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Very sad news RIP George aka clockman

Just heard the sad news that George Briggs aka clockman has passed away. George has been a member of Pigeon Basics from day one. Our thoughts are with his family at this difficult time

The Joe Murphy Column 1 We have had a good response to the Dewar Trophy Book; with purchasers contacting us via email; for the account details and once they have paid the amount for the book (including postage) into the account. Once this has been cleared by the bank we can then go ahead and post the book out to them. This is better than fanciers sending a cheque which has to be taken to the bank then cleared (sometimes up to 3 to 4 days) whereas doing the bank transfer it is done right away. Which suits most people as the majority do on line banking; which saves a lot of time and running about for both the fancier and ourselves. I would also like to thank the people who have commented on the volume of details on these Dewar Trophy winning birds. Every one of them was the Top Pigeon in Scotland each particular year as were their owner fanciers. Margaret and I had a drive through to Wishaw to the SHU Offices to meet up with the secretary Andy Frame. Andy and Ann have kindly agreed to sell the Dewar Trophy Book from the office; which is great as quite a number of fanciers visit the office; either paying their fees; purchasing rings or even transfer a bird. This should help fanciers out as they can purchase the book with no added cost of postage. My thanks to Andy and Ann. ‘The Thrill of Winning’ Continuing with the theme of stories from the past, I came across a story by J Wilson & son of Lanark who won 1 st open and King’s Cup in the Scottish National F.C. Rennes race of 1960; which was written for the 1961 BHW Stud Book; which goes as follows. It is the accepted interest of every competitive pigeon fancier in Scotland, to take part in the Scottish National Race from Rennes, in fact, and quite naturally too, it is the ultimate aim of every fancier to win this event, the Blue Riband of Scottish Pigeon Racing. (It is the same at the present time 2024 Joe Murphy). Since this prize has eluded so many of our prominent fanciers during a lifetime of endeavour, then surely you can image how my son Robert and I just couldn’t believe it, and as the excitement arose within us, I can assure you we did give thought to the many fanciers who were again out of luck, the pattern of their endeavours had again become distorted. That Saturday morning at 9-02am on the second day of the race, when our blue chequer hen. ‘Linville Supreme, broke through a thick white blanket of mist that had risen from and had enveloped the whole of the valley of the River Clyde; this Clyde valley practically fronts our loft. Such a sight stirred Robert and I to a feeling of pride and contentment in having what we considered at that time a very acceptable and most favourable timer, after all she was one of our two main hopes from six birds competing in the race. Remember we knew there were no birds timed in on the first day of the race. I just can’t find words to express our feelings, when on the Sunday two officials of the SNFC arrived at our loft to verify the winner. The thrill of it was such – well you can guess. Robert and I were being warmly and sincerely congratulated by many, there was for example a Mr Forbes, one of our local publicans, who presented himself at the loft loaded with ‘Screw Tops and a bottle of five-year-old Champagne. He considered that such a feat was deserving of such celebrations. Since starting the Fancy, we have aimed at establishing a family of pigeons and we have had the good fortune in selecting the proper material to justify the same. Anything that we selected and bought, we have never flown, these birds were kept solely for breeding. It has taken us the nine years to establish this family, which has credited us with six Rennes certificates in five years racing in this event. The sire of 5210 ‘Linville Supreme’ is a red chequer cock 8447 himself a winner in 1957 having been 124 th open Rennes with £79; then there is our Red Cock 8452, he has proved himself a first-class bird on the road. In 1957 he was 89 th section 205 th open Rennes with £116. In 1958, 39 th section 73 rd open Rennes and £163. In 1959, he homed two days late with a broken wing. There is also our Mealy Hen 8889, for a full sister of 8452, she has flown Guernsey ‘1957’ Rennes ‘58’ Dol ‘59’ and Dol ‘60’ winning 27 th open Lanarkshire Federation. The nest mate of ‘Linville Supreme’ was also home from Rennes this year. Our comparatively short experience has been assembled on the basis of a respect of good Pigeon Literature completed by the many noted theorists who have devoted themselves to the study of every aspect of the racing pigeon. In fact, one can’t ignore the viewpoints