Roland

Just to say that Para is still with us big time. If you vacinate, like most countries it seems do three time within the Y/b's first three months, they have it for life... A boost is open for sceptical crictasimn, I personally don't think the birds need it. But even if Jabbed, they still get it, and are A. Carriers still, and B. often knocked sideways... or really down. So never let us forget Para.

Aye, I'm a forties man... Remember the brown trucks that were cast away every where, and Vic, the gas masks eh! Everywhere, if we'd collected the two items above we'd be well of now. Houses inside, were brown or green or both, Gas Mantles that split if you looked at them lol... Mum so worried as no money to replace eh lol. Who had the three different sized ducks on the wall... seemed like every one. Brick Tiles with a bit on Lino in middle if lucky. Then had made rug to go in the middle. The coal fire so warm on your front, and the draught freezing your back, and winters favourite words. Oi shut the flaming door' before you even got in the flipping room lol

Nah your the Hen, spangle is a sweet lol ;D

For instance, every year at a RPRA regional meet there is normlly the Guy that wanted to change his membership to a Honourary on, or vica versa, Every year it is thrown out and re - instated that all a member needs to do is phone the sec and have it changed immediately. Ibviously if to a Full flying member then he they have to pay the full subs for the year. Every year someone get told you have to resign first and then get voted in ... evry year some are not voted in, and they think they are clever... till forced to re - instate. Yes I know why they WISH to believe that that one has to resign first, but all one is doing is changing the Membership he has for another one, ALREADY been voted in and accepted. There are umpteen of them.

And then......... remember, Think I POSTED BEFORE, REMEMBER :-/ CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE KIDS WHO WERE BORN IN THE 40s, 50s, 60, 70s and 80s. We survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they carried us. They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a tin, and didn't get tested for diabetes. Then after that trauma, our baby cots were covered with bright coloured lead-based paints. Wehad no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and whenwe rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we tookhitchhiking. As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags. Riding in the back of a van - loose - was always exciting and great fun. We drank water from the garden hose or tap and NOT from a bottle. We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle or can and NO ONE actually died from this. We ate cakes, white bread and real butter and drank cordial with sugar in it, but we weren't overweight because...... WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!! We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on. No one was able to reach us all day. And we were O.K. Wewould spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ridedown the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After runninginto the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem . Wedid not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, No video games at all,No 99 channels, No Pay TV, No cable, No DVD movies or surround sound.. It's crazy! We even had No mobile phones, No text messaging, No personal computers, No Internet or Internet chat rooms.......... WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them! We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents. We played with worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever. Made up games with sticks and tennis balls and although we were told it would happen, we didn't poke out anyone's eye. We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just yelled for them! Localteams had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't hadto learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!! The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law! This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever! The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas. We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned how to deal with it all! And YOU are one of them! CONGRATULATIONS! Youmight want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow upas kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated our lives forour own good. And while you are at it, forward it to your kids so theywill know how brave their parents were. Kind of makes you want to run through the house with your eyes shut holding a pair of scissors, doesn't it?!

Bearing in mind the troubles which have befallen the Australian airline Quantas in the last couple of weeks, this may be of some comfort to anyone who may be considering flying with them in the near future. Qantas Airlines: Repair Division Remember, it takes a university degree to fly a plane but only an NVQ to fix one. After every flight, Qantas pilots fill out a form, called a 'Gripe Sheet' which tells mechanics about problems with the aircraft. The mechanics correct the problems, document their repairs on the form, and then pilots review the Gripe Sheets before the next flight. Never let it be said that ground crews lack a sense of humour. Here are some actual maintenance complaints submitted by Qantas' pilots (marked with a P) and the solutions recorded (marked with an S) by maintenance engineers. By the way, Qantas is the only major airline that has never, ever, had an accident leading to fatalities. P: Left inside main tyre almost needs replacement. S: Almost replaced left inside main tyre. P: Test flight OK, except auto-land very rough. S: Auto-land not installed on this aircraft. P: Something loose in cockpit. S: Something tightened in cockpit. P: Dead bugs on windshield. S: Live bugs on order. P: Auto pilot in altitude-hold mode produces a 200 feet per minute descent. S: Cannot reproduce problem on ground. P: Evidence of leak on right main landing gear. S: Evidence removed. P: DME volume unbelievably loud. S: DME volume set to more believable level. P: Friction locks cause throttle levers to stick. S: That's what friction locks are for. P: IFF inoperative in OFF mode. S: IFF always inoperative in OFF mode. P: Suspected crack in windshield. S: Suspect you're right. P: Number 3 engine missing. S: Engine found on right wing after brief search. P: Aircraft handles funny S: Aircraft warned to straighten up, fly right, and be serious. P: Target radar hums. S: Reprogrammed target radar with lyrics. P: Mouse in cockpit. S: Cat installed. And the best one for last.................. P: Noise coming from under instrument panel. Sounds like a midget pounding on something with a hammer. S: Took hammer away from midget.

