walterboswell59

never been a big football fan paddy ye cannae kill them when there s e m8

im laughing here myself jake thinking about it but the we blacky couldnae lol but it was put back in the nest and i made sure its mam got plenty bread till it fleged

tell yer dad to give them a feed before he lets them out you want your latebred to be flying for two hours m8 not picking in a field half the day also give them plenty kilpatricks black minrals

ps tomorrow ill tell how i became eddie newcome for a night all 100 percent true i swear on the mother inlaws life

i did not know ye get hanky panky with tonic water ill tell helen to get me some of that to lol

i had a good youngbird season that year to winning 4 or 5 youngbird races and youngbird average and scored in the youngbird national so i was happy i was improving it was now december and i was looking forward to sending a couple of decent birds to the goldcup as i had also timed a red hen a broken pigeon from the fed sartilly race at 10 20 at night my first time getting a bird from across the channel on the shift so things were looking up vince or john mcfall phoned to ask if i wanted to go to wee show and i went to the loft to pick some birds out to my horror the red grizzel hen the dam of the white hen was on the floor staggering about i picked her up and she was skin and bone what to do and what was wrong checked her mouth it was not canker so i was baffled she was a prisoner so could not have picked something up outside as i had mouse poison under the loft in those days i did not treat for anything and i mean nothing so had nothing to hand but i did not know the problem away then i remembered someone had given me half a bottle of harkers coxcoid it had been on a shelf for about two years and i had never used it but i had to try something my best breeding hen was dying in front of me i opened the bottle and filled the cap with the liquid opened her beak and pored it down her throat and sat her in the empty youngbird section she could not even stand so sat her in a box with some straw and went off to the show it was vince now i think of it as i remember telling him about it does not sound to good he said on getting home from the show it was late pitch black and i was half p d so i left the birds in the porch and went to bed next morning i went to the loft fearing the worst and to my amazement the red grizzel hen was sitting on a perch i could not believe it and in two or three weeks was back to normal and that was a cure i used many times after that and it worked my then father inlaw was also a doo man just a wee team man but had scored a couple of times in the national but had done nothing for a few years so i lent him the black pied cock and red grizzel hen my best breeders for a few nests meanwhile i had picked four races for the white hen before going to the gold cup the last one being 250 miles hoping to get her about 8 hours on the wing on the last one before the gold cup then a few tosses and a open bowl for the last few days before basketing she had never had a youngster before so the plan was to have her chipping or a small youngster now it was the day of basketing for the first race the white hen had 4 20 mile tosses and the race was 60 miles i filled out the pool sheet making her all pools why you may ask well if your paying attention you will have noticed that that the three times the white hen won a prize it was a north west wind she was libbed in and that was the forcast for the first race i had figured it would be a slow race with a low velocity and thats when distance birds can pop up and i was right the winners were taking two and a half hours she was my timer 3rd club but taking the pools that will do for me lol cant feed them on tickets she then went to 120 miles then 180 miles and into the 250 mile race being my 5th bird and 7 and a half hours on the wing got her sat down perfect would be chipping or on a day old chick on basketing for the gold cup everything going to plan vince john feenie and big chad had offered to give the birds a few tosses fron annan 60 miles and gretna about 80 miles the week before the gold cup feenies good hen strathclyde lass was going for her gold award that year to having scored four times already so all to play for the two 60 mile tosses went well the birds taking about one and a half hours each time then big chad took them to gretna for the last toss and phoned me to tell he had libbed them but said the white hen did not go with the rest of the birds and headed off on her own my house was in hillhouse hamilton at that time and so called because the house sat at the top of a hill that could see right over the clyde valley i climbed up on to my porch roof and sat and watched for my three birds it was a clear blue sky and i could see for miles it was almost two and a half hours since they were let go and it was getting near panick time when something caught my eye away in the distance i thought it was a plastic poke that the wind had caught it looked miles high as the shape lowered i could see it was my white hen wings shut dropping like a stone from a great height f k i thought she will never be able to stop in time she is going to crash right into the loft in the last split second she opened her wings touched the board and in f k me i thought this birds got to score that was the best trap ive ever seen in my life even to this day it took my breath away the red hen was about twenty mins behind her and my old cheq pied cock 20 mins after the red hen well she is deff fit i thought to myself they all are but that hens got something about her for the next four days they were on open bowl the night before basketing i went into the loft about 8 oclock to have a wee handle at them first the old cheq pied cock 5 years old been across 3 times walked it three times but was in good order then the red hen she had scored in fed sartilly the year