johno

While I agree that a harmonious approach to the Ypres race would be beneficial I also feel that joint convoying to the longest race is every bit as important. Not to try and kid the rest of the world on that the fancy is alive and well but to bring a bit of cohesion and sense to the doo game. The idea that the illusion we need to create is to placate the onlookers IMO only furthers the continued massive rift between the two factions in Scottish doo racing. We should not be making decisions solely to make ourselves look good in the eyes of others. We should be making them based on a genuine effort to pull ourselves back together. ]

golden yes stuart.

YPRES World War 1 MEMORIAL RACE 2014 T HE SCOTTISH NATIONAL FLYING CLUB ( SNFC ) HAVE BEEN ASKED BY THE TOWNSPEOPLE OF IEPER ( YPRES ) BELGIUM TO ORGANISE A COMMEMORATIVE RACE FROM THEIR TOWN TO MARK THE CENTENARY OF THE START OF WORLD WAR 1. THE 3 BATTLES OF YPRES WHICH INCLUDED PASSCHENDALE WERE FIERCE, INTENSE AND VITAL STRATEGIC BATTLES BY THE ALLIES TO SECURE THE HIGHER GROUND AREAS AROUND YPRES THAT CONTROLLED THE ROUTES AND SUPPLY LINES TO THE BATTLE FIELD AND THE CHANNEL PORTS. MORE THAN 300,000 BRITISH AND COMMONWEALTH SOLDIERS WERE KILLED IN THE CONFLICT. The SNFC has forged a strong relationship with Ypres – a British& Commonwealth War Cemetery town and the site of the famous Menin Gate War Memorial. The Ypres race has already been well established in our annual race programme since the 5th of July 2008, and has proved to be an excellent race point. There is no limit on the numbers of pigeons that can be liberated at any one time and at 402 mls to Eyemouth in the south east of Scotland and 420 mls to Stranraer in the south west of Scotland, it is a one day race. You are also assured of a very warm welcome by the officials and members of the town. The history of the bond between pigeons and man has already been well documented. “No other bird has had such a great link with man, nor been so useful to him in so many ways … The pigeon’s record as messengers in time of war is a moving and little known epic. Scattered references describe the many feats of bravery and endurance which were performed by these brave birds…†( The Pigeon in History by Jean Hansell, 1998, Millstream Books ) During the second battle of Ypres ( 1915 ) pigeons carried reports from the front line to Brigade HQ. Two pigeon Corps were established and by the end of the year there were 15 pigeon stations on the Western Front each with a pigeon fancier handler and 4 pigeons. They were so successful with a 95% message delivery rate in the heat of battle that many more pigeons were added to the service. At the outbreak of WW1 the British, unlike its European Allies, had no established military pigeon lofts. By the end of the WW1 British pigeon fanciers had given 100,000 racing pigeons to the war effort. ( At the outbreak of WW2, despite improved telecommunications, thousands of pigeons were also given by British pigeon fanciers to the National Pigeon Service, and during that war 32 racing pigeons won the Dickin Medal, the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross, more than any other animal group. Philip Noakes Director Northern Europe Area of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission ( CWGC ) said to us in Ypres in 2008 that he hoped we would continue to pay honour to our War Dead and make the race an annual event. This has been achieved. Our hope is that by 2014 – the 100TH anniversary of World War 1 – many thousands of the “Doves of Peace†from all parts of the British Isles will be liberated in the skies of Ypres in tribute to our War Dead. This echoes Churchill’s sentiments after the Great War:- “I should like us to acquire the whole of the ruins of Ypres… A more sacred place for the British race does not exist in the worldâ€. Speech, Winston Churchill, Minister of War, January 1919, recorded in Flanders Fields Museum Ypres. Although the UK did not declare war on Germany until the 4th August 1914, the official outbreak took place on the 28th July 1914. Since all the countries involved in World War 1 plan to commemorate the 4th August 1914 with memorial centenary celebrations at the Menin Gate in Ypres on the 4th August 2014 only the first three Saturdays in July 2014 namely the 5th, 12th or 19th appear to be suitable for a mass liberation at these times. The worlds media will also be present in the weeks leading up to the memorial centenary celebrations so such a race is an ideal opportunity to showcase homing pigeons and pigeon racing as a fundamental part of our heritage and a cultural tradition enjoyed by many that knows no age, gender , race or social barriers. Such a race will reconnect the past with the present making more people aware of the role pigeons and pigeon fanciers played during both World wars, the true identity and character of the pigeons housed in the many pigeon lofts throughout Britain and the fanciers who keep and tend to them all year round. It will be a testimony to the fact that the sport of pigeon racing is still alive and active. Pigeons are essentially symbols of peace and liberating many thousands of racing pigeons at Ypres at this time would be a fitting memorial and a memorable sight. Our objective is to encourage as many pigeon organizations as possible to participate in a memorial race tribute by our “doves of peace†to all who lost their lives in WW1 especially the thousands of British and Commonwealth soldiers in the terrible battles which occurred around Ypres. By liberating as many “doves of peace†as we can, we also pay tribute to and identify with our forebears - those many British fanciers who donated their best pigeons to the war effort 100 years ago. Our contact and friend in Ypres is a successful and highly respected business man in the town of Ypres namely Stefan Van Moerbeke. Stefan is a pigeon fancier and also a race controller and has been an outstanding asset in the success of our races from Ypres .He has the total support of the council and Authorities in Ypres for the memorial race. Stefan’s contact details can be acquired via our secretary Andrew Garven tel. no. 01236 830253 Scottish National Flying Club Sub Committee for the Memorial Ypres Race 2014 Dr PP Lynch chair, Ian Brown John Houston SNFC WORLD WAR 1 MEMORIAL AND WREATH LAYING VISIT AT THE MENIN GATE YPRES JULY 2014 Everyone will appreciate the importance of having all the arrangements in place early. At this stage, the plan is to travel by coach from Central Scotland on Thursday 24th July 2014 to Hull ( approx. 3.5 hrs ) for the ferry crossing to Zeebrugge arriving Friday the 25th July. We will then travel by coach from Zeebrugge to Ypres ( approx. 1.5 hrs ) and book into our hotel the ARIANE in the centre of Ypres for our 3 day Bed/Breakfast accommodation. Saturday and Sunday we will visit the war graves. At the request of the citizens of Ypres a memorial wreath will be laid by the President of the SNFC at the official wreath laying and memorial service at 8 pm on the Sunday night at the world famous Menin Gate Memorial Monument in Ypres. On Monday morning we return home. We have booked 19 twin rooms and 2 single rooms at the ARIANE HOTEL . The tariff is 119 Euros per twin room per night i.e. 357 Euros per twin room for 3 nights – B/B. - N.B. Some of our rooms have already been booked, fanciers are advised to book with us early. The terms of our booking are : - 1)- Deposit to book - £50 per person. 2) - 25% of total cost to be paid 3 months before the event. i.e. before 24th April 2014 3) -100% in full 14 days before departure. i.e. before 10th July 2014 Coach and Ferry costs to be added in due course later SNFC - SUB COMMITTEE - YPRES Memorial Race/visit Dr PP Lynch chair, Ian Brown John Houston Is the above. copy pasted from the snfc website, the invitation or was there another invitation sent out in a letter? I do not see the word invitation or anything suggesting an invitation within this article. It maybe that I do not fully grasp the content. If so I apologise for my limitations.

