THE GUILD OF TAXIDERMISTS One Day Southern Seminar SATURDAY 11TH APRIL 2026 09:00 – 16:00 BISHOP WOOD SCHOOL (see venue information and places to stay at the bottom of the page) Frogmore Street, Tring, Herts, HP23 5AU Admission (includes Tea, Coffee and Lunch) Members £45 Non members £55 Accompanied under 16’s Free Register here We are proud to announce our 2026 one day seminar on the 11th April 2026 at Bishop wood School, Tring. Following the huge success of the 2025 northern seminar a similar format for 2026 allows members and non-members to come along for a day professional development, tips, tricks, advice and networking opportunities. There will be a range of work on display submitted for judging from taxidermists across Professional, Amateur and Novice divisions. Work can also be submitted for judging and there are cash prizes for the best in show. Open to both members and non-members. All admissions are at the discretion of the committee. Programme: 08:30 - 09:00 - Specimen Registration 09:00 - General admission 09:10 - 09:25 - Welcome from the Chair 09:25 - 09:55 – Getting Started in Taxidermy - Steve Smith Steve (a professional full time taxidermist and chair of the Guild) will guide you through the tool, materials and resources you need to start practicing taxidermy and provide seasoned practitioners with essential tips for continued professional development. 09:55 – 10:30 – Taxidermy in Scandinavian Museums- Paul Roper Paul Roper will share his findings of the Natural History on display at Museum’s in Denmark, Sweden and Finland and discuss how taxidermy is a valuable resource to the museums and is evidenced by the high quality of mounts on display. 10:30 - 10:50 – Break Tea/Coffee 10:50 - 11:50 – Rothschild’s Unknown Collection- Hein Van Grouw Hein will give an insight into the Bird Collections held in Tring and in particular the collection of aberrant birds of Walter Rothschild. Rothschild had probably the largest collection of aberrantly coloured birds and hybrids but it appeared he did not do any research on them so the history of this fascinating collection is rather ‘unknown’. Hein, previously the Bird Curator at the Natural History Museum Naturalis in Leiden, Netherlands, moved to work at Tring in 2009, his role involves hosting researchers, answering collection and collection enquiries, ensuring the collection is accessible, publishing collection-based research and preparing study skins from fresh specimens 12:00 - 13:00 - Lunch 13:00 - 15:15 – Demonstrations Whether new to taxidermy or a seasoned veteran, the afternoon demonstrations allow you to watch and ask questions as several of the Guilds renowned professional taxidermists demonstrate a range of taxidermy processes around the hall including bird and mammal skinning, manikin making, mounting and techniques. 15:15 – 15:30 Break 15:30 - 16:00 – Judging, results and raffle Sunday For those travelling and staying for the weekend delegates can visit the Tring Natural History Museum which opens from 10:00–17:00, last entry at 16:00 https://www.nhm.ac.uk/visit/tring.html Competitions & Judging This year there will be a best in seminar cash prize for the highest scoring entry in the following divisions: Beginners £100 Amateur £75 Professional £50 Standard Credit Judging – Entries are judged with written score and feedback (open to all fully paid-up members – numbers may be limited) those scoring 70+ Feedback only – Receive one to one feedback for your mount (open to all fully paid-up members – numbers may be limited) Those with specialist qualifications may enter specimens for judging for competition and for standard credits only. There will be no option to submit work for higher credits. A specimen registration link will be sent to all registrants Please see division selection diagram below : The venue Bishop wood School is in the centre of Tring and just a five minute walk from the Natural History Museum in Akerman Street. There are numerous places to stay, eat and drink in the Tring area, many guest houses and various types of accommodation. Local places to stay: West Lodge 45 London Road, Aylesbury, HP22 5HL - http://www.westlodge.co.uk/ Penny Farthing 296 - 298 High Street, Berkhamsted, HP4 1AH - https://www.thepennyfarthingberkhamsted.co.uk/?utm_source=Yext&utm_medium=GMB Premier Inn Tring Hill, Tring, Hertfordshire HP23 4LD https://www.premierinn.com/gb/en/hotels/england/hertfordshire/tring/tring.html?cid=GLBC_TRICRO Travel Lodge Aylesbury, Exchange Street, Aylesbury, HP20 1AL, UK https://www.travelodge.co.uk/hotels/579/Aylesbury-hotel?searchLocation=Tring
THE GUILD OF TAXIDERMISTS
One Day Southern Seminar
SATURDAY 11TH APRIL 2026
09:00 – 16:00
BISHOP WOOD SCHOOL
(see venue information and places to stay at the bottom of the page)
Frogmore Street, Tring, Herts, HP23 5AU
Admission (includes Tea, Coffee and Lunch)
Members £45
Non members £55
Accompanied under 16’s Free
Register here
We are proud to announce our 2026 one day seminar on the 11th April 2026 at Bishop wood School, Tring.