before and was sitting 16 days i knew she could do just under the 500 miles but can she do 550 i was into darkening down the nest boxes maybe 5 or 6 days before i wanted a hen to try and had a board over the front of the box to darken it so they can hide i took off the board at the front of the white hens box and there she was perfect shinning head down low in the bowl her eyes bright and popping out her head like a blacky on a nest the last time i seen a bird in this condition was when the red scored in sartilly eyes starring feathers tight as a drum wings like coiled springs they were so tight and body corky light as a feather skin clear and pink this hen is ready i thought her eggs chipping under her im putting my shirt on her i cant be wrong this time this bird has done everything i have asked of her shes bred for it and i have done my bit in getting her head right and her body in peak condition the pools are in the bank i thought lol next morning day of basketing for the gold cup open the loft door the white hens on a perch and so is her cock but he has blood all over his eyes and head what the f k i take off the board from there box and disaster theres a yearling cock in the box covered in blood and the two chicks have been trampled to death i grabbed the yearling and threw him in the other section i was frantic what can i do i thought a youngster i need a youngster to try and get them back down i look in every nest box but not one i try a pair of warm eggs and lock her in the box but she would not sit them i try the cock nor would he all my work and planning up in the air i tried phoning a few guys to get a wee youngster but could not get hold of anyone half an hour had past which felt like hours the eggs were now cold and the pair did not want to know then it came to me a trick i used in the past a blackbird had nested in my garden next to the loft for a few years and i had once took a small chick out to slip under a hen i was trying with is she in young i thought i put my hand in the nest yes youngsters but there big maybe a week old maybe to big but i need to try i darkened down the nest box again and put the young blacky in the bowl and sat the hen on top and held her there till she felt it move and she sat on it thank f k i thought next thing the young blacky starts chirping like f k the hen gets a fright and jumps off the nest s t i ran to the house and got tape and taped its beak shut and held the hen on top of it again yes it worked she sat by this time it was after noon and i let her sit the young blacky till 5 oclock at least i can still send her but ill switch the big pools onto the red hen as my confidence had gone after this set back so thats how she went to the gold cup sitting a 7 day old blacky it had taken the shine off the race for me the birds were libbed from rennes gold cup at 6 in the morning and guess what the wind was yes a north west so a real hard one was expected my pal and work m8 john mcfall phoned me that night to tell me there were birds in the boarders that night but were very scares john was a man id learned a lot from over the years and had some great national results under his belt and had some class pigeons at the race his dedication and work ethic was second to none and a guy i greatly respected and still do i thanked john for letting me know what was happening and he said he would phone me in the morning if he heard anything so im up at 4 the second morning and i can see nothing for a thick blanket of mist but still i waited i was supposed to be working that morning at six but i phoned my gaffer and asked for a holiday no chance he said you can come in late but you must come in ok i said john phoned back about 7 to tell me he had spoken to one of the guys at the scottish boarder 60 miles away and the guy told him you have no chance getting birds through down there the mist is like pea soup in the hills here an hour later john phoned again to tell me he had just timed in his good blue cock that had scored for him a few times well done i said theres plenty time yet he said im well in but my heart was sinking and really had to go to work i phoned my young brother who was 12 or thirteen at the time and asked him to come up and time in for me whit fur he said ye never git wan that realy cheered me up just come up and wait a few hours and ill give you a fiver on friday i ok he came up at half eight i showed him what to do as he had never timed a pigeon in and shot off to work with him shouting am no sitting here aw day i got into work dead on 9 oclock and went into the office to thank the foreman for letting me come in late thats ok he said did ye get yer doo no i said walking to the door as his phone rang as i went out the office the foreman shouted me back walter the phone for ye who is it i said taking the phone off him dont know he said just asked for you hello i said a just timed wan it was my wee brother yer kidding i said no 3 mins to 9 the red hen i said naw a white one ya f n dancer i shouted the foreman started laughing take it ye got one yip i said i was like a dog with two tails well get out there and work cheers i said i think i floated over to my job happy as a pig in s t lol she was 64th section 184th open with over six thousand birds at the race and 180 pounds in pools which was good money back then id realised a dream and scored in the gold cup against the best birds in scotland not at the top but i was in there it was a good start for a novice mean while her sister the dark grizzel i gave jock stirling was making a name for herself to scoring in a few nationals and breeding birds to score in the national she was named amazing grace and john hunter may be able to tell us what that hen done and bred theres just a wee bit more to end this story but my eyes are now blurring so it will keep till tomorrow night hope you guys enjoy this as much as i did telling you about the white hen

