BACK in the early 1960s, the Wharf Hotel at Holt Fleet was reckoned to be one of the best places to go to hear a good rock group. Roy Wood, Denny Laine and Carl Wayne all brought their bands down from Birmingham, while Cliff Ward and the Cruisers arrived from Stourport to rattle the rafters of the riverside pub.

But The Wharf also has another claim to fame. For it was there, at the same point in time, that the idea for Worcester Barn Owl Society first took flight.

Passing the venue one evening in his dad’s car, Roy Fowler happened to spot a young barn owl in the grass beside the road. Assuming it had not been ejected from the dancehall for being drunk and disorderly, he stopped and picked it up.

He gently placed the little bird on the bonnet of the car to take a better look. There it remained for a few moments until much to his surprise, it suddenly flew away. “It must have just been stunned after flying into a car,” said Roy, “because it had no obvious sign of injury.”

But the experience was to have an even happier ending, because it began Roy Fowler’s life long love of barn owls and led to the formation of a conservation body that has done so much to aid the species over the years.

For some time the work was all a bit loose knit, but in 1989 it was put on a more formal footing when Roy, Paul Baker and Andrew Law founded Worcester Barn Owl Society, which has later become  Worcester Barn Owl Conservation Group.

The trio shared a common concern for the plight of the barn owl and its fast-declining population and set out to educate and enlighten the public. They began to liaise with farmers and landowners, encouraging them to create a suitable habitat for barn owls, as well as rescuing injured owls, restoring them to good health and returning them to the wild.

One of the most important aspects of the job has been the erection of nesting boxes throughout the area to encourage the owls to breed and recently two were put up in Hallow, near Worcester, to recognise the efforts of villagers Peter Crowe and Dave Cleary, who both died recently.

Roy said: “ Peter and Dave were actively involved, enthusiastic supporters of the barn owl conservation activities and worked tirelessly for many years.  We have been delighted to erect nest-boxes, complete with brass name plaques, in their memory.”

Of course, promoting the cause of the barn owl has involved many activities far removed from climbing ladders, weighing young owls, keeping records and installing nesting boxes.

Over the years there have also been the hundreds of appearances at shows, fetes, schools, on radio broadcasts and local TV programmes.

And to bring this article full circle, it has even involved a brush with rock stars.

In the early 1990s, Roy was at the BBC television studious at Pebble Mill in Birmingham for a show, walking down a corridor with a barn owl in a carrier box and an Eagle Owl on his gloved hand.

Coming the other way were four fellows in what looked like workmen’s clothes. He assumed they were maintenance men. As they passed they stopped, quite intrigued by the two owls and asked what type they were.

When Roy said the bird on his hand was in fact a Bengalese Eagle Owl, one of the group quipped: “Does it eat curry?” Cue laughter.

“I failed to get the joke at the time,” said Roy. “I was in a hurry to get to the studio for the programme and I rather rushed off. It was only later I realised the joker was Rick Parfitt and I had cut short Status Quo. I was absolutely  gutted. I could have given them a Worcester Barn Owl badge!”

Never mind all the gold discs, that would have been the ultimate accolade.