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If any club/federation or organisation has an AGM, Sale or Show in the very near future, or any other event/occasion please post date and relevant information on this topic, and I will add these details to our Calendar. Thank you in advance

I noticed in this last week’s BHW an advert for the position of Secretary/Treasurer for the SNFC; saying this would be a Full-Time Appointment. Surely in this present climate within our sport this has to be a PART TIME post. Back in 2006 when certain individuals including the then president of the club; did not get their own way at the SNFC A.G.M. They walked out and within a week or so formed the Scottish National Racing Pigeon Club to compete against the SNFC. During their first season they had 225 members (including members of the SNFC) sending 1531 birds to their inland race from Newbury. This year 2022 the SNRPC sent 399 birds to Eastbourne; and 390 birds to their Newark young bird race (no details of members). This shows the club are losing members nearly every year. When the SNFC present-day secretary took over the post in the year 2014; we still had the challenge of competing against the Scottish National Racing Pigeon Club; the club averaged between 431 to 645 members to the nationals. With entries from 1355 birds to the Gold Cup race sent by 431 members. With 645 members sending 4855 birds to Maidstone inland national. At the present time 2022 the most membership was from the inland race from Upper Heyford with 369 members sending (this includes fanciers who are in both Scottish Nationals) 3002 birds. From the Alencon Gold Cup race 142 members entered 713 birds and from their other channel event from Carentan; 97 members sent 396 birds. Therefore, the SNFC creates most revenue from the inland race points. However; I have it on good authority; subject to agreement; that the Central & East of Scotland Amalgamation is looking to re-start up in 2023; This consists of races from the 250 miles stage to the South coast of England; i.e.; Maidstone; Brighton; etc. They believe if the combination of the following federations; i.e., Aberdeen, Dundee, Angus, Fife, Central, North West, Midlothian, Traprain, Pentlandhills, East of Scotland, Scottish Borders ALL JOIN, they will be able to take the pigeons to the longest South Coast race for a £1-00 A BIRD. Plus, the fact again subject to agreement and some minor logistics, THEY can leave on the Friday night and be down in time to liberate the next morning if the weather is good. If this transpires; it will take all the birdage away from the SNFC inland nationals. Which would result in a massive loss of revenue to the club. Plus, the fact that if this appointment is made for a full-time secretary, then that person will be entitled to a full-time salary. Membership is dropping every year and you just have to look at the number of fanciers who are calling it a day. We have just seen our ‘Greatest Fancier’ Billy Bilsland winner of 14 nationals; give up the sport, plus there are others who are not so well known, but are members of the national, the pigeon sport is dying and we ALL KNOW THIS FACT; so, a Full- Time secretary will be a massive mistake in this present climate. Here is Another Example of this Fact I received an email with the sad news that the father and son partnership of Richard & Jamie Combe of Elphinstone are also giving up the sport. Jamie wrote ‘Hi Joe, hope you are well. You might have heard on the jungle drums but just to say that I'm intending to have an advert in the BHW on Thursday 24 th November edition, advertising all the birds for sale. My dad and his wife are looking to move house and have put their house on the market now; so, the birds need to go asap. I wondered if you could give it a wee mention in your column that week, please? I don't have time to organise an auction so I’m just going to advertise them and sell them from the paper. I have a week off work from Friday 25 th November until Monday 5 th December and would hope to have the birds away during that week. I'll be happy to show any visitors the birds that are THE JOE MURPHY COLUMN 2 available, provided they make an appointment - strictly no unannounced visitors. I will have a sale list ready that can be e-mailed out so folk will know what is available. I can be reached on 07910 514078 or by e-mail jcelphi@hotmail.com Anyone who follows the SNFC results or reads my column will have read about Richard & Jamie Combe of Elphinstone; as their name has been at or near the top of SNFC results for many years. They have also raced some wonderful pigeon over the years, including; ‘Setonpark