sapper756

Copied from Facebook 30/05/25

Copied from Facebook A few pics from the marking at Sappers Corner (headquarters of the mighty UP North Combine) for the Eastbourne National nearly 9,000 birds

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Copied from Facebook Bristol marking station for the first National flying club race of 2025 . Good luck to everyone

SNFC are racing from Reading 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Try Whitby Stray Centre page on Facebook Kyle Douglas

Copied from Facebook 29/05/25

Birds leaving Whitby Tommorow Going to Scott Morrison - Falkirk GB 22 V 60126 SU 24 CA 704 Send with SU NWS SU 23 NW 1778 Perth Race course ( Nws) SU 23 NW 2987 Perth race course ( Nws ) SU 24 NW 761 Perth race course ( Nws ) SU 24 NW 1023 Perth race course ( Nws ) SU 24 NW 1401 Perth race course ( Nws ) SU 24 NW 2203 Perth race course ( Nws ) SU 24 NW 2401 Perth race course ( Nws ) SU 24 NW 2539 Perth race course ( Nws ) Pass to Freddy Robertson GB 24 S 13577 GB 24 V 75749 NEHU 24 TD 1905 NEHU 24 SP 768 SU 18 1176 Freddy Robertson SU 24 659 Freddy Robertson ( Perth ) SU 21 CA 934 Freddy Robertson ( Perth ) SU 23 CA 1134 Freddy Robertson ( Perth ) SU 24 CA 2624 Freddy Robertson ( Perth ) SU 22 P 1355 Edinburgh SU 23 P 1156 Edinburgh SU 24 P 1025 Edinburgh Freddy Robertson SU 24 P 1274 Edinburgh SU 24 P 1575 Edinburgh SU 24 P 1790 Edinburgh SU 24 P 2571- Edinburgh SU 24 P 2630 Edinburgh SU 24 P 2660 Edinburgh SU 24 P 3406 Edinburgh SU 24 P 3630 Edinburgh John Dowling SU 24 P 3777 Edinburgh SU 23 TR 1139 Freddy Robertson SU 24 TR 309 Freddy Robertson Pass to Mr and Mrs Ferguson GB 24 V 49167 Sololway fed SU 23 7500 Send with Lanarkshire birds SU 24 A 6127 Send with Lanarkshire birds ( Perth ) SU 23 L 4077 Perth Race course SU 23 L 5643 Perth Race course SU 24 L 460 Perth race course SU 24 L 1105 Perth race course SU 24 L 1598 Perth race course SU 24 L 4368 Perth race course SU 24 L 4919 Perth race course SU 24 L 9852 Perth race course Collect Dundee SU 22 AF 650 Take to Perth SU 24 AF 248 Take to Perth SU 24 AF 1446 Take to Perth ( ALL AF) SU 24 DF 790 Take to Perth Pass to Gordon Bell SU 24 F 1862 Gordon Bell SU 24 F 2257 Gordon bell Broken leg East coast fed GB 23 C 14754 Walton Steve siddle GB 23 D 90332 Hornsea GB 24 C 10540 East Coast fed ( Walton ) GB 24 C 30097 East coast fed ( Walton ) GB 24 V 29277 East coast fed ( Buckie ) Give to NRCC driver GB 23 Z 16371 Pass to Carl GB 24 D 51958 - Grantham Meet at Seaton Burn GB 24 N 33037 Blackett and renwick NEHU 24 TN 2333 Pass to Gary Shields GB 24 Z 32180 Gary shields ( Ben Hall ) Pass to Trevor Shell NEHU 24 NEC 1481 Meet as easington SU 24 SB 227 meet at easington services

Copied from Facebook 29/05/25

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Please share with Basics members where your Club/Federation/Organisation are racing from this weekend Good luck folks

Copied from Facebook 2 little helpers and the wife for a little training toss for the hens tonight 😁👌 followed by a Mcdonalds of course 😂🤞👍

Henry with his 10th section MNFC , 22nd fed NW premier federation this Gaston van de wouwer hen produced a good result flying just under 358 miles for Henry on a difficult day given the weather conditions and difficult wind due to our loft location .

