Pompey Mick

MILTON HS (Portsmouth) Solent Fed Exeter 8/157 & SDNRF Newbury 11/225

This is the current RPRA rule and there is no requirement for birds to be confined, all it decrees is that when the trap is closed a pigeon cannot be registered on the pad. 241. The positioning of the ETS sensors/ antennae will not be allowed on any landing boards or other external surfaces in such a way that when the loft is closed no electronic chip ring may be recorded by the Electronic Timing System installed. Club Officials may make random checks at any time

Hi Tammy, good to hear from you. I applied for a trailer for the Club in 2015,still using some of your original recommendations and that proved successful (after two attempts). This is it on our Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/MILTON.HOMING.SOCIETY/

If there is a need for a grant then you will need the Club & Secretary on board but he doesn't have to formulate the application. Bring it up at your Club get the go ahead and possibly form a sub-committee to work on the bid. I'm willing to advise once the Club gives you the green light. Most importantly, all it costs is time.

My Club received a grant for a trailer in 2015 from Awards4All. It may fit your application, just remember that Pigeon Racing is not classified as a sport, it is more a recreational pastime. Your Club is a volunteer based, not for profit, organisation that offers the opportunity for all like minded enthusiasts of all ages,colour & creed to participate in their chosen pastime. If you feel that you want to apply and would like any advice , feel free to ask. I received advice from Thomas Garvie of the Netherburn Homing Society in 2007 and it led to a successful grant application for ETS, and using the same criteria a successful grant was made in 2015. So it pays to not be afraid to ask. https://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/global-content/programmes/scotland/awards-for-all-scotland

As a deep Southerner I am envious of your Independence, you are described as a Country, whereas my Country, England, is, according to the Oxford English Reference Dictionary, "a part of Great Britain and the United Kingdom, largely made up of the area South of the River Tweed", England has no Capital City, (London is the Capital of the United Kingdom), it has no Parliament because it is the British Parliament and we haven't got a National Anthem because England no longer qualifies as a Nation. When Scottish Devolution took place it strengthened your Identity whereas the English Devolution which is being forced upon us will have the effect of fragmenting England into Shires. We are being airbrushed out of existence, and you think you've got it bad. What I cannot understand is the logic of the SNP fighting to be Independent now under the banner of ceding that Independence to Europe. Is the hatred of the English that bad that Scotland would rather be ruled by the Germans & French than be a part of the United Kingdom where Scottish MPs have played major roles in the governing of the UK in the past. This Government is only in power because of no meaningful opposition, it received just 39% of the vote but with a fragmented opposition, rules the roost. Divide and conquer is their mantra and it's working.

Don't knock the Lottery, Awards4All funded a trailer for my Club in 2015 £7,600. It's there if you put yourself out to get it. Local Club Flying High with Lottery Win 2016 will see the Milton Homing Society transporting their Racing pigeons in style thanks to a grant from ‘Awards for All’ lottery funding. This grant follows one awarded in 2007 to the Milton Homing Society which is a local Pigeon Racing Club which has been in existence since 1929 based locally at the ‘Old House at Home’ and is a self-funded volunteer run Organisation which organises Pigeon races for its membership. Awards for All grants are available for local organisations to fund projects which fit their criteria and I quote: “Awards for All gives groups an easy way to get small Lottery grants of between £300 and £10,000. We want to fund projects which address the issues, needs and aspirations of local communities and people. We will fund a wide range of community projects aimed at developing skills, improving health, revitalising the local environment and enabling people to become more active citizens.†Application for these grants is well within the capabilities of any Leaders who feel their Organisation would benefit from an injection of funds of this nature. I have applied four times and been successful twice and I am not an academic, being an ex-building worker with no GCE’s to my name. All you need is a worthy project and the Awards for All website will lead you through the application process, explaining what will and will not be funded. If you find yourself struggling they have a helpline which is staffed by very helpful personnel who talk you through any problems you may have encountered. My Club has benefitted twice and there must be dozens of Clubs and Organisations in Portsmouth who could benefit from Lottery Funding of this type and it’s free to enter, all it needs is your time and determination. Don’t despair if you fail, try again, and if your project is deemed a worthy applicant that improves the well-being of its recipients then you will have every chance of success. Having received these grants has improved my Club’s stature and stability whilst benefitting its membership and ensuring the Club’s future as it enters its 87th year. If you have a project that you feel will fit the criteria of the Awards for All grant then go to their website and get involved, it’s your best chance to win The Lottery. www.awardsforall.org.uk