Caelan’ winner of The Joe Murphy Sporting Challenge; she did not only win this top award; but she was the only pigeon recorded in race time. Which was something unique as this had never happened before in my Sporting Challenge. Richard and Jamie also raced their famous ‘Midnight Son’. A dark chequer cock, who was one of the best, if not the best, pigeon that Richard & Jamie had the privileged to breed and race. His sire was ‘0400’ a black-splashed red chequer Kirkpatrick stock cock. His brother was rung ‘0399’ and won 33 rd open SNFC Rennes as a yearling and his sister, ‘3220’ won 22 nd open SNFC Sartilly. The dam of ‘0400’ was 8566 a dark blue chequer hen who won 5 th open Sartilly (1) and 99 th open Sartilly (2) with the SNFC in 1995. So, as you can see, ‘Midnight Son’ was bred in the purple! ‘8566’ in turn was a ½ sister of their great hen ‘Sapphire’ a winner of 5 th open SNFC Sartilly (1) & 31 st open Sartilly (2) in 1993; & 29 th open SNFC Beauvais in 1994. Both ‘0400’ and ‘8566’ left a exceptionality amount of good channel winners for the partnership. As a young bird in 1996, ‘Midnight Son’ had 7 races out to Worcester (252 miles) and won 1 st club from Penrith. He only had 3 races as a yearling from Preston, Stafford and finally Frome with the SNFC homing early on the 2 nd day. In 1998 he was raced from Longtown, Penrith and Leyland before being sent to Frome with the SNFC. Then on the 8 th June, after a one-day holdover, he won 9 th east section, 16 th open from an entry of 4005 birds. He was then entered in the SNFC Gold Cup race from Rennes and on the 28 th of June after a 2-day holdover; he won 72 nd east section, 131 st open from an entry of 3019 birds. Finally on the 8 th of July this same year he won 3 rd east section, 7 th open SNFC Sartilly competing against 2042 birds. These results with the SNFC won him the coveted SHU Dewar Trophy for Scotland’s Bird of the Year. He also won ‘Bird of the Year’ in the Edinburgh and Lothians Social Circle. It was his performance from the Sartilly race which gave him his name. The convoy were liberated at 09-00am, and he was timed – (amid much excitement - at 00-31) by Richard; hence the ‘Midnight’ part of his name. Somehow son Jamie, arouse from his bed when it was realised the cock was on the trap. He reached the loft -dressed in pyjama top and shorts; and in his bare feet - at the same time as Richard. And so, this is the reason the ‘Son’ part came of his name. ‘Midnight Son’ went on to win 109 th east section, 241 st open Frome against an entry of (3827 birds); then won 65 th east section, 155 th open from Rennes against a convoy of (2862 birds); and he then won 4 th east section, 37 th open Sartilly from an entry of 1973 birds with the SNFC in 1999. He then met with a serious injury in 2000 which greatly curtailed racing for a while until the partnership were sure he had fully recovered but in 2002 he was sent to Reims with the SNFC and he won 45 th east section, 62 nd open from a convoy of 2650 birds; thus, securing his SNFC Gold Award for winning 5 times from France. Needless to say, he had nothing more to prove and was then retired to stock and was the sire and grandsire of many good channel winner’s; not only for Richard & Jamie but also for great fanciers like; Eddie Newcombe, Bobby Carruthers, Dale Newcombe (all sadly no longer with us) and many others. To win 3 times in the top 10 of the east section of the SNFC, was a great feat at that time and ‘Midnight Son’ and as far as I’m concerned ‘Midnight Son’ will always be a Champion in my eyes. Richard and Jamie achieved many prizes within the top 5 open positions in the SNFC results; for example; they were 2 nd open Tours, 2 nd open THE JOE MURPHY COLUMN 3 Chenoise, 3 rd open Sartilly, 4 th open Rennes, 5 th open Rennes and 3 times x 5 th open Sartilly. They also twice won ‘The Fancier of the Year’ award in 1998 with Jim Renwick and in 2004 with my Joe Murphy Sporting Challenge; and they were also runners up in 2006. They have also won the SNFC overall and section averages plus the Gold Award mentioned above; They also won SNFC Silver Awards won in 2008; 2009; 2015; 2016 & 2018. I have highlighted a good few of these achievements in previous articles. My thanks to Jamie for his email and I hope Richard |& Jamie’s sale goes well, look out for the advert in this week’s paper. SHU Trophy Winners 2022 The SHU Celtic Trophy; was presented by Taffy Bowen of Wales; for the performance(s) Old Birds up to 300 miles. The winners were G W & P McAloney with the following performances; Race Point Organisation Date of Race Position in Race Number Birds Distance Velocity Alnwick Lanarkshire 30/04/22 1 st Fed 