and controversies of The Joe Murphy Column 2 the many articles which appear in the weekly issue, the British Homing World e.g. and we are adept observers and intent listeners to the experiences of our fellow fanciers. Our loft is not of the orthodox type, it consists of a wooden four-sectioned structure within a lean-to brick building, it is well lit and well ventilated, and we aim at all times to acquire the highest standards of cleanliness. During the close season, nest boxes are removed from the loft, and are thoroughly cleaned and disinfected before being replaced for the following breeding season. We always start our pairing the first Sunday in March and we only take produce from not more than half a dozen carefully selected pairs; the remainder justify our racing programme and act as feeders. We try where possible to single rear our youngsters. Great care it taken to assure genuine mating’s, because of our spacious nest and the fact that, at intervals throughout the day, only one pair at a time are given access to the open loft of our main No 1 breeding season, this routine continues daily until the first egg is laid. On feeding we believe in varying our feed according to the physical requirements, stepping up the quality as greater physical effort is needed. A mixture of peas, beans and maize meets our requirements, wheat is introduced during the winter months, and of course, a supplement is given during the racing season only. Training; - for old birds we average one or two 20-mile tosses weekly from the first race to the last, we also flag daily throughout the racing season. With the young birds, training forms a similar pattern, but our team is considerably reduced in numbers by the end of the programme, we stop any youngsters showing signs of heavy moult. All cocks and hens are separated after the young bird programme has been completed. We know full well the hazards that surround pigeon racing, and having had the good fortune, in collecting top honours, the road that lies ahead in maintaining such, will not be an easy one, but I assure you, we will be trier’s all the way. To have been given the opportunity to grace the pages of this worthy Annual is indeed our pleasure and we thank the ‘British Homing World’ for publicising our article in the 1961 Stud Book. Happy Birthday Received an email from my dear old friend Guy Reed from the Isle of Wight who wrote; ‘Hi Joe, I thought you may like to know that Mrs DeWeerdt has just recently celebrated her 100 th birthday. I have attached some recent pictures taken, and I have spoken to Bernard recently and was told they had a gathering of some 30+ relatives in her honour. The DeWeerdt’s are a very family orientated both amongst themselves and with the racing pigeon fraternity. Mrs DeWeerdt has taken a strong interest in the pigeons all her life and still looks remarkable for her age. Like most of us, age has given her a modicum of discomfort but she overcame all; obviously, the family DeWeerdt genes are strong and survive well, the same can be said for their pigeon family. Best wishes Joe yours Guy’. I thanked Guy for the photos and the above information; I remember our visit to the DeWeerdt family home and loft a few years back. It was a great experience for me; just to be in the loft and back garden of one of the all-time ‘greats’ of our pigeon sport was indeed an honour. In saying this I have also experienced visiting other all-time greats over the years. Jim Bill, Louella Lofts, Les Davenport; Mark Gilbert, Crammond & Langstaff, Robert O Jones, Davis Son & Cockcroft; not to mention the many top Scottish Fanciers; which believe me would fill 2 full pages of this magazine. Yes, great memories and to have visited some of the greatest fanciers to grace our shores, has indeed been a great pleasure to me as a scribe and fancier; and the most important item of ALL Every One of them was as nice a person you could ever wish to meet. Great Recollections. 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 The Joe Murphy Column 3 REMEMBER THE J IN THE MIDDLE or log onto www.elimarpigeons.com www.fancierchat.co.uk www.pigeon-chat.co.uk who wish my weekly contribution portfolio on pigeon topics from Scotland

I have been asked to share the following: Hi, I'm looking g for a straight tail white dove ( cock) any help appreciated. George George 07789513253. I'm in Perth scotland. Can travel ( a bit) Thanks

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A wee reminder this sale is on today