Reports from wild birds seem to be slowing down to about one a week now from a high of four. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/592671/ai-findings-1617.csv/preview

I had the same problem for about 5 weeks, I'm on Openreach (BT)using Windows 8 and McAfee, my lad re-installed Google Chrome which didn't make much difference , I cleared all my temporary files, still no joy and then last Saturday I used the Google clean up tool and (touch wood) to date it has run fine. https://www.google.com/chrome/cleanup-tool/

http://news.gov.scot/news/avian-influenza-6

Contact the Ring Sec. of Ashford RPC she may know of any nearer to you. Mrs A.Dove (is that real?) 01233 626905

It could be a release dove for weddings etc. It looks pretty clean and healthy. What you must realise that if you continue to supply feed and water it will take up residence permanently and you will end up with a messy windowsill. If you're quite happy with that prospect and enjoy its company then you could supplement the rice with some wild bird seed and peanuts, though it looks very healthy on the rice. Regular cleaning of the windowsill would be required to keep things healthy.

Portsmouth 08.30 Plenty of cloud with the odd glimpse of the sun, fresh Westerly. Nothing like as windy as we suffered yesterday with our race from France.

Widowhood Cocks coming in to land (mind the washing line)

Eastney Beach in full colour, its a wonder how these plants thrive on a shingle beach.

The Solent Fed was at Fougeres on Sat (after being brought back from Cholet due to persistent poor weather forecasts) and liberated at 9.45. Despite our misgivings over the strong NE wind in the Channel returns were surprisingly good. We had a low send after a bad Fougeres last week when on a better day returns were abysmal despite it being only 170mls, and also a bad forecast for Cholet (We were unaware that they would be brought back on the Sat but it was a wise decision.) 68 birds were entered in the Club and returns were close to 100% at clocks with the first 40 being clocked in a spell of 50mins. so the expected 'horrendous' Channel crossing of 95ml proved to be unfounded. We have found that NE winds on a hot day are nowhere near as detrimental as a N.Easter in colder weather.

It's a lovely sunny end to the day here in Portsmouth with a Lt SE in the Channel,been pretty good all day, bit cloudy to start but soon brightened up. Any problems must be at the Lib Site end, as I went to the beach at lunch time and visibility was perfect with the IOW standing out like a jewel.

Well done, it must make you very proud to own such a pigeon. How was she raced?

This gives the wind as it is, not forecast. http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/observations/portsmouth-fc#?tab=map&map=Wind&fcTime=1370638800&zoom=5&lon=-4.00&lat=54.63

My Feds at Stratford, 60ml North of Newbury, racing back to Portsmouth where's the best place to get race info on this race because we would sure like to miss your birds.

Such a nice day me and the missus decided to pop down to Eastney Beach for lunch and enjoy the view. This is Eastney Barracks, now luxury apartments: These are the ranging towers near Fort Cumberland, still there but under threat: Eastney beach,looking toward South Parade Pier, where the cockleshell heroes trained. Brittanny Ferries pigeon transporter passing No Mans Land Fort

10 to Fougeres,170ml, with the Solent Fed and one to Wakefield,200ml,with the Southampton & Dist NR Fed.

That's a handy one for me as I'm training from Bournemouth tomorrow.

Lost two on the North Road, two yearlings across the Channel,two training (hawk attack?), one to the sparrowhawk (three gardens away) and another two whilst exercising around the loft probably the hawk.

I feel flyaways come about when free ranging YB's are flying back to the loft and they go by it without realising and they just keep on flying, thinking they are headed for home.