Pompey Mick

Does anyone have any definite race programme news for BBC, NFC or CSCFC. All these organisations have web sites but they dont update them with any current news , most are still in 2005 mode. They all have had recent committee meetings but information is very scarce. This forum is the best place for news.

does anyone know what the Central Southern Classic FC have decided upon for their Race programme this weekend?

Hi Rose, The Solent have pencilled in Sennen Cove which must be more than 200mls to you as I fly over 200mls to Portsmouth. Also the race programme is up for discussion at the next Fed meeting so we might be flying further than that.

There are two North Road feds in my area but they have already indicated that they have no spare capacity. This thread is not a North V South argument but it is about fanciers trying to get whatever meaningful racing they can in these trying times. This means for southern England fanciers that they look to the North for any sort of distance flying. I don't think it will worry the pigeons anything like it is worrying their owners.

I can't believe organisations are still trying to formulate overseas racing, DEFRA has already stated INLAND racing only , and this decision was made before the cases in France, Germany & Italy. can anyone really believe that this restriction will be lifted. We are all looking at this May 31st date for a review but this has been overtaken by current events. If we keep waiting for miracles to happen you will end up like my federation,the Solent Fed, which is going to race up to 200mls on the west route when we could easily race into Scotland and get meaningful races. A lot of organisations would love to be able to race 540mls Inland.

Doas anyone know what happened at the N.F.C. committee meeting last night. What have they decided on the Race programme?

Darren, as I said the first races were from the West road so all pre season training was done from the west. I cant remember now but I think we just turned them North. Don't forget when we race South ,being on the coast, we normally have a few West route races then spin them South . It not possible to get any line of flight training for S.R. here. We normally go anywhere we can.

In 1983 I flew with the Solent fed after 7 west route races in which I lost two birds the Fed turned North, Clay Cross 163 mls 15 sent, 15 home , Selby 210 mls 16 sent, 13 home. next it was Sedgefield 250mls approx 9 sent, 9 home . Sedgefield 2, 10 sent, 9 home after that we went to Berwick 350mls 12 sent, 12 home the last OB race was Stonehaven 430 mls 15 sent, 14 home. All this with South road pigeons. I wasn't alone in the club with good returns. YB's were even better, first fed race Banbury 90mls 20 sent, 20 home. Leamington 100mls 20 sent, 20 home Clay Cross 163 mls 20 sent, 20 home. Selby 210mls 20 sent, 18 home back to Banbury , Leamington, Clay Cross 1 & Clay cross 2 In all of these races I entered 20 birds and got 20 home. I have gleaned these figures from my 1983 Year Book they are accurate. Where's the problem ? Grab what racing you can get wherever it is , don't make problems that don't exist. We were flying the North Route racing to Portsmouth on the South Coast and we coped O.K.

The biggest problem there is going to be if we are confined to racing in this country is overloaded race points. This is where a lot of clashing occurs not so much when birds are in full flight. Pigeons seem to clear immediately only to return 10 mins later to clash into newly liberated birds, this will be a major problem in the Midland lib sites when organisations will be racing in opposite directions, covoyers will have to ensure that birds have fully cleared the area before liberating pigeons flying in a different direction.

Do we want Channel racing now that avian flu is in the heart of Europe. I would rather keep my birds this side of the Channel thank you. The RPRA should now impose a ban on Channel racing so that we can produce new race programmes to get the best out of what racing we have. The Maltese fanciers have been told by their governing body to confine their birds to their lofts and they were racing from Italy two weeks ago, The situation can change that quickly.

The hen Eagle Owl featured in the documentary was reported found dead with heavy gauge shotgun pellets in its body at the end of January so Tam is spot on in his observations.

Check the Defra website and it confirms that Avia flu is in Nigeria also there is a report on the possibility of Avian Flu in three dead swans in Greece. The website is www.defra.gov.uk

If ETS is accepted are Clubs obliged to allow its use in club racing and who pays for the necessary club equipment if required. Also can clubs insist on traditional back up clocks for verification purposes as they do in the Internationals.

