Colin Nightengale was born in the war, growing up through his teenage years he learnt a lot of life's hard lessons then in the forces it gave him another kind of education. Later he had been a croupier enjoying casino life and life as a foreman at the famous Belle Vue Zoo and Amusement Park in the sixties and seventies, meeting many well-known singers and groups who appeared at the King's Hall and various casinos, always strived to be a success at what he did. Later in life owning a shop, then going on to become a local councillor.

Then his passion for natural took him down a path of building 'BIRD HAVEN', transforming a piece of unused land into a natural habitat for birds and wildlife and to create a space where people can come and enjoy the natural environment while watching the wildlife.