Pompey Mick

I agree with Maverick, distances are the bane of a Secretary's lot, especially when you return to a racepoint after a couple of years break, you tend to forget the member who joined last year and assume you've got all the distances. Mind you the RPRA Email distance service is excellent in an emergency.

I can't agree that velocities are the same now as they were years ago. I am constantly having to revise my arrival times to allow for the increased velocities that todays pigeons are capable of. When I started in the '60s the still air velocity was reckoned to be about 40mph and any head wind would result in speeds of up to 35mph. Todays pigeons can regularly fly 400mls in 10 hrs into a headwind, and still air speeds are often 45-50mph. The 1000ypm races we used to use as a yardstick of a testing race are a thing of the past. I wouldn't say the same about homing ability though, I think we have sacrificed some of that in our pursuit of speed.

There was a comprehensive article published on a Carbohyydrate Loading System on Pigeonbasics earlier this year Wiley.It run to 8 pages, I printed it off but didn't include any date details. I'm sure the member responsible will refresh the article if he sees your thread,

I had dinner at home with my wife & son, very enjoyable and then spent all afternoon with my lad transferring files from my old terminally ill computer onto my new laptop. Up and running now. Might get a chance to look at two new books for my pigeon library, Jos Thone & Essential Modern Racing Techniques. Merry Xmas Everybody

Here is an example of a Blackpool badge

Wishing everyone a very MERRY Christmas and a prosperous New Year, look forward to meeting fellow forum members at Blackpool Mick http://www.weebls-stuff.com/toons/Merry+Christmas/

When you come to Pompey Archie look me up, I'll be pleased to see you and show you a few local lofts ifyou want. In the mean time if you look up Portsmouth on http://local.live.com I am sure you will find your previous addressess, use the Birdseye view and you will be able to pick out the house and garden. Mick

After that display of beefcake its only fair on the Lads to show you the Month of April. Mind you I'm not sure whether this should be in the matched pairs thread. These are the lovely Ladies who attend to our every need at 'The Old House at Home' with our Landlady, Linda, on the far Right of the Photo

Yes Fifer, I'm Mick Johnson , 4th from the left at the back. My Club is the Milton Homing Society in Portsmouth.

Just for the record: Front Row kneeling L-R: Danny Willett, George Willett & Lee Willett Back Row standing L-R; Barry Robertson, Lee Austin, Barry Dagnell, Mick Johnson, John Zerafa & Mick Boam

Here is the photo for the month of July in the 2007 Charity Calendar produced by the landlady of our HQ the 'Old House at Home' Public House in Portsmouth. All the clubs and teams that use the Pub 'posed' for the calendar. All proceeds are given to charity. Not a pretty sight are we!

I've often wondered why the Alf Bakers seem to have virtually disappeared from the racing scene. His achievements rate up there with the best but hardly anyone has kept a racing kit going to my knowledge. I've had a selection of Alf Bakers over the years but my last introduction was in the mid nineties. Consequently I have only one pigeon (a 92 Cock) who is 50% Alf Baker and his offspring who are 25% Alf Baker. I would like to strengthen the Alf Baker influence with an introduction from a racing loft but they seem to be a rarity.

I've got 45 plastic,clip-on visitors security badges in which Wiley's designs will fit. So get in touch with Wiley and place your order now and I shall bring the badges to Blackpool and will arrange a distribution point.

Count me in.

Alf Baker was a great believer in Maple Peas, see 'Winning Naturally' Myself, I prefer Tic Beans and as long as the YB's exercise well there will be no problem with weight gain.

The RPRA are dispatching their 2007 rings 'on or about 3rd January and not before'

My oldest pigeon is a 1989 Blue Bar Cock,starting to show his age though. I also have 1992,1993 and 1994 cocks I put the '94 Hartog into the Club Show last Friday and he took VHC.

All this about resigning and re-applying makes no sense to me, as long as the members are notified as per RPRA rules and they are given the opportunity to have a democratic vote on the matter why does a member have to put his membership in jeopardy. In my club anyone who wishes to alter or become a partnership simply advises me, as Secretary, that they are applying for a 'Change of Status' and I insert this with the AGM notifications and the Club will vote as they wish. It has been the policy of the RPRA to keep the same Code No when situations have been altered,so really nothing much has changed apart from the title.

What is Linda's website address? She should be contactable there.

There seems to be quite a few retired or semi-retired fanciers who write for the publications and they usually hark back to the 'good old days'. I am a memory lane person myself, but we need scribes who will embrace the future of the Sport rather than compare it to yesterday. For a 'dying' sport there seems to be more money in it than ever before and fanciers of today are prepared to much more time,money & energy into its participation than was the norm in the 'Good old Days'

Is it just me, or has there been a great increase in the number of Grizzles in most of the Belgian Strains currently on the market. I seemed to think that up to a few years ago grizzles in Belgium were a rarity. I have 'The History of the Belgian Racing Pigeon' Vols 1-5 and I don't recall a Grizzle in them. What I would like to know is where have all these grizzles come from ?

The Solent Fed has had a Geraldy Transporter for a couple of seasons, the crates are aluminium with a perspex flap, they seem to be wearing quite well. The drinker is full length along the back, with dowels, and fitted to the crate. There was talk of altering the perspex fronts to allow better airflow when the sides are up, but it was decided not to. We use corrugated cardboard with a light dressing of coarse sawdust. It is recommended to have the corrugations at right angles to the flap as the cardboard can 'ride up' and block the exit if laid the other way.

I'm afraid my Alf Baker bloodlines are very dilute now, I have a 94 cock who is 50% Alf Baker plus his offspring who are 25% Alf Baker. I found them to be reliable racers but they seem to have vanished from thr Racing Scene since Louella stopped selling the Champion Workman bloodlines. The only other available sources I know of are the Silvers from Patricia Lofts, but I think they have changed hands, and a loft in Oxford who regularly advertises.

Dual Widowhood, a tape of an American lecture, one of the few Videos I have watched in one sitting without dozing off.

i WOULD LIKE A PAIR OF RACING ALF BAKERS, BLOODLINES OF 'CHAMPION MICK,' 'THE LAIRD' , 'PLUM', 'SCOTTISH LASS' & 'RED ADMIRAL' TO REGENERATE THE TRACES OF ALF BAKER BLOODLINES I ALREADY HAVE IN MY BIRDS. DOES ANYONE REMEMBER THE ALF BAKER TAPE THAT WAS SOLD IN THE SIXTIES, I HAD A COPY BUT IT'S DISAPPEARED .