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posted by Mark Wiseman of Methilhaven PC on Facebook The members would like to thank everyone who donated young birds for the methilhaven breeder buyer which will be held on pigeon basic form the 1st-8th april the breeder buyer will be decided on the best young bird performance over the young bird season. The sale will open at 18.00 Monday 1st April-8th April, closing at 18.00 . Best of luck. 1 John harcus st andrews £50 jumpinjack1974 (paid cash) 2 Stuart Maskame Aberdeen, National Winner, North of Scotland £30 DOOMAN DOO (paid by bank transfer) 3 Chic dinsdale balgonie £35 Pego (paid cash) 4 Pete penman balgonie £40 Puggy (paid by bank transfer) 5 Gary hall balgonie £25 the ghost (paid cash) 6 Mark young dundee £40 jumpingjack 1974 (paid cash) 7 Sean diamond kennoway x2 £60 the ghost (paid cash) 8 Scot girdwood sighthill £25 Marky2611 ( paid by cash) 9 Steven girdwood sighthill £40 Puggy (paid by bank transfer) 10 Jonny quinn sighthill £40 Puggy (paid by bank transfer) 11 Andy miller sighthill "Double Nation Winner" £50 Andrew sukle 12 Stephen tierney danderhall £25 gordi.b (paid by bank transfer) 13 Ian hynd crossgates £50 frank mitchel (paid by bank transfer) 14 Scott russell bonnybridge £40 Puggy (paid by bank transfer) 15 Frank mitchel Dunfermline £30 GRAHAM MITCHELL (paid by bank transfer) 16 Stewart graham st serfs £25 Marky2611 (paid by cash ) 17 Tam cook kennoway £25 GORDI. B (paid by bank transfer) 18 Brian kinnare kennoway £40 B Kinnare (paid cash ) 19 Ian scott forfar £30 DOOMAN DOO 20 Brian chalmers kennoway National Winner £45 thunder big baws (paid cash) 21 Dougie barnes crossgates £40 Molloylofts 22 Dyke armuor methilhaven £50 rainman (paid cash) 23 G baxter Withdrawn 24 D clark & son £40 Puggy (paid by bank transfer) 25 D cunningham £25 Cem (Paid Cash) 26 M molloy £25 Molloy lofts 27 J&G peggie " National Winner" £65 quicksilver loft (paid by bank transfer) 28 M wiseman £25 Scott Russell (paid by bank transfer) 29 D hunter “ Withdrawn 30 A whittaker National Winner £30 QUICKSILVERLOFTS (paid by bank transfer) 31 Stevie ritchie kennoway £40 Puggy (paid by bank transfer) 32 J&G Peggie "National winner" £65 quicksilver lofts (paid by bank transfer) Best performance pigeon , Prize to be determined on the sale of the young birds. All pigeons will start of @ £25 each bird up until £100, after that will will be £10 incriments. As you can see there is a bargain to get. 5 National winners included within the sale, Open winners, Fed Winners, etc. Buyer to arrange transport with breeder. Thanks again for your support. Cem.

Earley days on the farm. Colin as many folk with doo blood in their veins, started keeping pigeons as a loon (a boy). He stayed on a farm and it was Colin’s mission to catch the pretty looking feral pigeons and had a good few that stayed in the loft he had built on the back of his dad’s peat shed. Back in the day for Colin, mealies were called turtle, and any pied was called a mottled doo. Fancy Doo Period A new neighbour moved in nearby who kept fancy pigeons and gained a new admirer as Colin was never away from his place and so started a new chapter of keeping and showing fancy pigeons, this fulfilled the next ten years of his life which was enjoyed immensely Racing Pigeons In 1986 it all started and Colin participated in his first season racing Young Birds, having joined the New Pitsligo Racing Pigeon Club which at the time had eight or possible nine members. Looking back he can well remember his first ever race and armed with a third hand Le Continental clock was eager to participle in the race and I am sure like us all thought he would do extremely well. First things first a demonstration for his wife and father had to be undertaken, i.e. how the clocked functioned and the method by which the race rubber was insert into a thimble then the said thimble inserted into the clock then finally the clock struck. On race day a grizzle young Bird arrived well in front of the rest of the team and subsequently timed. Later at the club it was discovered that the grizzle would have been third club if it was not for all the puncture marks in the dial as a result of his various demonstrations to others on the functioning of the clock. The outcome being the grizzle was disqualified thus ended his first race. Colin went on to race with the Pitsligo club for 10 years recording various levels of success including his first two North Federation wins in 1993 these two red cards being recorded with the same pigeon. Final Move to the Broch (Fraserburgh) In 1995 Colin had a change of life styles having met a spare hen and subsequently relocating nearer to the Broch and joined the Fraserburgh & District club. At this time this was a very famous club with a reputation for top pigeons and fanciers participating from short races to the French races and very successful at all these distances. With the knowledge that is he continued with his previous approach to pigeon racing which would leave him propping up the results and that was not where he wanted to be. Any introduction of some new blood was required, and after careful consideration he decided to introduce some of the Jansen/Van Loon pigeons and