5391 Fed 96-1091 1494 1 st Section 1509 Sect Alnwick Lanarkshire 18/06/22 1 st Fed 2462 Fed 96-1091 1270 1 st Section 747 Sect Thirsk Lanarkshire 07/05/22 24 th Fed 5072 Fed 154-627 1372 10 th Section 1408 Sect Worksop Lanarkshire 21/05/22 31 st Fed 3447 Fed 213-1717 1329 15 th Section 1005 Sect Worksop Lanarkshire 21/05/22 15 th Fed 3447 Fed 213-1717 1329 Yearling 7 th Section 1005 Sect 213-1717 1329 Budworth Lanarkshire 14/05/22 32 nd Fed 4250 Fed 189-1036 1246 Yearling 18 th Section 1160 Sect 189-1036 1246 Alnwick Lanarkshire 3/07/22 34 th Fed 1193 Fed 96-1091 1270 9 th Section 643 Sect Wooler Lanarkshire 16/04/22 77 st Fed 3484 Fed 77-1057 1362 32 nd Section 973 Sect The SHU Yearling Trophy Friendship Cup; for Outstanding Performance was won by S & S Tierney of Edinburgh. From the SNFC Alencon race point flown on the 1 st July 2022, flying a distance of 534 miles 449 yards recording a velocity of 1087.64 winning 21 st open competing against 713 birds. This pigeon has already won 7 th section B 47 th open Yeovil, from an entry of 1631 birds, and also won 36 th open Carentan from an entry of 396 birds. We move on now to the Annie Ross Bowes Memorial Trophy; which is awarded to the fancier who has donated their free time in promoting the pigeon sport in Scotland. The winner of this award is Joe Allan of Midlothian, nominated by Jimmy Simpson of the same federation. His letter is as follows; Dear Andrew, I would like to nominated Joe Allan of Easthouses for the ARB Trophy. Joe is in his 83 rd year and has been an inspiration all over the Lothians for helping pigeon men; i.e., moving their lofts also house moving; anything you ask Joe he would always help. He has been Midlothian federation clock ‘convenor’ also convenor for the SNFC for more years than I can remember. I am 70 years old and could not have done ½ of what Joe has done, he also ferries race birds on Friday night from 12 clubs and brings the baskets back on a Saturday. As I have THE JOE MURPHY COLUMN 4 said before he is in his 83 rd year, suffers from C.O.P.D and has vowed to die ‘A DOO MAN’. He lost his wife Violet 3 years ago and ‘Doo’s’ is all he has left. Hoping that you can give my nomination consideration yours in sport Jimmy Simpson’. I would like to congratulate Joe on winning this award, and I can also reiterate to Jimmy’s letter. Many years ago, I was asked to help out a widow whose husband had passed; she was wanting all the pigeons and loft removed. Our son Kevin was interested in her small stock loft and he purchased it. However; how was he going to get it over to Thornton in Fife, where he would collect it. Joe Allan come to the rescue and brought the loft over in his van. I have known Joe Allan for many many years, as we were both friends of the late Chris and Roy Anderson of Ayton; who were great fliers in their day. On many occasions when we visited the Anderson’s Joe would often be there as he had trained his federation members birds from down in this area at least twice a week. Then he would drop in and see the Anderson’s. Great memories and Chris and Roy had a fantastic team of birds, and the pigeon club room was in the bottom half of their property; opposite the Black Bull Pub in the main street of Ayton. Billy Bilsland lives in the top part of the village now, and we all know how successful Billy has been. Joe’s Joke A Cup of Tea One day a mother was out, and dad was in charge of his daughter. She was only maybe 2 ½ years old. Someone had given her a little 'tea set' as a gift, and it was one of her favourite toys. Her Daddy was in the living room engrossed in the evening news; when she brought him a little cup of 'tea', which was just water. After several cups of tea and lots of praise for such ‘yummy tea’, her mum came home. Dad made mum wait in the living room to watch their daughter bring him a cup of tea, because it was 'just the cutest thing!' Mum waited, and sure enough, here she came down the hall with a cup of tea for Daddy; and Mum watched him drink it up. Then she said, (as only a mother would know), "'Did it ever occur to you that the only place she can reach to get water is the toilet?" Please continue to keep the news flowing; to Joe Murphy Mystical Rose Cottage 2 Flutorum Avenue Thornton by Kirkcaldy KY1 4BD or phone 01592 770331 or Email to joejmurphy1@gmail.com REMEMBER THE J IN THE MIDDLE or you can also view online editions on: www.elimarpigeons.com www.fancierchat.co.uk www.pigeon-chat.co.uk - www.Pigeonbasics.com - Pigeon Racing the Basics! - thecanadianpigeoninternational.com www.internationalracingpigeon.com or https://sites.google.com/site/internationalracingpigeon/ Who wish my weekly contribution portfolio on pigeon topics from Scotland? © COMPILED BY JOE MURPHY

UP NORTH COMBINE LOFT VISITS (PART 3) Terry Callan of Brotton. The next fancier we are going to feature was one of the sport's workers and was a major cog in the workings of the NEHU Peterlee Show each year. Not only was Terry Callan a good worker but he was also an outstanding pigeon fancier, winning many premier prizes, including: 1996: 6th open UNC Folkestone; 1997: 1st and 12th open UNC Folkestone. Terry's UNC winner was his champion yearling blue pied Busschaert / Van Loon hen, ‘Nikki Louise’, which was named after his young granddaughter. This game hen was racing against 13,980 birds from Folkestone and won the North of England Championship Club, lifting the Gold Medal. ‘Nikki Louise’ was produced from a gift egg from the Washington partnership of Mr. & Mrs. Hindhaugh & Donaldson and was raced on the roundabout system. Terry's father was also an outstanding fancier and he really started up in the sport in 1954, when he helped out at his dad's loft. Terry liked to race from any distance but his loft was arranged each season for what he really enjoyed, Channel racing. He races two systems; natural for the Channel races and roundabout for sprint and all the old birds were paired up on 14th February. The roundabout pigeons were raced natural to the nest for the first old bird races, before being split to go on roundabout and both cocks and hens went to the same races. The roundabout racers were broken down only on the day of the race and were never let out of the loft the day after, as they had to rest. In the north east of England they checked the clocks directly after the birds return so Terry always split the roundabout pigeons when he returns home from the club after race checking. The natural race team was fed twice a day on a heavy mixture, which was beefed up for the Channel races, and they were only trained if they were not exercising well around the loft. Normally they would fly for 50 minutes. I must say that Terry's natural racers looked in brilliant condition when I visited and these were housed in a one section 12ft loft with open-door trapping. The main, very smart, racing loft had four sections and a nice big wire flight for the stock birds. On my visit, Terry showed me his good red grizzle black-splash cock, whose best nest condition for the Channel was sitting 14-day eggs. This handsome cock was a cross between Terry's old Channel family and Alf Rothwell's De Baere bloodlines and had won in 1997: 1st club, 6th Federation Bourges (Terry's sole entry); 1996: 2nd club, 2nd Federation, 94th open UNC Bourges. When Terry and his wife, Jean, moved to their present address in 1968, he obtained pigeons from J. & W. Douglass, who had won the Combine from Corneilles in 1965 with a widowhood cock and at that time, no one had heard of widowhood. The Holy Island lofts of J. & W. Douglass had a wonderful family of Bourges blues and in 1974 Terry won the Up North Channel Average with their pigeons. Terry introduced the Busschaert pigeons from Taylor Bros, Tom Larkins, Alan Hindhaugh and Alf Rothwell and won the UNC Average again in 1977. The Van Loons were brought into the family from Planet Bros in 1985 and these had been highly successful, right up to the present day. He kept 20 pairs of stock birds and when a new breeder was obtained it must have be from a long line of outstanding winners. Another top racer at the Brotton loft was the Busschaert chequer pied hen off the very best Tom Larkins and Alf Rothwell bloodlines. At that time, this wonderful hen had only flown Folkestone three times and had recorded: 1996: 6th open UNC (22,168birds): 1997: 12th open UNC (13,980 birds), being beaten to the loft by ‘Nikki Louise’ when she won 1st open Combine. Terry raced his 60 young birds on the natural system and although he had tried the darkness, said that if you are interested in Channel racing, this system doesn't let the young birds mature properly for long distance racing in later life. Sonny & Phil Galloway of Hartlepool. The first loft I visited belongs to the father and son partnership of Sonny & Phil Galloway of Hartlepool, an east coast town a few miles north of Middlesbrough. The area is a hotbed of pigeon racing and the Galloway’s have their lofts sited on some allotments alongside several other premier fanciers. At the time of my visit, Sonny had been in the sport for 50 years and said he remembers that years ago fanciers helped one another but these days the friendliness has gone out of pigeon racing. He was a bit of a tearaway when he was a lad and says that helping his father with his pigeons was the only thing that