Rambling Rush: What’s in a number?
No one is too sure who was most surprised.
CALLING her a ‘bird brain’ might be a bit harsh. And she’s not blonde, so we can’t take that route, but Herald receptionist Bev Copeland has to own up and take some ribbing for this faux pas.
When not lifting the spirits of South Coasters who phone the Herald with her fantastic phone voice, Bev breeds birds.
It’s a hobby she has had for about 12 years or so. She breeds Indian ringnecks and cockatiels.
Bev usually places an advert in the Classifieds to help business tick over.
She puts her cellphone number in the ad and gets regular calls.
However, this week she put in the wrong number. Really, one shouldn’t get one’s own number wrong. Especially if you are an award-winning switchboard operator.
She blamed her husband Pat. Well, sort of.
“I used the 083 of his number, instead of the 082 of mine, with the rest of my number,” she explained, laughing.
It came to her attention when someone phoned the Herald, knowing that ‘it had to be the same Bev who breeds birds’.
Earlier he had gotten through to a woman – ‘living who knows where’, according to Bev – who had to field calls for bird sales.
“Can you imagine her surprise and confusion?” said Bev, again laughing, but this time holding her head in her hands in embarrassment.
Bev’s birding goes beyond Indian ringnecks. She started out with budgies, before adding to her ‘portfolio’.
At one stage she had an Indian mynah. “It fell out of its nest near Bates GM,” she said.
It was quite an aggressive little bird, and wearing oven gloves to feed it was usually a good idea!
Later she discovered the bird was a male and so named him Morris.
Morris is now living happily at Crag’s View Wild Care Centre.
Interestingly, it looks like the breeding may be coming to an end. At least for a while.
Bev’s off to Australia in March to visit her brother.
In the meantime she has a couple of birds still to sell… and phones to answer.
