Ship-shape and parrot fashion (From Penarth Times)

Ship-shape and parrot fashion

THE last remaining Royal Navy parrot, who was told her choice language might offend the Queen, is spending her annual leave in Penarth.

Sunny, an African Grey parrot, was presented to the HMS Lancaster in 2000 by the Sun newspaper as the ship's mascot, when her predecessor, Jenny, died.

Sunny is looked after by Royal Navy welfare officer Marie Duffy, who is from Penarth.

The parrot is spending its leave with Marie's mother, Ceinwen Jackson, of Birch Lane.

Ceinwen said: "Sunny has picked up some colourful language from the crew. She also constantly whistles the tune of the Great Escape.

"I think she is enjoying her holiday. She needs a rest because there are people in the officers' mess 24 hours a day."

The parrot made an appearance on GMTV last year after she had to be removed from HMS Lancaster during a visit by the Queen as organisers feared the bird's bad language might offend Her Royal Highness.

While Sunny is very well travelled she cannot land in foreign countries due to quarantine restrictions.

She lives in the officers' mess but is let out of her cage every day.

The Guinness Book of World Records lists the best talking parrot as an African Grey named Prudle, who had a vocabulary of nearly 1,000 words.