kept the young Sonny out of trouble. His dad was his tutor in outstanding racing pigeon management. The Galloway’s have won the UNC several times and maintain that their old champion, which they called ‘The Bourges Cock’, was the best pigeon they ever owned. This wonderful cock had nine wins before he won 1st open UNC and bred 73 winners for the Galloway loft. The partners like racing from 60 through to 600 miles and have bred many top racers for other lofts in the north east of England including a 2nd open UNC winner for the late President, Ralph Iley. At that time Sonny and Phil's most recent UNC win was from Chenoise in 1998 and this was with a blue hen bred by Gordie Hastings of Berwick. This game hen had three races on her build-up to winning the Combine and was at her best sitting overdue eggs. She has several other good performances under her belt, including 10th open UNC Chenoise the season previous to winning the Combine. A fantastic hen! The Galloway’s race two systems natural and roundabout with their old birds and Phil says that the natural racers have done most of the damage. The 20 pairs of roundabout pigeons are paired up on 1st January, with the 20 pairs of naturals being put together on 16th February every season, training starting three weeks before the first race. The birds are fed a good mixture of beans, peas and maize and the roundabout team is broken down three days a week during the racing season. During the season the natural racers are trained from 30 miles twice a day up to Thursday and both the roundabout hens and cocks are raced on the same weekend. The natural old birds are raced to a 16ft section with open door trapping, and Phil says that they like them sitting due to hatch for Channel racing. At the time of my visit the basis of the family was Janssen / Sions obtained from a Yorkshire fancier named Freddie Dawson in 1957, with the odd cross being introduced from time to time. Sonny says that when he brings in a new breeder he mostly looks for good winning lines, but picks out pigeons that he likes in the hand and although he judges eyesign shows, he never uses the method for pairing up. The latest successful introductions were the de Klak Janssens from Brian Long and he obtained them direct from de Klak. The partners' 15 pairs of stock birds are paired up in January and are housed in a three section, 28ft-long loft. Sonny showed me a nest pair of blue cocks, which were grandsons of ‘The Old Bourges Cock’ and both were champion racers on the natural system. The Galloway’s say that there is no such thing as a long-distance or sprint-type pigeon. Pigeons fly only to the distance they are managed for. Sonny said that the proof is this nest pair of blue cocks. One had won eleven times first in sprint racing, was several times 1st open Federation and was the sire of 46 winners; the other had nine times 1st, seven of them over the Channel, and loved having 10 hours on the wing. This nest pair, both being the same breed and type but both liking different distances when it came to racing. He maintains that when you have a good family of pigeons, you get to know the winning eye and you must breed for that, which is the advantage of the eye sign method. The Galloway partners have tried both natural and darkness systems and maintain that the natural young birds are by far the best in the young bird races. They think that darkness young birds never make good old birds and have proved this fact in their own loft. The partners' team of 70 youngsters was raced all the way through the programme to Maidstone (260 miles) and like the old birds; they were trained twice a day up to Thursday during the racing season. They were fed heavily on a good young bird mixture and are raced to the perch, although the odd nest bowl was put in the box perch for any that might want to pair up. The young bird team was trapped through open doors and the partners have recorded many great young bird winners, with the local competition being very hot. When I met Sonny Galloway he was very much again at the darkness system with young birds and said he would never race it again. Thanks to Sonny & Phil for a very enjoyable loft visit all those years ago! Richie Stephenson of Great Ayton. We went to great lengths for our last Up North Combine winning loft this week and feature the widowhood loft of Richie Stephenson & Son. Richie's champion widowhood Van Riel blue cock was 1st open UNC Bourges (537 miles) in 1997 and 12th open UNC Bourges in 1998. This cock was raced on the widowhood system with a difference, being teased with a tumbler pigeon. Richie had been involved with pigeons all his life, starting racing