-2016 Mrs Cooper Mrs Plews Mrs Smith Mr Martin
2017 Mrs Plews Mrs Smith Mr Martin
2018 Mr Smith Mrs Smith Mr Rushton
2019 Mr Smith Mrs Smith Mrs Constable

 

HISTORY OF THE NORTHERN KING CHARLES SPANIEL CLUB

In 1937 Lady de Gex, who had been a fervent supporter and past president the Northern King Charles Spaniel Club, died; and it was in 1933 that a President and a Chairman were first elected.

From the limited information that I have available, it would appear that from 1907 until 1939, the NKCSC was kept ticking over by approximately 10-12 members who attended more or less regularly to the yearly AGM.

After the officers were elected the remaining members were all elected as committee members “en-bloc”.

Classes were arranged with mostly Northern Shows, many of which are no longer in existence, with the club guaranteeing 25% to 100%, depending on the acceptance of the number of classes and the judge put forward by the club.

Before the outbreak of World War II, the last AGM of the club was held at Manchester Championship Show at Belle Vue in March 1939, and the last committee meeting was held at Southport Open Show in June 1939, where details of forthcoming shows at Birmingham, Harrogate and Poynton were discussed.

After the end of hostilities, the club’s first AGM was held at the Grand Hotel in Manchester on May 4th, 1946. It was at this meeting that it was unanimously agreed that the Secretary (Mrs Hawks) should apply to the Kennel Club for Certificates and for a Championship Show to be held in Manchester preferably in the autumn. (I regret that I have no details as to what happened over this proposal).

At the 1948 AGM it was proposed that as the club was growing, a more representative committee be formed, and so a figure of six was proposed together with the usual officers, and this was accepted. It was at this meeting also that it was proposed that Manchester Championship Show be regarded as the meeting place for all future AGM. Again, this proposal was accepted.

At the 1967 AGM it was proposed that a Club Open Show be held, but after a lengthy discussion it was agreed that in view of the wide area covered by the small number of members it would be difficult to achieve a paying entry. (I have a copy of the Accounts for the year ending 1967 which shows the club’s bank balance as £88 12s 4d (£88.62), which I think gives an indication of the committee’s reluctance to hold a show at that time.)

In 1976 at a committee meeting held at Blackpool Championship Show, the late Mrs Harper (Huntglen) brought up this proposal again, suggesting that an Open Show could be run; but once again this was turned down by the committee, who argued that the club would not get sufficient support to make it a viable proposition, and that it was better to try for classes at various Open Shows, and perhaps a better classification and a breed judge at SKC by guaranteeing the classes.

Then at the 1977 AGM came the “breakthrough”. It was announced that the King Charles Spaniel Association had been granted to hold a Championship Show in 1978, having for the previous 3 years run a very successful Open Show. After some discussion it was decided that the NKCSC should run an Open Show in 1978, further details of which to be discussed at a committee meeting after the club secretary had made enquiries regarding a venue, or if some other breed club would be willing to share a show with us.

A committee meeting was held at Leeds Championship Show in May 1977, at which the all-important Open Show was discussed. After the meeting the secretary was instructed to apply to the Kennel Club for a licence to hold an 18 class Open Show at Outwood Memorial Hall on the 15th April 1978.

At a committee held at Birmingham Championship Show in September 1977, it was confirmed that the Kennel Club had approved all the details for the show, and the Judge, Miss Clayton, had accepted the engagement. (I think it should be pointed out that Mrs Clayton very kindly gave her services free, apparat from travel expenses, for which I know the club was very grateful).

The show was on its way, then in true Hollywood “show biz” tradition, disaster struck. The late Mrs Martin (then club secretary) was taken ill at the UK Toydog Show in 1978, and had to be rushed into the local hospital in Stafford, where she remained until doctors considered her strong enough to make the journey back to a hospital nearer her own home in Scotland.

Accordingly, at an impromptu meeting the late Mrs McKenzie (then club president) took over as deputy secretary, and to their credit without exception, all the committee members rallied round, and a very successful show was held.

So, for the club’s first Open Show with an entry of 107 from 67 dogs, the top three winners were:

 

Exhibitor Exhibit Award
Mrs M Castle Oakridges Barties Choice Best in Show
Mrs R Evans Southwardedge Melisande Reserve Best in Show
Mrs R Evans Mr Stumpy of Valevan Best Puppy

 

1981 was another milestone in the club’s history, this being the year that the NKCSC achieved Championship status. The show held this time at the Village Hall, Paddock, Huddersfield (Outwood Memorial Hall having been already booked), on the 11th April, the judge being Mrs E A C Martin.

So, for the club’s first Championship Show, the winners were:

Exhibitor Exhibit Award
Mrs M Castle Ch Oakridges Barties Choice Dog CC & BIS
Mrs A Pennington Janine of Tudorhurst Bitch CC
Mrs A Pennington Tudorhurst Royal Command Dog RCC
Mrs M Castle Ch Oakridges Rose Hannah Bitch RCC

 

In about 1982/3 Mrs S Taylor (Grenajay), who was then club secretary, put forward the suggestion that the club should hold two shows a year, one Open and one Championship show, which she cheerfully said she could run despite the extra work involved. Needless to say, the whole committee agreed to this.

So for the following twenty odd years, despite the inevitable change in officers and committee (apart from the indomitable Mollie Castle) the club has gone forward from strength to strength, and long may it do so.

Mr Victor Wainwright

Mr Stephen Randle Goodwin