Pompey Mick

I have been contacted by my local neighbourhood news reporter for information for an article she is preparing for a disabled newsletter. She would like to feature pigeon racing as an alternative sport for disabled people to participate in. She had recently produced an article on our ETS grant and could see the potential of Pigeon Racing providing a sporting outlet for the disabled. If anyone could give any current information on fanciers with disabilities and photos suitable for inclusion in this article please contact me on my Email and I will forward it on. mickjhnsn@yahoo.co.uk Any help greatfully received

I'm going, the Pigeonbasics stand was a good meeting point, putting faces to the names was very good.

Been home about an hour, long trip but well worth it.

Leaving Pompey just after 8am Friday morning. I hope to see a few badges about.

Congratulations to local side Havant & Waterlooville well deserved winners against Swansea. Look out Liverpool!

He will be on 122 in the Horseshoe, he had a few clocks on exhibition last year. I'm taking a clock for him to look at, I think it's an Abel

Can anyone tell me where the stand that the Clock Museum will be on at Blackpool is. I've arranged to meet the chap who runs it, but I can't find it on the Winter Gardens map. I think he might share.

Hopefully it will not affect Blackpool. This is on the DEFRA website: Bird fairs, markets, shows and other gatherings Bird gatherings are permitted, except in the Control Area and Monitoring Area established in January 2008 http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/notifiable/disease/ai/keptbirds/index.htm#birdfair The General Permit is still in place.

I quite agree, despite his disability, Jed Jackson proved that you can overcome the odds and become a great pigeon fancier. On what grounds, in your opinion, does disability preclude a fellow fancier from taking part in the sport of Pigeon Racing and doing his pigeons 'justice' http://www.pigeonnetwork.com/articles/Stoddart.html

No Rose, it was just an ordinary calculator which we used for all the calculations.

When I first started in 1963 the velocities were worked by long division, thats when Secretaries were secretaries and earnt every penny of whatever they were paid. In the 70's we decided to buy a mechanical calculator for the princely sum of £10.00 and we were bumped! We even got the police involved to try and nail this con artist to no avail. Later the first pocket calculators were appearing on the market and John McLaren was advertising them in the weekly. We bought one for £45.00 (a lot of money then) and it served us very well for many years. Now with computers, race result programmes and now ETS the going has certainly got easier.

When I first started in 1963 the velocities were worked by long division, thats when Secretaries were secretaries and earnt every penny of whatever they were paid. In the 70's we decided to buy a mechanical calculator for the princely sum of £10.00 and we were bumped! We even got the police involved to try and nail this con artist to no avail. Later the first pocket calculators were appearing on the market and John McLaren was advertising them in the weekly. We bought one for £45.00 (a lot of money then) and it served us very well for many years. Now with computers, race result programmes and now ETS the going has certainly got easier.

What sort of advice is that? Pigeon Racing is one of the few sports where physical disabilities can be successfully overcome. I suppose you would have given Jed Jackson the same advice. ETS is playing a part in bringing the less physically adept amongst us onto a more equal footing and keeping fanciers in the sport.

Here you are Ben, got my National rings this morning but no sign of the Club's issue from the RPRA.

Heres wishing everybody a Happy and Successful New Year. My new Years resolution is 'Must do Better' in truth I couldn't do much worse than what I achieved in 2007 so hopefully it's a resolution I should be able to keep.

As an ETS novice, do you remove your ETS systems after racing or are they left permanently fitted?

As we're having a stand at Blackpool, would it be worthwhile to have a Video/DVD/Book exchange set up? The first callers could be given a credit note so they can call back when there will be more choice hopefully. I've got several titles I'd be willing to bring up. Successful Double widowhood/Around Antwerp 8&9,/ widowhood with hens/widowhood explained/Loft management 2/Small is beautiful/Jim Hannah Step by Step/Dual widowhood.

I've just checked my loft location on http://maps.live.com/ Local.live 1.03.27.33 W 50.47.50.57 N All the electronic ones are consistent. I've checked some others and found more differences.

I've just done mine, With the Satnav it's 1.03.27 W 50.47.50 N The Map one is 1.03.22.17 W 50.47.48.44 N Google Earth is 1.03.27.18 W 50.47. 50.55 Both the electronic methods are close together , but the map measured one is quite a way out. I know the pinprick is accurate because I'm end-of terrace, so if there is an error it is in the measuring of the map at the RPRA end or the accuracy of the map whether it has shrunk or stretched over the years. Roll on GPS mapping.

Contact the RPRA,join as an individual member and you can obtain rings through them. http://www.rpra.org/Home/tabid/53/Default.aspx

A good two page spread in the Daily Mirror. http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/topstories/2007/12/22/a-very-british-coo-89520-20262358/ Good luck to them, we are forever losing these little oasis in towns and cities. They're valuable green lungs in an otherwise densely developed areas.

A very merry Christmas and a successful New Year to all on Pigeonbasics and hope to meet up with some of you at Blackpool.

One for me please, to be collected at the stand and I'll make a donation then.

Well that's it, 40yrs of memories finally bite the dust. Got the tree stumps to tackle next, hard to believe that when I bought them they came through the letter box in a cardboard tube, ten of them damned Cypressa Leylandii that proceeded to grow and ended up as tall as the house and the branches came out past the front of the old loft, 12ft. Cost me £300 to get them cut to what you see now, and they earnt their money that day. Once I got them cut down then hopefully the only way is up. Thanks for your offer Ted,but my Xmas visitors don't know what their letting themselves in for. No such thing as a free lunch.

I'm in the process of final demolition today Ted. Dry (and cold) at last.