in 1991 and in 1995 only raced six cocks on widowhood to win several top positions, including 1st and 2nd open Federation. He had always liked sprint racing but at the time only mostly interested in channel racing with the UNC. Richie told me his normal build up for the long-distance races was to race them down to the south coast, then two short Channel races, then into Bourges. He paired all his racers and stock birds 64 days before the first race, so some eggs could be floated, and only a small team of 16 cocks was raced. The cocks were fed on a first-class widowhood mixture and were only broken down if the racing was fast, with the main corn being beefed up for Bourges. The widowhood cocks were only normally trained before their first race and were sometimes repaired for the Bourges race, being sent driving to nest. The Stephenson set-up consisted of three very smart lofts. Richie only kept eight pairs of stock birds, mainly of the Van Riel strain and when bringing in a new breeder, he liked medium-sized birds with good balance in the hand. The top stock cock was a blue Van Riel, bred by Tony Reed of the Midlands, and this cock had bred many premier pigeons, including the Bourges Combine winner. Ritchie raced his 40 young birds on the darkness system and kept the sexes separate, running them together on Friday night before going to the marking station. The young hens raced the whole programme down to the south coast and the young cocks were stopped at the 120 mile stage and saved for the widowhood system later in life. The youngsters were trained up to 30 miles and were raced to the perch. Full article to appear in the BHW soon. (November 2022)

What a cracking looking bird

SOLD

SOLD

The colour of GB rings for 2023 are Green

I have been given permission to share with Basics members

Saw this on Facebook and thought I'd share it with Basics members Walsall Area

Well done folks

Good luck with your sale

UP NORTH COMBINE LOFT VISITS (PART 2) The late, great Ralph Iley. The sport of pigeon racing recently lost one of its best ever fanciers when the great Dr. Ralph Iley passed away, at the age of 83. I had the great pleasure of meeting Ralph several times through the years and visited his loft in the mid-1990s, with ‘Many Miles with Mott’ video team. He loved the sport and even after so many year racing pigeons, he always seemed to have the enthusiasm of a new starter. Ralph is famous for the good work he did in the sport, especially for his beloved Up North Combine. Another legend has left our sport! Ralph had been president of the Up North Combine for well over 30 years, and said he had seen a lot of changes in our sport in that time. When visiting his loft a few years ago he told me he thought the main progression had been going over to the road transporter, since which the Up North Combine has never once failed to get all the birds to the race point, at that time. This is a fantastic achievement when you realise that on some Up North Combine races there are 15 road transporters and over 20,000 birds taking part. Ralph also told me that the Up North Combine is a limited company and has a wonderful team of workers behind it. Ralph built his first loft as a schoolboy in 1939, and joined the Percy Main Club, and his first pigeons were obtained from his later to be father-in-law. He liked the middle to long-distance races, but had won his fair share of sprints and had been 2nd Open Up North Combine a fantastic seven times through the years, although he had never won the Combine. In 1991 he was 2nd Open Up North Combine in three races on the trot, from 360 miles through to 580 miles. A wonderful performance by a brilliant fancier! On my visit to his loft, Ralph showed me his wonderful widowhood blue pied cock which had won 2nd Open Up North Combine Clermont (20,000 birds) in 1991, bred off Ralph's old Channel family. Ralph raced both widowhood and natural, but had never won a 600-mile race with a widowhood cock. His loft housed 90 widowhood cocks split into three teams, as Ralph raced in four clubs. He started to pair up his widowhood cocks during the second week in January, each team being paired up at a different time, at two-week intervals. The cocks raced at the beginning of the season and were put on widowhood after about four races. The reason Ralph liked widowhood was because you don't have to train the cocks; he said he had never trained a widowhood pigeon in the 18 years he had used the system. Bill Porritt of Staithes. Bill Porritt's loft was halfway up a cliff overlooking the North Yorkshire coastal fishing village of Staithes. He had to cross a river on stepping stones, and then climb a