Following the huge success of the 2025 northern seminar a similar format for 2026 allows members and non-members to come along for a day professional development, tips, tricks, advice and networking opportunities.
There will be a range of work on display submitted for judging from taxidermists across Professional, Amateur and Novice divisions. Work can also be submitted for judging and there are cash prizes for the best in show.
Open to both members and non-members. All admissions are at the discretion of the committee.
Programme:
08:30 - 09:00 - Specimen Registration
09:00 - General admission
09:10 - 09:25 - Welcome from the Chair
09:25 - 09:55 – Getting Started in Taxidermy - Steve Smith
Steve (a professional full time taxidermist and chair of the Guild) will guide you through the tool, materials and resources you need to start practicing taxidermy and provide seasoned practitioners with essential tips for continued professional development.
09:55 – 10:30 – Taxidermy in Scandinavian Museums- Paul Roper
Paul Roper will share his findings of the Natural History on display at Museum’s in Denmark, Sweden and Finland and discuss how taxidermy is a valuable resource to the museums and is evidenced by the high quality of mounts on display.
10:30 - 10:50 – Break Tea/Coffee
10:50 - 11:50 – Rothschild’s Unknown Collection- Hein Van Grouw
Hein will give an insight into the Bird Collections held in Tring and in particular the collection of aberrant birds of Walter Rothschild. Rothschild had probably the largest collection of aberrantly coloured birds and hybrids but it appeared he did not do any research on them so the history of this fascinating collection is rather ‘unknown’.
12:00 - 13:00 - Lunch
13:00 - 15:15 – Demonstrations
Whether new to taxidermy or a seasoned veteran, the afternoon demonstrations allow you to watch and ask questions as several of the Guilds renowned professional taxidermists demonstrate a range of taxidermy processes around the hall including bird and mammal skinning, manikin making, mounting and techniques.
15:15 – 15:30 Break
15:30 - 16:00 – Judging, results and raffle
Sunday
For those travelling and staying for the weekend delegates can visit the Tring Natural History Museum which opens from 10:00–17:00, last entry at 16:00 https://www.nhm.ac.uk/visit/tring.html
Competitions & Judging
This year there will be a best in seminar cash prize for the highest scoring entry in the following divisions:
Beginners £100
Amateur £75
Professional £50
Standard Credit Judging – Entries are judged with written score and feedback (open to all fully paid-up members – numbers may be limited) those scoring 70+
Feedback only – Receive one to one feedback for your mount (open to all fully paid-up members – numbers may be limited)
Those with specialist qualifications may enter specimens for judging for competition and for standard credits only. There will be no option to submit work for higher credits.
A specimen registration link will be sent to all registrants
Please see division selection diagram below :
The venue
Bishop wood School is in the centre of Tring and just a five minute walk from the Natural History Museum in Akerman Street. There are numerous places to stay, eat and drink in the Tring area, many guest houses and various types of accommodation.
Local places to stay:
West Lodge 45 London Road, Aylesbury, HP22 5HL -
http://www.westlodge.co.uk/
Penny Farthing 296 - 298 High Street, Berkhamsted, HP4 1AH - https://www.thepennyfarthingberkhamsted.co.uk/?utm_source=Yext&utm_medium=GMB
Premier Inn Tring Hill, Tring, Hertfordshire HP23 4LD
https://www.premierinn.com/gb/en/hotels/england/hertfordshire/tring/tring.html?cid=GLBC_TRICRO
Travel Lodge Aylesbury, Exchange Street, Aylesbury, HP20 1AL, UK
https://www.travelodge.co.uk/hotels/579/Aylesbury-hotel?searchLocation=Tring
We hope to see you there
Kind regards
Steve Smith (Event organiser / Chair) on behalf of the committee
stevesmith.got@gmail.com
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