Roland

Nice to see the thanks offered. Mind as regards Bakes it is no more than we have come to espect. Nice that Mr and Mrs Arnald haven't taken him for granted. Good of yer Bakes. ... Nearly popped in yours last week when I visite Stantheman. Will do soon mucker lol... Being a bit partial to rabbit stew lol :P ;D Actually though I have caught and prepared many for the pot etc. I have only ever tried three times to eat rabbit in my life.... failed miserably at that. Taste fine, it the strong odour I can't get by lol

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=jEjUAnPc2VA

Realism. It simple really is a bird maintaining a speed it is comfortable to fly with. As they falter, lag behind, the winner wins it's race.

Spen, you are in a good location. Most would say Lincoln is the best spot ALLROUND each week. As for wind, which will affect everyone one good or bad, you can't combat tha.... only harness your sails a mite. Was at newish fancier your way last June time He was having his first season. A Mr Potter.

Like a lot more that are not owned up to lol.

Well what is the difference of winning - or losing - against 10 guys sending 10 birds each against one sending 100 :-/ Nothing, except in reality it would be harder, and stiffer competetion against the 10 sending ten. Wish we had 20 sending a 100 each in my clubs, gosh be down to 10p per bird to send, and prize money to boot lol.

Did me too when I first saw it a while back.

And as for placing them on roof tops, and chimneys etc. one could do, regardless how stupid that would be... indeed as the very irrelevant thought is.

In a word 'yes'. And that is the fact. The mere fact that it doesn't sit well with some, indeed the whole essence of disliking the Et is irrelevant. After much a do and repeating themselves the RPRA have stated 'Within the confines of the loft'. Bit ambiguos granted, and meant to appease most. Those that don't like can try to interprete it as mean inside the loft. Of course this is not the case, and never was meant to be. One, for the simple reason it would be nigh impossible to enforce. They must be within the confines of the loft. Within the confines means just that. Like one would say within the confines of Japan. Or North Sea. etc. Really, one should google of look up 'confines' and compare Confined, Confine etc. etc. So, as a few national winners have been under the 'Landing Board' WHEN winning and having been verified etc. Confines must, and do mean just that, within the confines. Not like in Canada say where it state Inside the upright of the loft. etc. etc. But the beaty is, most will do just that. It will be, and is mostly accepted as that. So it will appear that the ET have got another advantage. So be it. I have decided it is, and will be the case and will just live with it. Like most should, for right or wrong, it's never going to be different.

Name them Bussearts lol Still topping at every level. Ron williamson don't seem to be doing too bad with his. They win 60% or more in our Fed, especially at the Distance and hard races.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Shame you have to wake up sometimes lads eh! ;D ;D ;D Fir I reckon the nightmare starts on the 6th for yer lol ;D ;D ;D

How to ask your Boss for a salary increase in America: One day an employee sends a letter to his boss asking for an increase in his salary!!! Dear Bo$$, In thi$ life, we all need $ome thing mo$t de$perately. I think you $hould be under$tanding of the need$ of u$ worker$ who have given $o much$upport including $weat and $ervice to your company. I am $ure you will gue$$ what I mean and re$pond $oon. Your$ $incerely, Norman The next day, the employee received this letter of reply: Dear NOrman, I kNOw you have been working very hard. NOwadays, NOthing much has changed. You must have NOticed that our company is NOt doing NOticeably well as yet. NOw the newspapers are saying the world`s leading ecoNOmists are NOt sure if the United States may go into aNOther recession. After the NOvember presidential elections things may turn bad. I have NOthing more to add NOw. You kNOw what I mean. Yours truly, David

As a bagpiper, I play many gigs. Recently I was asked by a funeral director to play at a graveside service for a homeless man. He had no family or friends, so the service was to be at a pauper's cemetery in the Kentucky back-country. As I was not familiar with the backwoods, I got lost and being a typical man I didn't stop for directions. I finally arrived an hour late and saw the funeral guy had evidently gone and the hearse was nowhere in sight. There were only the diggers and crew left and they were eating lunch. I felt badly and apologized to the men for being late. I went to the side of the grave and looked down and the vault lid was already in place. I didn't know what else to do, so I started to play. The workers put down their lunches and began to gather around. I played out my heart and soul for this man with no family and friends. I played like I've never played before for this homeless man. And as I played 'Amazing Grace,' the workers began to weep. They wept, I wept, we all wept together.. When I finished I packed up my bagpipes and started for my car. Though my head hung low, my heart was full.. As I opened the door to my car, I heard one of the workers say, "I never seen nothin' like that before and I've been putting in septic tanks for twenty years."

Shade

Had a mealy cock bird mated to a Chequer pied hen... Red grizle cock birds and black grizzle hens. Marking brill. Crisp and clean.

As we get older we sometimes begin to doubt our ability to "make a difference" in the world. It is at these times that our hopes are boosted by the remarkable achievements of others. Some who have found the courage to take on challenges that would make many of us wither. I mean I've often been asked, "What do you old folks do now that you're retired"? Well...I'm fortunate to have a chemical engineering background, and one of the things I enjoy most is turning beer, wine, scotch, and margaritas into urine.

Scum, the dredges of the scum bucket at that!

Nice to have it from the horses mouth so to speak. Well done Budgie. Think. personally, that Mr hall was fortunately in the right place at the right time. Certainly has a good start for setting up again. Think if I was him I'd buy most of my introducetion from the same sauce too.... Perhaps may have to pay a little more though. :-/ Be nice in time to hear the results and achievements.

I mean, doesn't one believe that this happens World Wide'? Indeed it is when at a auction, one feels that they are really bidding against themselves.

From Alberta Classic Posted By Karl How much is a young pigeon worth? An latebred, unflown young bird was sold last Friday at auction for € 80 000 + 20% taxes = € 96 000 Seller: Jan Hooijmans, Kerkdriel Buyer: Pieter Veenstra, Drachtercompagnie The pigeon: A latebred of a grandchild of Wittebuik Gaby vandenabeele x daughter Kleine Dirk. Hi Karl; I heard that there was great concern that the price was inflated between friends.....I heard from someone who was apparently present and he told me that all the bidders but two dropped out much, much, earlier. The two remaining bidders were FRIENDS and the people in the know thought - How can that be - why do these two good friends bid against each other! If they had to pay 20% taxes for advertising - that still might be cheap! I believe that the pigeon game has arrived at the same place that cattle and sheep (in Australia ) did many years ago..... sell at high prices just to make it look good...and that no actual money changes hands....after all who in their right mind would pay that much for a latebred hen? 35 years ago the International Barcelona winners sold for between $3,000 and $6000 .............and yb's from true champions for $200......Maybe today’s $'s are not worth much... End of quote I was often told, and had it impressed upon me, that when one sees a record breaking price today, or a real high price, where the buyer has also bought more in from same loft at same time like, that the price is really for the whole shebang and not for the individual bird. Or they’d paid that price for that one, and the other 24 pairs were given …

Shamus and Murphy fancied a pint or two but didn't have a lot of money between them, they could only raise the staggering sum of one Euro. Murphy said 'Hang on, I have an idea.' He went next door to the butcher's shop and came out with one large sausage. Shamus said 'Are you crazy? Now we don't have any money at all!' Murphy replied, 'Don't worry - just follow me.' He went into the pub where he immediately ordered two pints of Guinness and two glasses of Jamieson Whisky. Shamus said 'Now you've lost it. Do you know how much trouble we will be in? We haven't got any money!!' Murphy replied, with a smile. 'Don't worry, I have a plan , Cheers! ' They downed their Drinks. Murphy said, 'OK, I'll stick the sausage through my zipper and you go on your knees and put it in your mouth.' :-/ The barman noticed them, went berserk, and threw them out. They continued this, pub after pub, getting more and more drunk, all for free. At the tenth pub Shamus said 'Murphy - I don't think I can do any more of this. I'm drunk and me knees are killing me!' Murphy said, 'How do you think I feel? I can't even remember which pub I lost the sausage in.' ;D ;D ;D

Again these have stood the test of time. Their birds have won at every level up to internationals. And countless sucessfull lofts have, and still are built up on their birds.

Yep John Gladwin of Formula Loft and James of Tumley's lofts are both trustworthy, honesty and very good 'Studs' in my opinion. They also fly their' birds which means to 'Sale them' they must be 'Winning' in today’s climate with their' birds! Not like some that rely on 'Names' of yesteryear and seldom then did they win a jot so to speak. Beware of those that fly sending 200 – 300 each week too. These most likely aren’t selling anything any good! Further of them 250 odd say there will be possibly 8 winners – for remarkably they seem to fly in a weak club that they easierly dominate. Then they sell the rest with great pedigrees, or rather off load to recoup all expenses etc. I also like Frank Bristow whom I would say I generally get on well with. many are they that are winning with his birds. More than a couple of big 'Names' that are winning with Bristows' birds and are still selling their' old stuff of as if they are the ones doing the buisness so to speak.

Well after a week or so I finally met the man I.e. Stantheman when I went and collected my pigeon he kindly arranged collection and holding it for me. A great fellow, and very pigeon wise and that’s for sure. Thanks again Stan, we will hopefully meet up again, I certainly hope so. Didn’t fit in the surprise visit to Bakes, but that is on the cards lol I also went and delivered a bouquet of flowers to the kind lady the caught the pigeon in the first place and then took it to the vets etc. etc. Sadly she wasn't there, however I had a chat with the son for short spell and hopefully planted an interest there. Who knows?

A man watching a hockey game on TV kept switching channels to a dirty movie featuring a lusty couple. "I don't know whether to watch them or the game," he said to his wife. "For heaven's sake, watch them," his wife said. "You already know how to play Hockey!"