Suicidal

The Roscrea Hotel, right on the front was good when we used to go a few years back

I had an automatic light timer that I could set for bringing the lights up and dimming them down, twice per day if required. The company was based in Nottingham, but I think it went out of business.

I am now out of Pigeons but still follow the threads on here. I can tell you that I tried my own lightness system some 8 years ago, and I won a lot of club races, including topping the Fed. I left thenm on , so that the YBs were in light 21 hours per day.

In all the years I erected an electric fence around , and on top of my pigeon lofts, I never saw any pigeons injured whatsoever, and it certainly didnt stop them winning. http://onlygreyhounds.blogspot.com

If you can obtain an imitation American Owl, and place it near your loft, it will deter the Hawks. Its the Owls eyes the Hawk dosnt like, as this is the Hawks natural enemy http://onlygreyhounds.blogspot.com

I had worn out 3 electric fences, running off car batteries, and it was the best deterrant I ever used for keeping cats away. I even used to have 2 springer spaniel pups, and they touched it once, but never again. When you put up your fence for the first time, open a can of sardines and squeeze the flesh and oil right along the line fence. Then leave a little bit of sardine in the can, and place it halfway between the electric fence wire on the floor. This will encourage the cats in, but once they touch the fence,sniffing at the sardines, they wont come back once they get a belt on their wet noses :o ,,, guaranteed. http://onlygreyhounds.blogspot.com

Suicdal bred 1990 won many club,fed and amalgamation races. He was never sent further than Plymouth, 167 miles to my loft. He once won from that racepoint by beating the next pigeon into the clubs clock, by 20 minutes. His brother Stormin Norman also won club and fed, and his other brother About time, also won club and fed. These were all Wildys, Stock purchased from John Gilbert stock, a very good friend of mine. The parents were both late breds and unraced . Unfortunately, the hen was found dead in the loft in 1991, suspected heart attack. so I never got to breed anymore from this fantastic pairing. Suicdal and his two brothers never bred any winning pigeons either. My favourite race was Pau NFC , with my own breed of pigeons, formulated over 15 years, where I was in the first 100 open from my last race from San Sebastian NFC. This pigeon was clocked on the day of liberation, I used to race in the Banbury clubs, under the name of Mr & Mrs G L Bateman but in 2002, after 31 years of breeding and racing pigeons, I decided to pack them in, and I turned to Greyhounds. Last year we emigrated to Ireland, where I am now involved with breeding and racing Greyhounds. Once a pigeon fancier always a pigeon fancier, and I am still aware of those wonderful birds swooping across the farmlands here on race days. I do know of some local Irish fanciers in the area, and I will probably pay a visit to them later this year, but I wont become involved with pigeons again, as I have enough to do with the dogs. May I wish all your dreams come true in the coming season, and above all, always congratulate the winner in your club, it could be you the folowing week. The dog men genuinely congratulate the winners of races, and we usually have a pint or two in the bar afterwards. We all support each others dogs in their races. http://onlygreyhounds.blogspot.com

Thanks for the welcoming note lads, but if you knew my pigeon of the 90's called SUICIDAL, you will know that why I chose that name for myself on the forum

Blimey is Bilco still going, the one down in Torquay I mean. I brought his " Complete works of Old Hand Vols 1 & 2 " I wish I still had them as I understand they are worth a bob or two now.

I used to work with Sean Sinnott of Wexford back in the 1970's early 80's at the old Pressed Steel factory in Oxford. I know Sean moved back to Wexford a few years ago, and as I moved to Ireland last year, i wanted to meet up with him again. He was a member of Wexford FC and was great friends with Marty Siggins. If anyone can help, my email address is onlygreyhounds@xsmail.com Many thanks