Pompey Mick

I wouldn't worry about switching them , just remember the late Jed Jackson's Genista, she flew Berwick before winning the Pau National. When my Club flew North up to 4yr ago, two of our more successful Classis flyers used to prefer racing their pigeons North before switching them South in the Classics. I've said it before the fanciers worry an awful lot more than the pigeons. We can only teach them to race we have no input on their homing ability it is an inbuilt instinct and it works from everywhere. Have faith in your birds ability.

I THINK THE REASON WE'RE GOING TO YELVERTON BECAUSE THERE WAS GOING TO BE MINIMAL SUPPORT FOR A 200ML INLAND RACE WITH A THURSDAY WHEN IT LOOKS LIKE WE WIL BE RACING FROM THE CHANNEL THE FOLLOWING WEEK, GEORGE GELDER SAID HE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO GET THE PERMITS IN TIME BECAUSE THERE IS NO OFFICIAL STATEMENT FROM THE RPRA YET.

SOLENT FEDERATION HAS BEEN CHANGED TO YELVERTON THIS WEEK FRIDAY BASKETING.

Help! Is there a fancier near Birchangar Nr Stansted who can rescue my pigeon which was picked up in the road by a non-fancier and is in a poor way and needs a bit of TLC quickly.

What do you call a feral pigeon in your neck of the woods? Here in Portsmouth I call them 'road uckers' and I haven't missed any letters out!

WILL ALL MEMBERS OF THE HANTS 2B CLUB PLEASE NOTE THAT THE REMAINING TWO RACES WILL BE RACED ON WHATEVER RACES ARE SCHEDULED FOR THOSE DATES. 17TH JUNE SENNEN COVE / FOUGERES 15TH JULY SENNEN COVE / CHOLET DON'T FORGET YOUR ENTRIES FOR THIS WEEK COMING 17th JUNE.

Hi robo,I took a short video of the liverpool lib, but it's too big for the forum. It's a small world , one of your convoying team is a Pompey lad and went to school with one of my club members.

Just came back from the Common at Portsmouth watching the Libs perfect start for the pigeons an Easterly breeze and a beautiful morning. Attached a photo of the transporters with the Spinnaker Tower in the background.

SOLENT UP AT 6.30 TRURO NO WIND

PORTSMOUTH 06.00 FINE & SUNNY LT EASTERLY BREEZE, HIGH WISPY CLOUD. JUST HAD ONE BACK FROM LAST WEEK, PROBABLY LET GO FROM ONE OF THE TRANSPORTERS ON THE COMMON.

Solent Fed at Truro, early lib I expect. Looks like a busy morning on the common at Portsmouth, I might pop down and have a look.

Keep going lads, if we don't try anything DEFRA will use us as any easy target, just to show that they are doing something. They don,t like hassle, when we had to apply individually for Show permits they didn't realise how much work they were letting themselves in for and it was quickly changed to a general licence policed by the RPRA when we needed racing permits. If you can remember when paramyxo reared it's ugly head for the first two years each Club secretary had to send every ring number of all their members birds to obtain a prescription which you then used to obtain the vaccine. This was soon changed to a self policing system when it was apparent how much work was involved on their part. If you're reading this Bruno, how about using your vast knowledge of this disease and formulating an Email that we can forward to our MP's and DEFRA vets, We need to get our message across, because if we don't care no-one else will.

Thanks, pete. I,ll do that

Can anyone give me the format for RPRA Email distance applications ?

You didn't join the Solent Fed to fly West, did you Rose? As far as I am concerned West is the same as North , they are both Inland the only difference being that you can get a decent distances on the North. The Fed should have stuck to the original concept whereby we were going to race West up to 27th May and then decide where to race after that when we had more information. This is what happened in 1983 when we flew 5 Exeters and a Plymouth then went North with the pigeons race fit and enjoyed EXCELLENT racing up to Stonehaven. Like you Rose I want to race South , I had an excellent year last year wining the O.B. Averages in the Solent, but failing that I would have preferred us to fly further then 200mls + and the only way you can get that is by flying North. The only reason the COMMITTEE over-ruled the race programme was because the NFC, BBC & CSCFC were going North, Now the NFC has changed and the CSCFC looks undecided they have jumped on the West route bandwagon, over-ruling earlier MEMBERSHIP decisions. It is all this uncertainity that is upsetting the membership, it is unbelievable that we have not been officially given any idea where we are racing next week especially as racepoints have to be booked 14 days in advance to comply with the DEFRA permit. And one last thing, Rose, it is Fanciers who have problems with North Road racing not pigeons.