applied himself with great vigour to the task. Results were for all to see, within a couple of seasons he was amongst the prize winners on a regular basis and by the millennium achieved the top prize winner in Club and the Federation, that not being an easy position to achieve. Over the last twenty years Colin has been very consistent and has always been in the top part of the Federation and thus has been considered as one of the top racers of the North Federation. As always there have been occasions where success has evaded him and in Colins words “there have been the odd season when I’ve not had it so easy. You get complacent, and just think that the good birds from last year will win again but if your competition are prepared to up their game and you’ve sat on your laurels, then you’re no longer the guy at the top”. For example, season 2022, I was behind the club leaders in an estimated eight out of ten races. After consideration he thought that too much time was spent looking after a pheasant shoot which, as we all know is a considerable involvement and very time consuming if it is to be a success. A cross roads had been reached and Colin decided that his first priority must be his racing pigeons with the pheasants second and we can all see the result of that decision with his club and Federation results. The Loft Colins loft is 48 feet in length with aviaries in each section for all birds to access. A large team is flown in the federation with some sixty plus old birds and seventy plus young birds but as Colin states “I’m a believer that there is more cream in a gallon than a pint so I’ll stick by it” and these methods have proved very successful to date. Conditioning Colins ethos being :- a) The birds health come first a fancier must make sure the birds are in good health b) The fitness of the pigeons must built to ensure they are ready for the season c) A good feeding regime must be installed and adhered to d) Motivation If the above are all in place then in Colins words you’re in with a chance, continuing by saying if any of these 4 are not in place, you will be congratulating the winner most weeks. Routine is also very important as the birds know what to expect. Racing method All birds are flown on the celibate/chaos system. Preparation begins late March when all birds to be raced are treated with two Respiratory treatments. Early April, a worm treatment is applied after which the birds are treated with a 3 in one. Exercise The birds are exercised twice a day around the to build fitness. On basketing night prior to being dispatched to a Federation race, Cocks and Hens are allowed to mix together for 30 mins approximately and chaos is ensued, also the volume of the noise with the loft is exceptional. On return from a race, and subsequently the second feed after return, the birds are duly provided with a mix of every food type present in the loft. This way Colin believes his pigeons can eat whichever their brain/body tells them they need before being split until the following week where they will undertake the same process before being dispatched to compete in the next race on the programme. Also, during the racing season, a three-week cycle is adopted where the birds are treated with 3 in 1, also treated for respiratory, then a week off. Feeding is a mix of everything that is in the trough for the returning birds and the first feed thereafter. The birds then go onto a light feed for the next few days moving to fats then carbs towards end of the week to ensure the birds are ready for the next challenge. Most of the water-based treatments have been stopped with any products being deployed being administered via the grain. The above system has proved its worth with his team of birds going on to win: - 1)Nine of the ten club old bird races Which incumbered three first Federation prizes 2) Four second Federation positions 3) Three third Federation positions 4) Also a further twenty-three places in the top 10 of the Federation And to top a very successful season went on to win the highly rated “East Section Champion Cup” and was also awarded “Top prize winner in the North of Scotland Federation”. Colin is absolutely in no doubt that top pigeon men are at the top because of the sheer effort they are prepared to put in. Loft Additions for 2024 A family of very successful Gabby Vandenabeele pigeons have been housed 2008 and during this time Colin is sure that this family have at some point topped the Fed from every race point. But he does not rest on his laurels and is always on the lookout for additions to his family with additions being purchased every year. The Gabbys have proved hard to beat with most of the above prizes attributed to this family. However, for 2024 two additional families have been purchased these are Willem De Bruijn and Dirk Van den Bulk, so hopefully some “fresh cream” can be found.