I spent many happy hours at Rode when I was a youngster. I particularly remember the Aviaries, the Lake, the free-flying Macaws and the tame Moluccan cockatoos (named Mr and Mrs Honey?) On the Lake among the assorted ornamental waterfowl I remember there was an all-black (wild-coloured) female Muscovy duck with a brood of young but I never saw a male there.
I then didn't visit again for about thirty five years until, almost by chance, I made another visit shortly before it closed, on a very cold winter's day with unusual freezing fog and frost on all the trees all day. The collection had been somewhat simplified by then but the attractive gardens were much the same.
