SAD news of the death of Haxby's resident peacock has sparked a flood of memories from Press readers from when the birds roamed in York's Museum Gardens.
As reported in The Press, Haxby's celebrated bird, known affectionately as both Jeremy and Captain Peacock, had made the town his home for the past decade.
Press readers shared their own photos of Jeremy on our Facebook page.
Rebecca Walker said Jeremy was a regular visitor, and shared several photos, adding: "We were very lucky to have him as a regular visitor when we lived in Haxby, sad news."
Linda Wilson shared a selfie with Captain Peacock on our Press Facebook page too.
But our story also ignited memories among readers of when peacocks used to roam freely in York Museum Gardens.
Press reader Muriel Stabler shared a photo of her and her young son Mark watching a woman feed the gardens' resident peacocks in 1966.
The photo, taken by a Press photographer, was before we used colour images and Muriel observed that the birds "don't look so good in B&W!"
But other readers had plenty of colourful memories of the birds in Museum Gardens and shared their views in our nostalgia group on Facebook, Why We Love York - Memories.
You can join our Facebook group today by clicking here.
Yvonne Davy said she recalled seeing them "every school day, walking through the gardens in the 1970s from Queen Anne’s to get my bus home at the Theatre Royal".
Dan York remembers "peacocks stood on the roofs of moving double decker buses".
Heather Green said: "I worked for a time at the Art Gallery and in summer they would perch in the office window."
Lisa Young posted: "My dad used to take me to see them and the shire horses at the Shire Horse pub stables in the 70s."
John Grant recalled one that strayed slightly further into the city centre. "There was one that was a regular visitor to Jorvik in St Mary’s Square in the 80s and 90s. Usually early morning when the doors had just opened."
Ian Ramsden said: "They were brilliant, but a real nuisance when you’re trying to study for your Os and As in the old library reference room during their June mating season."
The peacocks were resident in Museum Garden for 70 years, and while they delighted visitors to the gardens - not everyone was keen.
At one point the council received at least five complaints a day from residents furious about how much noise they made or when they strayed into nearby roads and shops.
In the end it seems nothing was done to increase their numbers and the peacock population dwindled until there was a solitary male living in the park in 2001.
We've dipped into our archive to find photos of the peacocks in the gardens from the 1970s right through to the last one standing in 2001.
We'd love to see your photos - and hear about your memories of peacocks in the gardens! Join us on Facebook at Why We Love York - Memories.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel