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Billy has lost 2 youngsters off his loft SU 23AB 1005 Blue Cock SU23AB 1007 Chq Cock Both birds are wingstamped

The Joe Murphy Column 1 Received a phone call from Micky Ward whom I highlighted in my article 2 weeks ago, Micky along with John Conlin; and others (sorry cannot remember all their names) all from the Dublin area; were over at Edinburgh international show. They came and visited us on the Sunday, and one of the lads asked me while in the loft if I had any birds down from ‘Dundee Joe’. I was taken aback and asked him how he knew about ‘Dundee Joe’. It transpired that ‘Dundee Joe’ the pigeon he had gone into his loft from a race from France and I allowed him to keep it and transferred the pigeon. What are the chances of this ever happening???? There is another part to this story as well … We only had a small team of youngsters and one of our club mates Jim Wilson asked if I would like a training toss with our youngsters as he was going over to Kirkliston with his. I basketed the birds and Jim took them with him. I waited and waited but no youngsters home; I was dayshift the next morning so went to bed about 11pm when I heard a knock at the back door. I got up opened the window and there was Jim, ‘How did you get on with the youngsters, he asked’. ‘I never got a bird home’ was my reply; when all of a sudden a ‘woosh’ came over the top of the house, and; there was my team of youngsters. It was dark, but I got up and went outside looking for them but they were nowhere to be seen. The next day when I came home from work, Margaret had 2 youngsters’ home, one with both legs broken, which I had to attended too. Then over the next day we were up to 5 plus a Dundee stray; which I reported. Mark and Kevin were wee boys at this time and wanted to go to see ‘Herby Rides Again’ at the pictures, but I was not in the mood for sitting watching a picture; as my youngsters were lost.!! It came to the Friday basketing night and the boys picked out a pigeon each, with Kevin’s picking a speckled blue cock that he named as ‘Young Kev’. Mark’s pigeon was sent to the race and was never seen again. Over the next few weeks ‘Young Kev’ made the club result and in the last young bird race he was our pooler and nomination and he won the club and pools and the boys were taken to the pictures to see ‘Herby Rides Again’. On the Sunday lunch time a car drew up at the house and this man came and said ‘I believe you have one of my pigeons’. His name was Joe Hunt (he was the father of Joe Hunt who won a Silver Award and a Meritorious Inland Bronze Award in 2019 with his famous pigeon ‘Cool Hand Luke’, prior to his death) Joe senior saw that we only had 5 youngsters and allowed us to keep the red chequer. Whom we named as ‘Dundee Joe’ after Joe Hunt; he turned out to be a very good pigeon and won us a lot of prizes and pool money for us. I sent him to Avranches and he failed to return home, a few weeks later he was reported in Ireland, so I transferred him to the fancier. So for this same fancier to be standing in my loft all this time later was ‘quite spooky’ he did informed me that ‘Dundee Joe’ had bred some very good pigeon for him. A small world indeed, however it was good to speak to Micky the other day, time moves on but happy memories always live with us forever. My Trip Down Memory Lane I received an email from Alan Reed of Wales whom I wrote about in last week’s column; regarding my trip to Wales. Allan wrote; ‘Hi Mr Murphy. I remember the Thurso race very well, there was a strong wind blowing with low rain clouds passing over our area, while waiting for the birds I was making a crate for training my young birds. It was around 10 o’clock and the weather was not good so I knew there was a film just starting on TV so into the house went to get warm and have a cuppa. I watched the film to the end and was going to get ready for bed, The Joe Murphy Column 2 when I went into the kitchen, I opened the back door. What a shock I had, there on the wires was my bird from Thurso, and that is where I caught him and clocked in at 11-40. What time did he arrive? I could not say, and no one phoned me, to say there was any bird’s home. I was very lucky in that I opened the back door to see what the weather was looking like for arising the next morning. Yours in sport Alan Reed.’ Alan had given me his phone number and I phoned him and he told me that it was his 86-birthday last week; he also informed me that he used to drive a lorry up into Kirkcaldy in Fife and dropped off items that were to go to Thurso and Lerwick, as he did not drive to the islands off the Scottish coastline. Alan was quite surprised that I had contacted him and asked if I had received his email ok, as this was the first time, he had ever sent an email, as a friend had shown him how to do it. He then informed me that he reads my weekly column and it was nice to read the report on the Thurso race. Allan was telling me that he has won 1 st national from Thurso; was twice 2 nd open National from Lerwick; he also won 1 st open National Welsh South Road from Nantes (winning a motor car) and was 1 st open National Ostend and he also was 10 times 2 nd national. Truly outstanding results and he sounded a great character and I enjoyed speaking to him. I also rreceived an email from my dear old friend Guy Reed of the Isle of Wight who wrote ‘Dear Joe, loving your articles of late, great to see your story on our trip to meet Bernard DeWeerdt, and it was good to see your photo of ‘Veronica’ and her excellent eye picture. You will remember the inbred hen too ‘Saul’ you gave me. She is making her mark here still and I believe she is also related to ‘Veronica’. I have shared your recent pages with Bernard and he says a big ‘Hello’ to you and was surprised but pleased to know that you are still writing; in the weeklies. Well done pal, dedicated work indeed regards yours Guy’. I thanked Guy for his email, and it was nice to know that Bernard had seen and read my article, regarding our visit to him, very fond memories. Yes; still doing the articles, on this computer most days, although I had the day off yesterday as we visited my aunt and uncle in Dundee as it was his 91 st birthday (she is 90 next year) My uncle goes out every day to put on his horse bet and goes for a couple of pints. I hope if I reach that age, I’m able still go out for a walk although I don’t think I will still be writing my column. Continuing with my Blast from the Past; I have visited many of Scotland’s household ‘Greats’ over the years; for example, after leaving the pit, I undertook the Heavy Goods Vehicle training course and passed and then obtained a job as a HGV driver. Then I worked with a Kitchen company in Kirkcaldy and used to deliver kitchens and accessories throughout the whole of Scotland. On a Monday I started off in Kirkcaldy, then worked my way throughout the center of Scotland and made my way over to Glasgow and then headed to Ayr. Then making my way to Dumfries (where national winner Karl Guenther lives; although I didn’t visit him but know him very well) while in the south section I visited Jaqueline & Billy Wortley who was the scribe for the south section at that time and he did a wonderful job covering all the top lofts in this area. Billy introduced me to some of the famous fanciers ever to grace our sport; namely Matt Jamieson and his brother John plus his son Billy all from Annan; then there was Jimmy Dalgleish; Roy Seton; John Hodgson & Dennis Anderson whom I highlighted recently as they won the Dewar Trophy and were Runners Up in 2022. Then there was and my old pal Stevie Ferguson of Annan who won 1 st SNFC Dorchester (2) in 1983; Stevie was a great lad and used to love coming to my Sporting Challenge presentations in Whitburn. plus, many other top fanciers. I also went and viewed ‘Galabank’ and sat outside the house were the famous John Kirkpatrick once lived. At Langholm there was Ralston Graham a top fancier who won a Gold Award in 1976 and another in 2005; he also won 2 Silver Awards these were achieved in 2009 & 2011. I used to meet up with his near neighbours Anne & Derick Norden who had won Gold The Joe Murphy Column 3 Awards in 1983 & 1989 and then won a Silver Award in 2018 prior to Derick’s passing. We used to spend most nights talking pigeons and Albert Tedham who also won a Gold Award in 1994, would come and join us. To begin with I slept in the lorry but as time progressed the nights became colder and Anne & Derick allowed me to sleep in their spare room. Birds Photos Jim Hannah has kindly sent me 2 photographs of Fife pigeons that have done; Willie Pratt of Rosyth has a montage with 4 cracking pigeons on it. His dark chequer hen named ‘Santa’s Dark Silver’ has won a SNFC Silver Award as she has won 3 times from over the channel from Ypres; Guernsey & Alencon; plus she also won from the Maidstone race point see photo. The next photo is of ‘3 J’S’ raced by Keith Cochrane of Crossgates, he has won 4 times from over the channel and requires one more win to obtain a Gold Award, we will need to keep an eye on the results in 2023 to see if he achieves it. Joe’s Joke Husband walks into Ann Summers to purchase some see-through lingerie for his wife. He is shown several possibilities that range from £50 to £150 in price, the more see-through, the higher the price. He opts for the sheerest item, pays the £150 and takes the lingerie home. He presents it to his wife and asks her to go upstairs, put it on and model it for him. Upstairs, the wife thinks, ‘I have an idea. It's so see-through that it might as well be nothing. I'll not put it on, do the modeling naked and return it tomorrow and get a £150 refund for myself’. So, she appears naked at the top of the stairs and strikes a pose; The husband says, ‘My God! It wasn't that creased in the shop’. His funeral is on Thursday. 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 Who wish my weekly contribution portfolio on pigeon topics from Scotland? © COMPILED BY JOE MURPHY

27th February 2023

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The Joe Murphy Column 1 While on about my Welsh memories; fellow scribe Gareth Watkins gave me a call and email. Gareth has reported on the Welsh pigeon fanciers since 1973 which speaks volumes for the man, (I started in 3 years after him in 1976) and Gareth like me has covered scores of top fanciers over these years. I mentioned the wonderful partnership of Arnold Davies, his son Keith and Doug Cockcroft, they won 6 x 2 nd open Welsh Grand National races and also were the top points winners in the massive Welsh North Road Fed when the federation had 1,500 members competing. They also won the Coch Y Bonddu Trophy in the WGNFC for best average all WGNFC races in one season plus the very hard to win Dan Watkins Trophy in the Welsh Combine for best average all Scottish Combine races with old birds. [Arnold and Keith were later to go on to make amends for their series of ‘near misses’ by winning 2 National races on the South East route into Wales]. Davies Son & Cockcroft's, Lerwick cock the winner of 2 nd WGNFC Lerwick on the day in 1986, was bred down from Geoff Kirkland's Frans Huysken & Jeff Van Riels. Their pencil blue cock ‘Double Top’ had 2 x 1 st federation wins and 2 nd open National Thurso. He was bred direct from a hen that Gareth gave them which was closely related to ‘Sophie's Girl's’ mother. ‘Double Top's’ sire was known as ‘The Crieff’ cock and was a winner of 10 th National Crieff and 5 th National Thurso. The other Davies Son & Cockcroft 2 nd open National winners where basically Van Hee’s bred down from a pair of young birds bought direct form Van Hee at one of his UK sales, later referred to as the No1 Pair. ‘Windbeater’ on the montage was bred from George Litherland-Van den Bosche and Cor Koning bloodlines. Their 6 th x 2 nd open national winner was from Dover in 1997 and was bred down from their J O Davies - Champion young bird of Wales Trophy winner ‘Jody’. The ‘Nom Hen’ on the montage was bred from a son of the No1 ‘Van Hee’ pair when mated to a Lee & Cooper Lefebre Dhaenens hen. The ‘Tic Hen’ another winner of 2 nd National was basically Litherland Van den Bosche x Janssen. After a 2-year break from the sport following his wife Maureen’s death, Doug Cockcroft, who Gareth had known since his teenage years still continued to associate with each other, so much so that when Gareth was committed to working on the day of a race due to a three day hold over, Doug stepped in to clock the returning race birds in Gareth’s absence. This then developed into Doug giving him a hand during the week as Gareth worked at the Heath Hospital in Cardiff as chief research scientific officer. This meant Gareth left for work early in the morning having to catch two buses to reach work and was not home until 18-30 each evening. Gareth had been in the sport over 40 years and Doug over 50 years and as he was a retired railway worker, he had spare time on his hands as well as a wealth of experience. It was decided to form the partnership at the start of the 2001 season and in a 4-year period they won 70 x 1 st prizes including 6 x 1 st Rhondda Valley Federation plus 1 st open National with ‘Sophie’s Girl’ who also won 1 st open Combine Brussels with 8,667 birds competing. ‘Sophie's Girl’ was named after Gareth’s