You know, that when delegates go to these metings on our behalf, they seem to invariablely return saying why our proposals failed. Normlly because the Chair, and upper table explain things that makes them lean toward that way of thinking and 'Upper Table' just carry's on. Fact ent tit! But, and so, in reality Clubs should discuss, delegates meet then and discuss, that is hammered out at next club meeting BEFORE the Delegates, and even the Regional meetings are held. This needs to be done before every Fed, RRPRA meetings are held. Further every minutes should have it in writing exactly who voted, or abstained on what! Golly that ole hat of 'It was carried 19 votes for to 14 votes against, should be forgotten and done away with. They record nigh everything else in the minutes, including Excuses etc. Always make you wonder why everyone seems to want change, or are all for a certain aspect / rule etc. and yet still it never gets in! Now you know.

I know Jimmy ... wonder if he knows his pigeons are overcrowed eh!

Another one... Golly terrible thing to say, but Amtrax subsidence has certainly brought stacks of Couriers out. Aye tis an ill wind that blows no good eh!

Of course very true... and, especially the moaning brigade, may I suggest a little banter and even a cuppa in relating that they are your pride and joy, and live stock. If not you, then the one putting your birds into their care eh. Not 'I suppose they won't get there today ... never bloody have done yet..., still I hope to see a miracle before I die, hope this is it. Struth don't know how your firm operates, let alone makes a profit... well the costs of send any bloody is dear granted, does any one out side of stupid me still use you. Had a mate lost three bleeding birds last month... You know what a pigeonis eh! Oi dorn't let the other bloody boxes fall all over them this time... A little chat about the weather and his job being a pain in the *expletive removed*, tight schudle etc. and a thank you works wonders, and doesn't peeve an already stressed drive even more.

Chris, never mind the 'Fossils' they have great knowledge... just can't help but believe that too much looking after each others interests, and the Positioned, and 'Names' are, and have always been top of their priorities. Excuse Human nature. Know several squeezed on, and either joined the clang, or just gave up. Self interests dominate, after all the sport will carry on and the plebes bridge them up. Now your prosal would quite possibly just replace them for more of the same. Old pals acts and good intentions quickly turn to self intersts and the 'Ole Boy's club' syndrome I'm afraid.

Sign on t-shirt "I'am a bomb technichian ... if you see me running try and keep up.

like Amdeliveries approach personally. Will certainly give them my custom if and when the need arises. Like Carlsberg I too tend to travel and may a Sight Visit' when appropiate, but of course that is not always pliable or possible.

Honourary and Non Flying members, as Life members etc. are all different and have different roles of Can and can'ts.

Don't for a minute think Tesco's would be at all interested in transporting pigeons.

Who sold 51% to Tesco, and now the rest.

les, that is logical, don't know how practica, but I'd certainly pay that up gladly ... But the membership will never go for that! Not even a fiver mate. And the RPRA daren't pass it for the out cry of the members. Yet will have to re substantiate that Birds must be retrieved etc. Indeed may even carry out some of it's rulings to make a point I fear.

Ok, let all pick over the bones of amtrack! Let's glorify their misfortune, and celebrate the mess they have left us to solve. I.e. transporting our birds. If I decide to set up a courier purely for pigeons, I'd struggle to be national etc. But you know what the really of putting eventuality is?! The long knives would be chipping away almost from the off! Within weeks, if not days the sniping back stabbers will be having a poke. Then no sooner another comes along, regardless of how good a service it was, me name would be blacken and derided, and all the supposedly thankful, loyal customers will soon go else where. AM I wrong :B ??)

You#re point being :-/ Who really cares eh? Certainly not any one that has had the good fortune to have delivered or rrecieved pigeon by them in the last three months. P.s, Who will possible take action against a defunct outfit that has gone bust becaus ethe money has dried up? Insurers eh! wasn't worth a match, let alone a light any way.

No! very smaller percentage of y/b's have anything to do with Louella. Have to breed a few hundred thousand for that I guess.

Probably better that 95% of the 'Fodder' that most buy that clutter up others lofts and Town / Church roofs. Double Grnd children winning not only 'Nationals' but an international. Ok a mite more that £99 nearer £175, which is still less than £30 a bird. Sure there are a lot that haven't won... but i treal terms I'd wager far better %tage than buying of names and the best flyer in the Fed etc.

True Chriss... More importantly can we see the problems fast amounting upon us!

Louella must be a paramount choice in as much as you will be getting the 'Blood' off the real champs, and not 'Pillow Twaddle' and at a realistic price too.

Reminds me when I left Tesco's for to take over a small grocery store - soon went back to Tesco's lol. At the time Tesco's invest £4 a week or something collosual and there 15 year old girl who had left school 6 month earlier knew a darn sight more that Tesco's knew according to the Area Manager and wanted the store to take note. I left, the store went bust and Tesco's are still raking it in.

Often smile when the poster says who has great birds etc. For that doesn't mean that they will, or indeed have any for sale. Merlin / Just ask me 100% right. Must have a repore and mutual respect for the seller. Unforunately where there is money there is crooks, and Many also feel that as they paid a lot of money, they feel it is quite reasonable to sell of when proven crap. Yes, they maybe, just maybe a decent throw back amongst them!