A chirpy budgie with a taste for Shirley Bassey is proving a real tweet for customers at a florist in Malmesbury.

Lizz Baxter, owner of Gin and Geraniums Florist in Market Lane, was delighted to discover her new pet budgie shared her love of vocalists such as Shirley Bassey and Barbara Streisand.

It was during one quiet evening last week, while Mrs Baxter was preparing flowers for a funeral, that she noticed her 11-week-old budgie’s passion for classic pop music.

“If I am doing a funeral piece I will usually work late, so I always have music playing on my laptop,” she said.

“The woman who had died was Welsh, like me, so I thought I would put a bit of Shirley Bassey on, but then the bird just went absolutely crazy.

“My husband didn’t really believe me until he came in and I played it again and the bird went absolutely nuts again, chirping away and singing along while I played Shirley Bassey’s greatest hits.

“His favourite seems to be Hey Big Spender.

“I think I might have to get him a cover for his cage with sequins and feather boas; he is quite an extravagant bird, but then he would have to be to stay here.”

Mrs Baxter, who lives in Chippenham, has decided to run a week-long competition, beginning on Saturday, asking people for help in naming the young boogieing budgie. Anyone wishing to take part is invited to visit Gin and Geraniums to meet the bird and then fill in a slip of paper available from the florists.

Entries will be accepted from Saturday, September 14 until Saturday, September 21.

The winner of the competition, if aged over 18, will win a bottle of gin or a handtied bouquet. A younger winner will be given a box of chocolates.

“I’ve only had the bird a week and as I normally work on my own I bought the budgie for company.

“I went for a male budgie, and when they are kept by themselves it encourages them to speak,” said Mrs Baxter.

“I’m planning to teach it to say ‘Gin and Geraniums’ and ‘ice and a slice’; it’s just a bit of fun for my customers.”

Gin and Geraniums Florists launched in Malmesbury in February this year and has been going from strength to strength.

“It has just been overwhelming, it really has,” said Mrs Baxter.

“I have just been so busy from word of mouth.”