JADE

Cant say if it is him but was the Gazette editor S W E Bishop?

I think the young birds were sent to the BBC Rennes young bird race. My recollection is Dave timed two, Dunning Sparrow and Dunning Black Cock. There were several fanciers from the Tayside area sent to Palamos around that time after Dave Smith and Jim Bruce started the 1000 mile club. Bert Stewart did win the race with Bettys Delight and I think she flew it twice (not sure of her position the second time) I may be wrong but Les McKays "Berts Boy" may have been descended from Bettys Delight.

Its only half time. Man U have not had a decent team for about three years. Fergie knew that and got out when he had won the league. Moyes will need time but I think he will get it (but not as long as Fergie got)

5 - 0 Final score

I don't think liberating with the mnfc is a great advantage. On a good day a small convoy at 600 miles will cope fine. If they are up with 5000 mnfc birds they could end up having to do 300 miles single up. Its a shame they cant modify the dates at the meeting. My preference is status quo but with Ypres and Ancenis a week apart

I didn't see anything wrong with the programme last year. Hopefully status quo will prevail

Ah well you wont be disappointed if you don't win any this year then. I would treasure any diploma from the snfc because they are not easy to get. I agree the quality is poor this year but they have to cut costs somehow. I would happily pay an extra £1 on the fees to pay for better quality. In fact I would raise the fees to about £40 to get the club back where it belongs. There is far to much negativity about the snfc

Are they voted against status quo or is it one against the other

Are you trying to tell us that if the leading batch from a national had 75% west birds and 25% east birds they would all fly up the east side and then cross over. Can someone tell me if the proposals will be voted against status quo. There must be a page of the minutes missing as there is nothing about the race programme in my copy

Saw the guy on bbc breakfast this morning. Not enough hedgerows and use of modern pesticides are the problem. I think I will plant a hedge below the eaves of my house where sparrows were nesting before they got wiped out by a sparrowhawk

The best transport the SNFC ever used was Catteralls. How many pigeons does the trailer carry? Apart from the inland races the highest birdage is under 2000. What is the point in buying a transporter for 6 races a year. Folk say hire it out to feds. To which fed?? IMO the SNFC should hire the best available providing the cost is acceptable. The best available just now I would say are Lanarkshire and Almond Valley.

You don't elect the government in a hall by a show of hands. Certain things have to be discussed before you can vote on them. Most federations cover a limited area and if members cant make the effort to attend they don't deserve the vote. A national club is different and it may be that certain things would be better decided by a postal vote rather than bus loads turning up to influence the vote. The problem with that is you may not know the full facts to allow you to make a decision

Correct has to be a quality hotel for the premier club in the land and any venue which can cater for 200 to a high standard will always have expensive bar prices. I know someone going tonight. £30 for a ticket, doesn't drink alcohol and coming home tonight so it doesn't have to be expensive.

Central marking wouldn't bother me but I think it would result in a drop in entries . I would suggest only races over 500 miles count towards gold & silver awards. Change marking times so they only have two nights in basket for Channel races

Do the SNRPC own any of the transporters they use?

so much for trying to improve racing for all. why do you not want Solway involved when your birds are coming up that way

Interesting that Arsenal are top of the league and its not so long since many thought Wenger was on his way out. United are only 3 points behind City and I don't hear any alarm bells there. Good to see Paul Lambert and Steve Clark get wins over the big guys

Poor guys on a hiding to nothing. Hope the players turn it around for him. Don't think he will get as long as Fergie got to win something. Must qualify for champions league or else....

SS Seed had an ad in the bhw a couple of weeks ago saying prices had come down because of the good harvest

I am far from deluded. Yes it was a young bird race but the fact is he beat every other competitor by at least 20 minutes. Many on this site think you just have to move to the east and you will automatically win a national. The point I am making is you also have to be a good fancier. As I said months ago if everyone in Lanarkshire moved to Ayton someone would still be last

In the young bird race you can only try to win your section. The open will always be dominated by the section favoured by the conditions (mainly the east obviously). It has not been pointed out that Billy Bilsland beat the rest of his section including the olr and others in his own area by 20 minutes so he is obviously head and shoulders above the rest of the fanciers in his area

try the samaritans

If your no in it you cannae win it

Do you think there would be a larger entry than 673 from the "South/West" if they had a chance of winning half a national

Just looked out the result of the 2005 ybn from CHELTENHAM. Liberated at 10.45 in a SOUTH EAST wind. 1st six were in Chirnside, Kirriemuir, Forfar, Inverallochy, Brechin, Aberdeen. In the first 50 there were 6 Section A, 7 Section B, 25 Section C, 0 Section D, 0 Section E, 0 Section F, 12 Section G. Not sure if it proves anything but it makes interesting reading compared to 1973