A TWENTY-ONE-YEAR-OLD Tynesider is fulfilling a life- long dream – by opening his own centre for birds of prey.

Tom Burford, latterly of Heaton in Newcastle, has flown birds most of his life and has always wanted to set up his own facility. Now, he is finally set to do so at the Barn at Beal farming tourist attraction near Holy Island.

Tom was born in Malaysia and moved to the North East aged eight.

From a young age, he fell in love with falconry.

He said: “I have been flying birds all my life. It is a family thing. My uncle was a very good falconer and he passed it on to me.”

At the age of 17, Tom moved to Worcester to work with birds and credits the falconer he served under there with bringing on his skills.

Three years ago, he moved back North to set up a bird of prey exhibit at Whitehouse Farm near Morpeth.

Tom recently heard that the operator of the Barn at Beal Bird of Prey Centre had left at the end of last year. The centre was closed and looked set to be knocked down.

But Tom approached the attraction’s owner Rod Smith and they agreed a deal which will see it leased by the young falconer. He will operate it under the title TJ Falconry.

He said: “Ever since I was a kid I have wanted my own place and now I do. This cropped up and that is how I am here.”

Tom will live on site and has already moved in, having left Whitehouse at the end of January.

He has already begun the process of moving birds in, with a breeding pair of eagle owls arriving at the end of last week and specimens to join them from around the world. The centre will open for the first time for a trial weekend from Good Friday, March 29, to Easter Monday, April 1.

It will open again the following weekend of April 6 and 7 and open for the summer from May 25.

The centre will open at weekends only from October although it will be open school holidays.

Tom is looking forward to working in “one of the most important conservation areas in the UK, especially its birds.”

“I am very excited, also a bit nervous, as well just hoping that it kicks off and people like it and come back and we get a good footfall really. We get half a million people driving to Holy Island which is on the same road.

“There is chance to have a great footfall. We are going to expand, there is a three-year plan so there will be other species as well as birds of prey. It has given me the opportunity to do what I want to do by myself.”

Tom is hoping to work with Northumberland Wildlife Trust to assist with conservation efforts.