Copied from Facebook 28/05/25

Copied from Facebook 28/05/25

Three Borders Federation: Season News 2025 (Bodmin Race). Every week so far this season the Ashridge ‘master’, Terry Goodsell has been in the first few in the Federation result, just ‘knocking on the door’ to winning the Federation. The Three Borders Federation were at Bodmin (210 miles) for the sixth old bird race of the 2025 season and finally Terry hit the top spot, recording 1st, 2nd, 8th, 10th, 15th, 19th, 24th, 25th Federation. The convoyer, Dom McCoy produced a good steady race when he liberated the 463 birds at 07.00hrs in to an east / south east wind situation and many members remarked after the event that they had enjoyed a great steady race, but returns were a bit patchy on the day. Terry won the Federation with his good celibate blue cock, ‘White – Bucks’, which was bred by Steve and Leslie White, who live believe it or not, in Bodmin. This game cock is part of a batch of six youngsters Terry obtained from the White partnership and he told me, five of those birds have now scored in good races for him. ‘The Master’ told me, he thinks this is his 28th Federation winner in the last ten years! Brilliant pigeon racing, Terry! The first ten in the Bodmin Federation result were: 1) Terry Goodsell 1281: 2) Terry Goodsell 1279: 3) Nick Dudley 1274: 4) Stuart Emans 1262: 5) Tony Baughen 1260: 6) Peter Clements 1253: 7) Tony Baughen 1245: 😎 Terry Goodsell 1238: 9) Tony Baughen 1234: 10) Terry Goodsell 1234. This was race number six of the season and at this point the Ashridge club are leading for the ‘Federation Points Trophy’ with 23 points, with the Mitcham & Merton club being R/U on 22 points. Thanks to ‘Hire and Higher Bouncy Castles Sweets and Treats’ who are now sponsoring the Three Borders Federation. I’ve known Terry Goodsell of Morden since the mid 1970’s when he was put up brilliant performances in the Surrey Federation and SMT Combine with his widowhood cocks, and I featured him in the fancy press many times. He was a brilliant fancier then and he is still a brilliant fancier today, winning countless 1st Federations through the years! He now races his pigeons to his loft in Morden and he has enjoyed many wonderful racing seasons in the Three Borders Federation, and has won 28 1st Federations in the last ten seasons, and has been the Federation champion by winning the ‘Individual Points Trophy’ three times in recent years. Terry Goodsell’s pigeons were raced on the widowhood system, but came off the system in 2018 and now races cocks and hens on the celibate system. He only breeds off his stock birds and the racers are never paired up. Although he has won the Federation this year with a cock, he says the hens defiantly race better on the ‘celibate’, and would race only hens if he could. The racer are only trained up to the first race, then they are get two one hour exercise session around the loft every day through the season. The stock birds are paired up after the BHW Blackpool Show in January and the families raced are mainly Soontjens and Janssen of Arendonk, with the Janssens being obtained from the Ponderosa Stud in Holland and Fountainhead Stud. New families introduced in recent from the Ponderosa UK Stud are the Heremans-Clusters and Koopman- De Weerdt. He maintains the Janssen are good right through the programme to 455 miles, although the Soontjens are very good up to 250 miles. As far as his pigeon loft is concerned he is very keen to have warmth, a good dry floor, together with good ventilation, with no draughts in his lofts. He told me over feeding was the biggest mistake a fancier can make and was totally against fat pigeons at any time of the year. He says, many fanciers make the mistake of over exciting their birds and feed them too much hemp. Terry feeds the birds according to the temperature in the loft, using a good racing mixture, but with more carbohydrate when it was colder. The 2025 season has seen Terry win in the Tree Borders Federation: 4th, 5th, 7th, 8th, 12th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 24th Federation Wincanton (1), 3rd, 5th, 8th, 14th, 16th, 19th, 24th, 25th Federation Wincanton (2), 9th, 13th, 20th, 24th Federation Honiton, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 7th, 11th, 12h, 13th,14th,15th Federation Okehampton, 4th, 5th, 9th, 18th, 19th,20th, 22nd, 24th, 25th Federation Blandford, 1st, 2nd, 8th, 10th, 15th, 19th, 24th, 25th Federation Bodmin. After the first six races of the season, Terry is leading for the ‘Individual Points Trophy, with 39 points. Brilliant pigeon racing! Not everyone knows that Terry has been a very good gardener for most of his life and works on several show gardens. He loves gardening and says, ‘pigeon racing is my hobby, gardening is my passion! There you have it Terry Goodsell of Morden! Here we are all these years after my first loft visit and Terry is still racing in Morden, and winning the Federation positions out of turn. He must rate as one of the all-time great in the London area! I really enjoyed doing this one, Terry is a great worker for the sport and deserves all the praise he is given! Two fanciers who deserve a special mention after putting great performances in the Bodmin race are Nick Dudley of the Mitcham & Merton club and Tony Baughen of the Ashridge club. Nick Dudley recorded 3rd Federation from Bodmin and continues his dream season! Nick Dudley lives in Carshalton and recorded 1st club, 6th Federation from Wincanton, breaking his ‘Novice Status’ recently. Nick’s first race winner ever was a blue cock, now nicknamed 'Errol’s Lad' and was bred for him by a fancier in his club, Mr & Mrs Skeet & Keen. The dam of this cock is from double grandchildren of ‘Best Kittel’ and the sire is direct son of 2nd open MNFC Vire national from Frank and George Bristow. Tony Baughen recorded 5th, 7th, 9th, 13th Federation from Bodmin and he only broke his ‘Novice Status’, by winning his first pigeon race in the 2024 season. I spoke to Tony after the race and he told me, ‘my first bird on the ETS was a my Vandenbeele / Herman Ceuster blue hen ‘792’ and she was one of a kit of 24 gift youngsters at the start of the 2023 season from Kevin Pratt of Mitcham. The second bird on ETS from Bodmin was a daughter of ‘792’. These birds have worked well for me over the last two seasons and I’m really grateful to Kevin for the birds and the advice he has given me, he is a proper gent! I missed the Blandford race the week before Bodmin, as I was out of the country for the weekend and wasn’t sure whether to send because of the distance and the birds not having any work. I sent the Okehampton team and they came great’. Tony has come out with all guns blazing this season, recoding several top positions, including 1st club, 2nd Federation Honiton, 6th, 9th, 10th, 19th, 20th Federation Okehampton and now, 5th, 7th, 9th, 13th Federation Bodmin. Tony is from a pigeon racing family, with his father and grandfather both being very successful fanciers and now his son, Harry helps him out around the pigeon loft. Tony started up pigeon racing in 2021 with the help of his good friends Errol Skeete and Terry Goodsell. I think next time I write about these two gentlemen, they will be Federation winners! Well done lads! Full article to appear in the BHW shortly. Text & Photos by Keith Mott (May 2025)