lol said the same thing to me 30 year ago alan

thanks for that tip davie ill give it a go m8 im still pain free so there no dout it works still cant believe it something so simple

lovely looking pigeons bill and hardy buggers to m8

this was all stuff we would tell each other and discuss in the railway club back then joe with a great bunch of guys the clubs long gone now and most of my old pals have past on and the ones that are left like me look as if there ready you join them lol but it was the place to be for a young guy with a burning hunger to ask and learn from good fanciers as for the memory i forget what happened yesterday but you always remember your good times and good doos as there few and far between pal bet you can remember what you were doing when you won the two races on the trot lol

correct

newmains club hut im sure andy will give you the post code or one of the members m8

lol your easy pleased peter take care pal

glad you like it guys thanks sorry i posted it before correcting my mistakes

The year was 1979, or 1980, and we had a very close knit club and group of friends so much so that in the winter months we would take it in turns to have awee pigeon night in each others house . You would take your own carry out and who ever,s house it was would put on a wee buffet for about six or eight guys. We would have a wee drink and talk pigeons into the wee small hours. When it was your house you would bring in a basket of half a dozen birds and the guys would judge them then give there opinion on each bird . There were 6 or 8 friends in my house that night, but for the life of me i can only remember 4!! . Vince Hendry , Malcolm Welsh , Peter Montgomery , and Jock Stirling . All flew a good pigeon , Davie Hannah , Jims brother and John Mc Fall may have been there also ?? They were friends too . Anyway they handle a few of my yearlings which were not up to much , but were all I had . Then i brought out the black pied cock and the red grizzle hen . My pride and joy all of the guys in the house liked them. Jock Stirling a man i liked and had a lot of respect for and was a good distance man. He really raved about the pair, saying they "were one of the finest pair of birds he had seen in a long time" . Look after this pair Walter he said, they will breed you something good im sure . I would not a youngster off them when you have a few yourself i was pleased as punch at Jocks comments , and promised to breed him one . The reason im telling you this will become apparent later . So the pair were put together in January the first pair off them were a dark grizzle and a white grizzle with just a wee splash of red on her neck . They were crackers , strong like the sire but shaped like the dam .I had already switched the 2nd pair away and by the time the youngsters were ready to leave the nest the hen had just laid the third set of eggs . Being well in front i decided to give old Jock one of the first youngsters . I liked the man so off i went with the two youngsters down to jocks house . Pick one i said this is the youngsters off the pied cock and grizzle hen . I promised you one so take your pick Jock handled both birds . I hoped he would not take the dark one as i liked it best . Theyre both cracking birds said John , but think ill take the dark one basssa i thought me and my big mouth . As I said , I thought a lot of Jock .Okay , its yours and headed back home with the white one . Both these birds turned out to be hens i had 8or9 bred off them that year and all were two cocks in the nest or two hens never one each which i found strange ? . The hens were more my kind of pigeon , medium to small apple bodied birds . The cocks were big bold long cast pigeons, and to big for distance racing in my humble opinion ? At that time i got my self an old car and started to train my youngbirds .Firstly 20 mile , 25 mile , then 30mile .They had about 16 tosses by the time the first race came round . My pal Vince had talked me into joining Hamilton and district club . They were selling tote dbl tickets and had great prizes and prize money i sent 20 youngbirds to the first race annan 60 miles to me and my timer was the white hen think she was third club and won my then Wife a hairdo so the white hen got called the hairdo doo for a while lol . I was now a regular in the Hamiton railway club boozer . About a dozen fanciers would turn up most weekends , and talk pigeons . Around this time John Feenie was one of the circle of friends i had around me. Trying to get advice from John was like getting blood from a stone lol . Anyway i had filled out the pool sheet the following Friday making the white hen my pooler . Went to the loft to basket the birds i picked up the white hen first as she had won a prize and was now my fancy on handling her i noticed she had what looked like a pluke or lump on the bottom of her eyelid i thought she had been picked but there was no redness just a grey colour lump ? . I just left her in the loft and went off to the club with the rest of the birds . Sent them and all back to the railway