first grandchild who was born a week or so after they won the National in 2004. She had won a 1 st prize and £700 in a Gold Ring Scheme as a young bird the year before her National win. Both her half-sister and half-brother (shown in the montage) topped the federation. Her mother, also in the montage (bottom left), bred federation winners with two different cocks. The bloodlines were basically Janssen via Phillips, Son & Williams, Van Loon from Bob Bolitho in Cornwall, Albert Babington Van den Bosch and Frank Tasker Haelterman bloodlines. Going onto the montage that Gareth forwarded; ‘Daniel’ and ‘Judy’ were both grandchildren of ‘Sophie's Girl’s’ dam, so all were basically the same family of pigeons that Gareth had before Doug joined him. The partners also had great success in the sprint races with Staf Van Reet’s from Jimmy and Sue Dickens of Leigh in Lancashire. Unfortunately, both Arnold and Doug have now passed on to the big loft in the sky. The Joe Murphy Column 2 Going back to Robert O Jones, his dark chequer cock ‘Trotty’, was bred by Robert’s good friend Gwyn Richards, from birds obtained from Henry Trott of Gelli in the Rhondda and he flew Lerwick and also won a very hard Elgin race. Robert O Jones of Resolven in the Neath Valley was a top-class distance fancier with many wins from the Scottish race points especially Elgin, Thurso and Lerwick. In the 1982 Thurso National: Robert's hen came in the dark at 10.20 pm on the day but wouldn't enter the loft having landed on the house roof. Robert and his father pointed their car headlights at the loft and she was eventually clocked at 10.40 pm but unfortunately was during the hours of darkness after the close of the first day of the race. She then counted as a 2nd day pigeon and her time was attributed as 04-30 am the second day of the race. However, Alan Reed of Blackwood clocked at 11-40 pm on the day and Carter Brothers & Morgan of Tylorstown in the Rhondda clocked at 04-35 am second morning and because Robert had to allow both pigeons overfly his hen finished at 3 rd open national. As I said in my previous article we were only down for the weekend and visited so many fanciers that our heads were ‘pickled’ or ‘mince’ as they say up here in Scotland, by the time we returned home. Great memories and what’s more important were meeting these great household names within our sport. I have attached some photographs that Gareth forwarded and I cannot thank him enough for his help in the above information. The bond we pigeon scribes and fanciers have with each other life with us for ever, which Gareth has proven with his help all these years later. THANK YOU, MATE!!! Error I noticed in last week’s paper the headline of SNFC regarding its presentation; however, this should have read Scottish National Racing Pigeon Club; as this was their presentation. This club was formed after a breakaway from the original SNFC. I’m not going into the reasons behind this, but it is enough to say that the majority of fanciers NOWADAYS in Scotland are in both CLUBS. Whereas, some fanciers will never join both and there is still a bitterness that will last for a long time. Joe’s Joke Subject: Female Urologists There are over 11,000 male urologists in the United States but now a few women have entered the field. A man goes to a female urologist who has excellent me dical credentials, but is also drop dead gorgeous, for an exam. The female doctor says, ‘I am going to check your prostate today, but this new procedure is a little different from what you are probably used to. I want you to lie on your right side, bend your knees, then while I check your prostate, take a deep breath and say ‘99.’ The guy obeys and says, ‘99!!!’. The doctor says, ‘Great. Now turn over on your left side and, again, while I repeat the check, take a deep breath and say ‘99’. Again, the guy says; ‘99.’ The doctor said, "Very good. Now then, I want you to lie on your back with your knees raised slightly. I am going to check your prostate with this hand, and with the other hand I am going to hold onto your penis. Now take a deep breath and say ‘99.’ The guy says, ‘One...........two...............three.............’ 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 The Joe Murphy Column 3 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 Who wish my weekly contribution portfolio on pigeon topics from Scotland? © COMPILED BY JOE MURPHY

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