Random Photos: I knocked up this little montage today for a forth coming Three Borders Federation article. Congratulation to the Three Borders Federation secretary, Stuart Emans who won 1st Federation from Wincanton (99 miles) yesterday, with his handsome blue pied cock, ‘Remy 270’, which was bred by Gerald Delaney. Stuart has named his latest Federation winner after his grandson, Remy! Well done to Stuart! Full article to appear in the BHW shortly. Keith Mott (25th May 2025)

Copied from Facebook Pigeon Chat ; Tom Harris Dutch show weekend 2026 I have a small number of seats available at present for the Dutch show weekend Departing Newport south wales late Thursday 26th feb pick ups available along m4 & m25 if required Staying in central Antwerp 3 night hotel on b&b basis Sat a day at the Dutch show Sunday lier market ,elite breeding centre Loft visit (tba) Returning Monday 2nd march Price £315 pp deposit of £75 (non refundable) on booking Balance in January

I've seen lots of posts lately about the cost of racing pigeons nowadays you will see in the photos the answer to the question is in there. The photos are from the sales brochure for Gits racing pigeons in 1956 and to purchase one youngbird was £8. The £8 translates to £212.78 in today's money! Still think the sports cost is getting horrendous it's all relative, you cut your cloth accordingly you don't have to have a massive loft and loads of birds or keep spending your money on copious amounts of medication and dubious hocus pocus curealls. By the way the example of the little loft I'm the little one ha ha Yours in sport Dave Bunker Brierley