Mark,if my birds were liberated at Portsmouth at 1.00 I'd need them at two minutes past . Here's some information for anybody who is interested. Hants 2B fees £15.00 Four races per season, all with the Solent Fed. Guaranteed £100.00 1st prize per race. 2005 prize money £680.00 2005 pools £1176.00 No extra birdage costs, pools optional. Nominations to be in Sec's hand day before liberation date.# Open to ALL Solent Fed members I will obtain an application form and post it on the site in the near future.

Where is the best place to get a new battery fitted to my T3

Just checked out the Sliema RPC in Malta and they raced from Reggio on 29/01/06 from Reggio in Italy .It would seem that restrictions vary quite a bit from Country to Country.

Why do they use manual clocking back-up in International races when ETS is used and why is it only approved for some races in Belgium ?

we need to prove that the RSPB is creating an unnatural situation with their policy of introducing birds of prey into the enviroment. One way of demonstrating the imbalance they have caused is by using their own population figures and comparing todays ratio of birds of prey to their natural food source to the ratios in pre-war years. It will become clear that their activities have produced an over kill and that the numbers of hawks and falcons they are supporting will wipe out the natural food sources and must kill the domesticated pigeon to survive. Without the racing pigeon the peregrine especially would struggle to survive. So the bird census could give some valuable ammunition in our fight against the promotion of hawk species by the RSPB and may well give RSPB members some doubt about this policy.( I hardly see a sparrow now since a sparrowhawk has moved into my part of the city.)

The Guernsey's are on 6th May and the 20th May if DEFRA allow them. I have just received the revised programme in the post from George so your Club should have theirs.

The first six races for the Solent Fed are Exeter, Exeter, Guernsey ,Yelverton,Guernsey, Wadebridge. and if we don,t get Channel racing we continue in this vein with some Sennen Coves as well (see Hants 2Bird prog.) The old Portsmouth SR Fed used to race Jersey but apparently it is the same ferry that visits Guernsey and Jersey is its second port of call and can be a very much longer ferry trip.

the problem with Guernsey ,if it is available, is getting the transporters over there. I am led to believe there is only limited space available on the ferries. I would rather we knew now so that sort out a decent alternative race programme. Now that we know that pigeons can catch this virus do we really want our birds nearer to the outbreaks by sending them to the continent, especially the longer races when they could night out in mainland Europe. My Federation, the Solent Fed have only planned a west route emergency programme up to 200mls because they are hoping we will be racing from France at some time. If it doesn't happen we will only race Old birds to Sennen Cove, 200mls to me, when we could race up to Scotland on the north Thurso is 545ml or Stonehaven 430ml.

The Hampshire two-bird Championship Club has just set its 2006 programme flying with the Solent Fed. Subject to Avian flu restrictions. 6th May Fougeres or Guernsey 27th May Cholet or Wadebridge 10th June Saintes or Sennen Cove 14th July Bergerac or Sennen Cove This is a two-bird nomination club racing with the Solent Fed.

I think the Solent Fed has had to act early because it is probably the most affected Fed when it comes to Continental racing restrictions. We were due to start racing from France on 22nd April with six channel races scheduled before the end of May. The emergency programme would have been bought in in the hope that there will be some OB channel racing when the fed will revert to the original race programme. Personally I would have like to have seen a decent North Rd programme and I think it might have been considered if we had a total ban on channel racing as we had in 1983 when the Solent successfully raced a full Old & YB season. But I can see the reasoning behind this temporary programme when we still have a chance of channel racing. Has anyone got a copy of the revised Solent Fed programme ?

Portsmouth, Hampshire, in the shadow of Fratton Park. 'Play up Pompey'

try the pigeon paradise site www.pipa.be go to the bottom of the page to the website section and you will find Malta has its own page with several club & fed websites that you can contact. Enjoy your holiday.