United Kingdom George Soper Cansdale (1909-1993)

zoowhosewho

zoowhosewho

Well-Known Member
80058005_10157791635804133_6142238558280220672_n.jpg


80304010_10157791639274133_6491537261937557504_n.jpg

George Soper Cansdale (1909-1993) ... Mr Cansdale was born in Essex in 1909 ... he went on to gain a Degree in Forestry at Oxford .. he joined the Colonial Service and in 1934 was appointed as a Forestry Officer in the Gold Coast ( now Ghana) during his time in Africa he began to collect Animals initially for Paignton Zoo ... after a while he was collecting Animals for other Zoos too including London .. He got married in 1940 to Margaret Williamson..and they had 2 sons both born in Bournemouth

In 1947 he was recruited as The Superintendent for London Zoo a post he held until 1953 .. he also Broadcast for the BBC both on the Radio and TV During the 1960's he regularly appeared on the Childrens TV show "Blue Peter" and in fact well into the 1980's I remember him appearing on the show...

Mr Cansdale was also an author writing at least 9 books (definitley more as he wrote a whole series for Ladybird books) ..... In 1964 in a collaboration with Robert Jackson from the Welsh Mountain Zoo he became Director of Marineland Ltd opening up Marineland in Morecambe ... however after a year that establishment was taken over by the Local council due to financial problems .... In 1965 Mr Cansdale was a Company Director of the Skegness Natureland Marine Zoo along with JKB Yeadon ... (Yeadon family still run the Seal Sanctuary in Skegness) ... It is also reported that Mr Cansdale was a Director of Chessington Zoo.

He sadly passed away in August 1993 in Essex
 
This is an interesting series - but if it is going to include every zoo person and every closed zoo in the UK it will swamp the UK page. Could it not have its own section under say 'Resources & Media'
 
Andrew Swales said:
This is an interesting series - but if it is going to include every zoo person and every closed zoo in the UK it will swamp the UK page. Could it not have its own section under say 'Resources & Media'
Click to expand...
Whatver the section, I really enjoy this stuff, and keep learning -- I didn't know there had ever been a Ferndown Zoo, and I live in Dorset.
 
FBBird said:
Whatver the section, I really enjoy this stuff, and keep learning -- I didn't know there had ever been a Ferndown Zoo, and I live in Dorset.
Click to expand...

It has the potential to become an importance resource. I thought it might become fragmented, and be of more future use if more easily found, and grouped together somehow. It is sometimes hard to find particular subjects, lost in the volume on this site.
 
Andrew Swales said:
This is an interesting series - but if it is going to include every zoo person and every closed zoo in the UK it will swamp the UK page. Could it not have its own section under say 'Resources & Media'
Click to expand...

Andrew Swales said:
It has the potential to become an importance resource. I thought it might become fragmented, and be of more future use if more easily found, and grouped together somehow. It is sometimes hard to find particular subjects, lost in the volume on this site.
Click to expand...

I'm inclined to agree with you with regards to this matter - I'll forward the suggestion to @Simon Hampel , as only he can create new sections or subforums :)
 
FBBird said:
Whatver the section, I really enjoy this stuff, and keep learning -- I didn't know there had ever been a Ferndown Zoo, and I live in Dorset.
Click to expand...
I have a bit of information about the Ferndown Zoo so can do a Thread about it at some point or message me and I can pass info onto you
 
Last edited:
zoowhosewho said:
80058005_10157791635804133_6142238558280220672_n.jpg


80304010_10157791639274133_6491537261937557504_n.jpg

George Soper Cansdale (1909-1993) ... Mr Cansdale was born in Essex in 1909 ... he went on to gain a Degree in Forestry at Oxford .. he joined the Colonial Service and in 1934 was appointed as a Forestry Officer in the Gold Coast ( now Ghana) during his time in Africa he began to collect Animals initially for Paignton Zoo ... after a while he was collecting Animals for other Zoos too including London .. He got married in 1940 to Margaret Williamson..and they had 2 sons both born in Bournemouth

In 1947 he was recruited as The Superintendent for London Zoo a post he held until 1953 .. he also Broadcast for the BBC both on the Radio and TV During the 1960's he regularly appeared on the Childrens TV show "Blue Peter" and in fact well into the 1980's I remember him appearing on the show...

Mr Cansdale was also an author writing at least 9 books (definitley more as he wrote a whole series for Ladybird books) ..... In 1964 in a collaboration with Robert Jackson from the Welsh Mountain Zoo he became Director of Marineland Ltd opening up Marineland in Morecambe ... however after a year that establishment was taken over by the Local council due to financial problems .... In 1965 Mr Cansdale was a Company Director of the Skegness Natureland Marine Zoo along with JKB Yeadon ... (Yeadon family still run the Seal Sanctuary in Skegness) ... It is also reported that Mr Cansdale was a Director of Chessington Zoo.

He sadly passed away in August 1993 in Essex
Click to expand...
zoowhosewho said:
and they had 2 sons both born in Bournemouth
Click to expand...
So I assume George Cansdale must have lived for a time in Bournemouth; do you know when and what his job was then? It is intriguing to speculate if this was during the same period that the Durrell family were resident in Bournemouth.
 
zooboy said:
So I assume George Cansdale must have lived for a time in Bournemouth; do you know when and what his job was then? It is intriguing to speculate if this was during the same period that the Durrell family were resident in Bournemouth.
Click to expand...
I will check later once I get back home.. Thinking possibly not at the same time as Durrells in Bournemouth mid to late 50's and Cansdale sons born in Early 1940's. George Cansdale was employed at London Zoo 1947 to 1953... I may be able to check Electoral rolls later
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top