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I came across a photograph of one of Scotland’s outstanding pigeons away back in 1967; at this time one of the most consistent Channel fanciers was Jock Ellis of Wellbank in Dundee. Although a fancier of comparatively short standing Jock has notched up better 500 miles and over performances in his meteoric career than most fanciers gain in a lifetime. Naturally enough when Jock started to purchasing his foundation stock, he turned to that other Tayside leading-light, Robert Strachan of Invergowrie, last year’s ‘Fancier of the Year’. The Stachan birds, blended with Ed Fell’s Gaffers, some good birds from Frank Hall of Forfar, and a selection from the late great Harry Duncan of Dundee, have been fashioned into one of the most powerful racing teams in the country today. Jock’s main edict is ‘Hard Work’. All young birds go through the programme, some of them go twice to the longest points. Some of the yearling go down to the coast, with 2-year-olds and older going over the water, some of them twice in the same season. Jock never lets them rest on their laurels. This is the system which has produced so many long-distance triumphs, but is a system which brings its share of disappointment as well. Jock has lost many birds, the like of which the average fancier is never privileged to own, like the famed red chequer hen timed in practically in darkness on the day; later lost at Nantes. The legendary ‘Wellbank Pride’ winner of 1st east section 8th open from Rennes in 1965. (Posted missing from Avranches this year 1967) However, Jock seems to have the elusive knack of producing another good one when the occasion arises. This season he again worked the oracle from Rennes only three positions behind his great friend Robert Strachan. Then from Nantes he produced a real cracker to take 11th open in a hard race with his good red chequer cock who had already proved himself from the Paris smash in 1963. Jock’s success is not confined solely to National racing as he wins more than his share all along the line. This season Jock suffered with the rest of us at the Worcester smash while he had been going strongly, but he recovered to collect several trophies in his local club. Jock’s training methods are extremely rigorous and National candidates get numerous morning tosses at the 60 miles mark. Most of the birds are big and deep so they need plenty of muscle on them to keep going at the distance. Jock is a bean feeder and also believes in mating his birds according to eye-sign. Last season Jock suffered a bit of a setback when his birds picked up some fertiliser in the surrounding fields and several good squeakers were lost in the nest as a result. This season Jock increased his already substantial premises at Wellbank with the addition of a fine young bird loft. The main loft was also shifted a considerable distance without dismantling. Quite a feat of manipulation as it’s quite a substantial shed. The youngsters as usual have put up some sterling performances finishing with a bang at the Federations longest young bird race with 5 leading positions. So, it looks as if there’s another batch of potential champions up at Wellbank. As well as being a top-notcher in the pigeon world Jock is also a leader of a successful Scottish Country Dance band which has broadcast on numerous occasions and set the feet tapping at the Federation Annual Dance. Sharp Brothers of Arbroath: Away back in the 1930’s a young Norrie Sharp and his brother Bob started racing pigeons with stock imported from the legendary Albert Buick. Since then, the name of Sharp Brothers has never been far from the forefront in long distance racing. Norrie is now the one who races the birds and he was one of the pioneers of channel racing in this neck of the woods. The first of the great Sharp Brothers birds was the old red cock which won 40th open and 160th open Rennes. The time he was 40th open he flew the 586 miles in 16 ½ hours, being timed in at 10-50pm in darkness by the aid of lamps from the nearby signal-box. At the time this was reckoned a near record performance. His daughter was the mealy hen which scored from Nantes 89th open and her son was the almost legendary Rennes cock which flew Rennes on the day four times and took the following positions. 11th open Rennes and 15th open Rennes. For his 15th open place, he won the then record sum of £566 and altogether he lifted over £700. (a fortune in those days Joe M) His fastest performance when he was clocked around 7pm he wasn’t in the hunt. Such is the irony of pigeon racing. Then came the game little hen ‘Baldy’ which won 131st open from Rennes and the pied hen 4779 which scored in the 700-mile club race from Rochefort, taking 39th open Position. Recent successes include 1st Dol and 55th open in the Continental Club’s Beauvais race in 1965. Long serving president of the Arbroath club, Norrie took over the helm when the club was in a bad way and along with the go-ahead secretary, Andy Shepherd, he has made the club one of the best-equipped and successful clubs in the country. Young bird racing has always been Norrie’s bugbear and many a promising youngster has