We had 3800 for Stratford 3, DRIES, not far off 4000, and if the NFC had stayed North we would have achieved that sort of birdage again. The only reason we hit 4000 this week is because the NFC is at Sennen Cove next week and all the 'National' boys decided to use this race as a trainer. Let's see if the birdage hits 4000 next week. it is about time the Solent looked after their regular competitors not just those who use it for their own convenience when there's no Classic race that week.

Find the space Kev, cut down on your birds if neccessary, race cocks and hens on widowhood, You'll only need half the size of your natural team if your birds are good enough. It's a much cleaner way of racing,no messy nests, no sitting hens, clean out in two minutes.

Nice to know there is some information out there, it,s a pity that the Clubs weren't given this information at the Transporter on Friday. It's getting more like the Secret Service every day with just a privileged few 'in the know' My Club 'the Milton HS is completely in the dark about the Race programme and its a disgrace when the alternatives are known by some ,and not general knowledge. Alternatives must be in place to comply with DEFRA's 14 day rule so why is the general membership left 'out of the loop' so to speak. Communication to Club secretary's is minimal ( I am one of them) and it is about time we were better informed. I only heard on the 'grapevine' about this Tuesday meeting and it is just not good enough. As for Truro being the next racepoint, it's a joke, this is our eighth race of the OLD BIRD season, are they trying to work our way up to Sennen Cove (a mighty 210 mls) in 20 mile steps? Just because the National went for the economic route I don't see why the Solent Fed has to follow suite, a lot of it's members are competing on the North with the BBC and the CSCFC , and a lot more solely rely on the Fed for meaningful racing.

Bruno is absolutely right in his assessment of the risks involved. We have been repeatedley told that the countryside is open even when there are restriction movements on birds so that people can tramp all over this land with no bio-security but birds are not allowed to fly over it in case they might land. I see that birdwatchers can book birdwatching holidays all over the World with no restriction including Far Eastern Countries where this disease is rife and people can camp anywhere they like in the World with no restriction but pigeons carry a risk when they fly over areas with no Avian Flu history, it's an absurd risk assessment which allows unrestricted human access but forbids us flying our birds.

Have DEFRA relaxed the rules on racing from outside the British Isles? My members keep saying that the BICC is racing from Ireland for their next race which is currently outside the boundaries that have been imposed on us by DEFRA. Is this wishful thinking on the part of the BICC or is DEFRA allowing a partial relaxation of their rules. bearing in mind the statement made by the Irish Minister regarding Irish pigeons racing from the UK.

Portsmouth 07.00 Bright & Sunny, Perfect day, Lt onshore breeze.

Is that the same source that told you we will be racing from France, Mike. As my old Dad said' Only half believe what you see and don't believe a thing you hear'

Solent Fed at Yelverton (again)

Where does the Solent Fed go from here? We are approaching our eigth race of the season and we have been informed that it will be Yelverton again, Thats 8 races and I have yet to fly over 135 mls and I am one of the further flyers. If we are staying West what's wrong with Wadebridge, we were scheduled to race from there in our first emergency programme. We are flying Old Birds after all not YB's. The decision to change routes was made by a Committee with no approach made to the members, the meeting was unbelieveably held the day BEFORE the DEFRA meeting. so they were guessing the outcome of this meeting. If the reason to switch from the North was made because of the poor turnout for Wetherby that was do to the awful weather forecast for Yorkshire for the weekend, if members had known that the Fed was going to bring the birds back to the Midlands on Saturday morning ( something they have NEVER done before) then the birdage would have more than doubled. We do not know where we will be racing from on 10th June, North, South, East or West . Pick a card, any card'll do. What a mess.

Portsmouth 06.30, bright & sunny, almost calm, beautiful morning. What's it like in Plymoth Grovehomer? and how did your race go yesterday.