long, steep path to reach his pigeons. Corn had to be carried up and the pigeons had to be carried down, which was bad enough in the summer, but must have been horrendous in the ice and snow. In spite of this hardship, this great fancier had won the mighty Up North Combine four times on a Saturday and once on a Wednesday. The Bill Porritt pigeons were raced on a natural system, but were fed the widowhood method, with a light feed in the morning and a heavy one at night. Bill told me you feed pigeons according to what you want them to do, and said likewise you wouldn't pair up early if you want to win the late long distance races. He fed a good widowhood mixture; which was beefed up for the long-distance events. Birds were paired up at the end of February, and Bill liked races from 200 to 500 miles, declaring that these distances are true races. Bill won his first race at 13 years of age and had at the time I visited his loft, had actually been in the sport over 40 years. He said he had won many premier races throughout the years, but his main achievement was to win the Up North Combine. Apart from his five wins in the Up North Combine, he had won countless other positions including 2nd, 3rd (twice) and 4th open Up North Combine. On my visit to his loft, Bill showed me his champion blue pied Busschaert cock 'Shergar', which he said, was the finest pigeon that had ever been or will ever be. This fantastic cock has won many top prizes, including 2nd and 11th open Up North Combine in 310 mile races, and in north-west winds. 'Shergar' was also an ace breeder with Bill's good hen 'Blue Haze' which was inbred to the champion cock. This natural blue hen won 1st open Up North Combine Folkestone (22,000 birds) and was dam and grand dam of many winners. Another of Bill's top racers was the Janssen blue chequer hen Champion 'Diddy Girl' which won 35th open Up North Combine (22,000 birds) as a young bird, then went on to win 1st open Up North Combine (27,000 birds) Folkestone Old Bird National. This great hen had proved golden at stock, breeding many premier winners, their credit including 4th, 6th, 9th and 13th open Up North Combine. A fantastic pigeon! Bill's families were Janssen, Busschaert and Geerts. He told me he had won the Combine with all of them. Because of carrying the birds down the cliff path, he never kept more young birds than he can get in two baskets, which was usually 35, and his main aim with the youngsters is the National race. Bill Porritt, one of the ‘all time’ greats of the Up North Combine! George Wandless of Hetton-Le- Hope. George Wandless first became interested in pigeons immediately after the Second World War. He was 12 when he and his friend Robert Lowery, who was then a retired police inspector, built a little 5ft loft to house two pairs of tumblers. He says he was not encouraged by any fancier, but the birds he got from Rutter Brothers, the late Tom Kilner (a very good friend), J. J. Horn and Tommy Mercer of Trimdon got him where he is today. George is a retired miner, working at Eppleton Colliery for many years and today the 30ft Wandless loft, at Hetton- le-Hole in County Durham, houses both widowhood and natural racers and has put up some fantastic performances over the last 30 years, racing in two clubs, Hetton Workingman's and Croft P.C., including in 1985 sixteen times first in Channel and inland races; 1994: ten times first; 1995: eleven times first and 1996: ten times first prizes. George's biggest thrill was winning 1st open Up North Combine Clermont and the ‘Queen's Cup’ in 1991. Some of the loft's best performance birds were as follows: mealy pied hen 90HET4614 winner of 3rd club, 7th Federation Lilliers, 1st club, 1st Federation, 1st open Up North Combine Clermont and winning the ‘Queen's Cup’; blue hen 91HET2135 winner of 2nd club, 4th Federation Mansfield, 2nd club Grantham, 1st club, 2nd Federation, 80th open Up North Combine Abbeville, 1st club, 1st Federation, 1st Section, 1st FCC, 1st TRCC, 1st open Up North Combine Provins. The loft has housed countless champions through the years and at present George calls his pigeons his own old breed, as he thinks this is only right after 36 years of blending. Through the years he has introduced Frans Van Wildemeersch, Vandies, Busschaerts, Staf Van Reets and Janssens and George maintains his birds are outstanding from 75 miles through to 560 miles. Only one of his sons, George junior, has been interested in the pigeons, and his wife has been around pigeons all her life, being the younger sister of the Rutter Brothers Full article to appear in the BHW soon. (November 2022)

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