Whitley Hide

Herbert Whitley (1886 – September 15, 1955) was an English animal breeder who had a passion for breeding animals and plants, especially those blue in colour. His interests spanned livestock, pigeons, dogs, and exotic animals, many of which he kept in a collection at his house on the Primley Estate in Paignton, Devon. His breeding expertise won him many prizes, including for cattle, and his blue-coated greyhound, Primley Sceptre, was the first ever "best in show" winner at Crufts in 1928. The size of his private collection led him to open to the public as Primley Zoological Gardens. He had repeated clashes with the Inland Revenue over his refusal to collect "entertainment tax" on tickets to the site, which he believed to be educational rather than an entertainment, and this twice led him to close the zoo to the public for extended periods. It finally reopened permanently after the Second World War, and became known as Paignton Zoo.