been lost over the years. But this several new crosses from Ireland have been introduced and the young birds have turned in some cracking performances and lifted the young bird average in Arbroath club. This augurs well for the future of this famous loft, and Nor will no doubt to hearing that there’s another ‘Rennes Cock’ in the young bird loft that will gain the coveted 1st National that has been his ambition. Duncan McInroy of Miramar- Dundee. One of the great fanciers of the past was Duncan McInroy of Dundee, who holds the distinction of being the first Taysider to in a National Race. Duncan’s triumph occurred in the 1926 Derby from Rennes, 581 miles, with 1408 birds contesting the issue. Duncan’s game blue chequer pied hen, ‘Lady Betty’ returned the great velocity of 1017 to take top honours and beat the second bird by 135 yards per minute. In those days the Dundee Club was composed of well-to-do business men who flew their birds for the fun of it and Duncan was president of the club for many years. Another sporting field in which he was successful was angling and he won many trophies. Duncan’s memory has been perpetuated in the McInroy Trophy which is awarded, most appropriately to the first Tayside bird timed from Rennes each year, a truly worthy memorial to a great fancier. Blast from the Past Received an email from Andy Anderson who wrote; ‘Hi Joe, it was really lovely to see your articles again in BHW. I’m not keen on the broad sheet issue but that’s for another day. We’ve met a few times over many years but one particular time I was with a friend Alex Hamlyn from Roslin who lost some youngsters and you reported them to him. Anyway, thought if you were looking for article material you might be interested in our club closing down after more than a hundred years. With only having three members it was a very sad decision to make. There were more than forty members at one time the likes of P and J Thompson; W Cherry; G Hodge; C Jones; Kerr and Davidson to name a just a few. I enclose a photo of just some of the beautiful trophies such as the ‘Challenge Cup’ which was first won by Eyers Bros in 1924 and the ‘Rose Bowl’ first won by Campbell and Johnstone in 1925. And more recently a beautiful trophy presented by the family of the late Wullie Cherry a top fancier and expert clock setter. These last three years we have flown with Easthouses club and been made very welcome. I hope this is of some interest to you Joe and may I wish you and Margaret the very best of good health and keep up the good work. Kindest regards Andy Anderson. Obituary I was very sorry to hear about the passing of Willie Strang of Falkirk from his brother Jock. Willie would have been 82 in July and he and Jock have been very close all these years. He never married and lived with his sister Agnes in California in Falkirk and worked in the coal mines. Once the Pit’s closed he helped Jock out by driving his orders (shed’s & pigeon lofts) all over Scotland. On one trip to Ayrshire, he was stopped by the police and asked where he was going and he said ‘Moscow’. The police then asked him where he had come from and he said ‘California’ they thought he was trying to make a fool of them; and they were going to arrest him. He was Jock’s ‘right hand’ and would train the pigeons and take them to the club and go with the clock. One year they had topped the federation 5 weeks on the trot. Needless to say, some people thought they were cheating. So, the next week they went to the federation president and swapped Toulet clocks with him prior to the race. At the club they took off the clock and noticed there was a crack in the outer glass. Once the clocks were read and they had won again. Someone contacted the federation president to complain about the partnership; as they were using a clock with cracked glass. So, this is how they are winning!!!! When he told them the Strang’s had used HIS CLOCK THIS WEEK, and he had theirs. Needless to say, nothing more was said about the clock. As Jock and Willie often said, ‘Good birds, well trained and sent to the race to try and win. Margaret and I have met up with Betty and Jock over the years and they informed us that they were married on the same date as us 21st October but they were married the year before us in 1966. To Jock, and ALL his family we are so sorry at the passing of Willie; he will be sorely missed by all who knew him. I will always remember his helpfulness and the laughs we had at his stories. He may no longer be with us but he will always be part of our lives. R.I.P Willie. I was also sorry to see in this week’s BHW the news that fellow scribe Gareth Watkins had passed away. I always enjoyed Gareth’s articles, plus we have met up a few times over the years. He was a very good pigeon man and a true gentleman; to his family and friends we send out heartfelt condolences at the passing of such a wonderful man. RIP my old friend. 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 log onto www.elimarpigeons.com - cogeco.ca -forum@pigeonbasics.com who wish my weekly contribution portfolio on pigeon topics from Scotland © Compiled by Joe Murphy

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