club where i got the chance to tell John Feenie about the lump on the hens eye , "what do you think it could be john" i said ? .Its not been picked you say ? .I dont think so , there was no redness , just grey . Well it sounds like pigeon pox , oh no i said will i have to nut her because although i had never seen it i had read about and in those days thats what you did with birds that were not 100 percent . My heart sank for a moment till john said "no no , just isolate her for a few weeks and dab the lump with iodine every few days" She should be ok ,i had no iodine , but remembered an old romany trick my dad taught me for warts. Get a matchstick and wet the head till it starts to go soft then paint it on the wart and it kills it , by not allowing it to breath . So thats what i did , every second day for 10 days, I left her out in the aviary after two weeks she was cured . By that time the youngbird racing was at 180 miles. She had not been out the loft in two weeks . So i put her by till the next year . Mean while her big strong brothers were going down . In hindsight i might have been better to stop them and let there big frames mature ? However i kept them going till i lost them dumplings . I thought silly me still a novice and still thinking like one . The year went by and the white hen was a yearling but with only one race as a youngster .Id have to take it easy with her , ill set her up for the yearling derby 260 odd mile . I thought three races to 180 miles , then jump her in and have a wee punt on her . I was right into motivation by this time , and the plan was to send her on her first ever eggs . As i was short of cocks that year it would work out ok and put her and another two hens in the youngbird section till about 4 weeks before the derby . I had removed a stock hen and let her pair to the stock cock ,but she was slow to lay , and was only sitting 8 days on the day of basketing . She came well in a stiff northwest wind taking almost ten hours and 200 pounds out the fed . It was in my head to stop her then and keep her till the next year , but the club had put up a brand new benzing clock for the first yearling timed from the coast race . Lymington 360 or 380 miles or so . The plan was to get her back down and on chipping eggs for the race . She laid her first egg 18 days before the basketing date so was bang on the way i wanted her. A yearling hen on her first chipping eggs . She had two weeks rest and the week before the race , i singled her up from 30 miles . Four days open hole then into the race all pools .At that time we used to go to the pub on a Saturday morning till about an hour or two before the birds were due . Vince would work out when the birds were due , and phoned me to go for a quick pint. I relented and agreed the birds were up at six in a northwest wind by one oclock my ass was making buttons Yet Vince kept saying relax , northwest wind no be a doo before 4 oclock. Plenty time the pub shuts at half two . Im not staying to half two Vince i fancy that hen . Plenty time man dont worry ill get the bus up the road i said dont be daft ill finish this pint the run you up . Relax it was now two twenty and we were still in the pub im away Vince i said .Stop worrying lets go if ye must how many did you send ? Three i said , but i had that white hen jumping . Ive fourteen away he said as he pulled up at my door . Phone me when ye get wan . Okay i said good luck , you too , was his reply and drove off . The Wife and weans were away to there grans . I get my key out open the front door and walk through to the kitchen with the widow looking onto the back garden .To my horror there was the white hen running up and down the loft like a tiger trying to get in .Ya "bassa hendry" i shouted at the top of my voice . Picking up the clock and loft key i was shaking with pure anger as i opened the trap let her drop in and timed her . It was 2: 35 on the clock . I ran back to the house thinking im beat and its my fault !! I phoned vince where are you i said watching the telly best place for ye i said ye better check yer loft it will be covered in doos im in . Yer ass he said im looking out the window and theres nothing there well im in am telling ye you and yer nae doos before four must have hit south somewhere . He said on going to the checking i fine Robert Richardson is in at two twenty six , John Feenie is in at 2 30 and im 3rd ? I get three miles overfly from Robert, and a mile and a half from John Feenie . However , because its a fast race im 3rd but lucky for me my white hen is the first yearling timed so won the new benzing clock and i was never caught out again . Tomorrow ill tell you how i prepared the white hen for the gold cup , and the wee trick i used to set her up . Hope you guys find this interesting . When im bored i like to remenis . Jim must be sick of listening to me lol .

another good show

another of lanarkshires great wee shows well run by andy and guys

sorry to hear this m8 sickening

did not know that davie as i also suffer from gout so maybe two birds with the one stone