The inference buried in this post does no favours at all to the pigeon fancy. Single or double birds were liberated from distance and in horrific conditions during the war. Resulting in over thirty dickin medals and the saving of a good number of our troops. Now a barbed comment about bordering on cruely aimed straight between the eyes of the SNRPC is used as an excuse for not having the bottle to have a go and at the same time kill any move towards some kind of joint racing in Scotland. I wonder how long this post will last.

anyone looking at all of the national results since the mid fifties will see the best spread of prizes has been achieved since the race points have moved east. Looking at one race and forming an opinion is not a fair view of what the reality has been.

thanks.

donald & malcolm who? outstanding performance no matter who.

Lib lines provide an excellent income for, VAT man, BT, and any other money making middle man who gets involved. A very small percentage of the total cost comes back to the doo men.

tahnks greenlands its another person reported this bird on the glasgow site.

Anyone know where this bird belongs? GB12S38040.

where do you find convoyers for wed/sat. people may have other arrangements. as to the training it is discussed at the agm every year and is passed the way it is. if it is not suitable then why was it not brought up at the agm.

at ingleton you are paying the owners of the site not the rpra. On what do you base your surity rab.

appleby is not an rpra site.

if you do not apply for a licence you will not get supplied with one. i fear few scottish feds apply or pay. if i am wrong im sure there will be a rush to tell me so.

i do not think any scottish non rpra feds contact the rpra or pay site fees for the privelige. so why would the rpra have anything to do with their requirements or queriies re rpra sites.

why do the snfc or shu no have a list of suitable sites available as the rpra are so far behind with their updating process?

saintes is not on the snrpc race card.

great move.

the fact that an email has been sent to clarify the situation speaks for itself. the explanation suggests that fanciers participating in SHU races are the only ordinary fanciers in the UK. i wonder what the reaction would be if the big NEHU show and Blackpool show introduced a blanket ban on all SHU members participating. poor,poor show.

willie gass inchinan 49 from 57 wetherby. geddes and hillis 42 fron 49 wtherby. seems some good some indifferent some not so good.

Sorted a kind fancier from Morpeth is helping out. Thanks also to Redcheqhen.

Bird has injured wing. If someone near hand could assist to see condition of bird it would be a great help.

Anyone who could assist would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

thanks.

In during week, flown down. Any one know whose it is.