A few years ago i told you guys a story about a red hen i had , and how she was the first bird i had ever timed across the water on the night and the thrill that i had from that. This story is about a white hen . Now first of all i,ll tell you how this hen came about. I had the distance bug and wanted to better myself at distance, and national racing . I knew i did not have the birds , or the money to get them . I was in my early twenties with two small kids so did not have much money to spend so was just plodding along with the birds i had from tom dick and harry. Anyway i was at a pigeon show in Hamilton and was just having a look round when a guy came over to me and asked if i wanted to buy a raffle ticket to help Low-waters pigeon club in buying a new club hut?. I said yes as took out my last ten shilling note. How much are they ten shillings a ticket was the reply. What the heck are you raffling a car i said as that was like saying ten pound a ticket today!. No the guy said we are raffling that pigeon over there in the pen on the stage. I looked over to see a red grizzle hen in the pen i was not to keen on grizzle,s but was to embarrassed to say no thanks .The guys i was with bought one, so i took one. The ticket no was 111, cant remember what happened this morning, but will never forget that no lol. Anyway i won the pigeon with the big pedigree it was bred down from eastrigg supreme the Rennes national winner and lady jean the Nantes national winner. The hen was small,to medium ,with a tight apple shape body and a great big pearl eye she fitted my small hands perfectly. It was not hard for even a novice like me to tell she was a class pigeon, but could not help wishing she was a blue or chequer. I had got myself a cracking hen steeped in good Scottish distance blood but did not have a cock worthy of her. I would try to save what little i could and buy a good distance cock to pair with her. A few months later i was reading a pigeon book at work during my tea break when one of my work mates said i did not know you were a doo man walter ?. Yes ,i said , but not a very good one!. If you like i,ll speak to my pal for you if you like?. He flies the doos in Eastkilbride .No thanks , i said , i,ve enough dumplings. Whats your pals name anyway i might know him ? Drew Mc Shane he said flies under Wilson and McShane .I nearly fell off my chair, this was a name i knew well, and were good national fliers. Would you introduce me to them?. No problem and i,ll see he does you a turn pal. The following Saturday i headed to ek to meet big jock, and drew .I,d saved 20 pounds by this time and told the guys i was looking for a good distance cock to go with a good hen. They took me into the loft and showed me the birds. My eyes were every where what a team of birds they had, Vandenbroucks and a few other dutch strains.All in outstanding condition i handled a few, and was tempted, but a big black pied kept taking my eye. Drew noticed i kept watching the black pied and said, i think you like the big guy eh ? He is a cracker i said ,how is he bred ? You know what you like kid. That pigeon is a grandson of the great "fechan lass". Big jock said he got on the Nantes result last year but was attacked by a sparrow hawk at the loft. His wing is damaged we are going to put him in the stock loft. Would you like to handle him? Yes thanks i said, "what a pigeon he was".Deep in the keel but, very broad in the chest. I could feel the pure power in this bird, and i wanted him. Is he for sale i said? He would be perfect for my hen. Big jock looked at Drew and said what do you think, we have plenty at stock the same way bred? OK he can go, looks like your hearts set on him anyway. They both laughed .How much i said? . Make me an offer big jock said. I,ve only got twenty pound just now. Jock said we have to get at least thirty for him? The blood drained from my face. I just did not have the money. My weeks wage was only 28 pounds at the time. Sorry guys i think he is worth every penny, but i dont have that kind of money! I let the bird go and walked to the door of the loft, sick as a parrot. We have other cocks there you can have for 20 pounds kid? Naw that was the one i wanted i replied. Bassa i thought to myself, its xmas in a few weeks so no chance of getting the money. As we walked to the gate Drew said you work with my pal Charlie, why dont you give Charlie what you can afford every week? Pay him up if your really set on him. I almost jumped for joy, well ive twenty with me ill give you that just now and thats just a tenner ive to give you? Thats fine kid you can just take him with you then. No i said he is not mine till your paid. The next week i gave Charlie my fiver pocket money. The following week i came home with the black pied cock paid in full. For the next two weeks i could not wait to get home from work, just to look at this pair of pigeons. At last i had something to work with. A pair of good old Scottish national blood pigeons that anyone would be proud of. Now its up to me i thought? Will they breed the goods for me? Will i know what to do with them? If they do ill pair them early, and breed as many as i can from them. Then ill have to get off my backside and work them to give them a chance to show what they can do. Or im wasting my time? Find out how i got on tomorrow night. Hope its of interest to you guys??

ok m8 its just that the wife got me tonic water also but it was soda water the consultant advised so i dont know if tonic water would work

thanks wullie all families i like will try and get up for a look see pal

sorry to hear we are losing another of our rank wullie ps any info on his birds

give it a try john i just cant believe the difference m8 if it does not work ill give ye a push on yer scooter lol

was not talking about his youngsters wiley but the old birds that are rearing the youngsters m8