Kyleakin Lofts

Welcome to the site.

No I Have not. I have spoken directly with Ian Evans and he told me he had spoken to someone in Scottish Government. All he has ever received is a referral to the Scottish Government routemap out of lockdown. Similarly when he was speaking to Westminster, just referrals to the guidelines. Ireland have a fancier who is a member of the Government. Wales has been extremely difficult to receive any information. The RPRA have looked at the guidelines with a view to servicing their Members and interpreted the relevant guidelines. They have then issued their own guidelines on how to meet the arrangements required. Part of their guidelines were that Conveying organisations had to check Government and RPRA guidelines to ensure they could meet the relevant standards. These conveying organisations then inform their Clubs whether they re going to operate. The Clubs then decide if they can meet the arrangements and inform their Members. Every individual Member has different requirements and must decide for themselves whether they are able to meet the arrangements. Simply put, every individual is responsible for their own safety. I have posted this before and I have personally informed Gordon Turnbull that was the position. Gordon then decided to allow training under similar provisos. Thereafter he issued a series of statements retracting from his position. It is only today that he has announced similar to his original decision and apparently after a meeting with RPRA officials. Why he could not have accepted the word of one of his Council members and checked with the RPRA before his original decision, if he did not check at that time, I do not know. Absolutely nothing has changed since his original announcement, to my knowledge.

1 from Dunbar this morning 8/8.

Good read Ryan.

Well done. Good to hear some positive news.

Good morning all.

Happy birthday.

If that is the case, and I don't doubt it, then after the original permission was given, the later retractions would make this a U turn and show the SHU as being weak and unable to stand up to pressure from its Members. I sincerely hope that if they have changed their mind they have very valid reasons for so doing and not just that Lanarkshire is joining the RPRA or forming a rival Union, the West of Scotland Union. This lack of decision has cost the SHU a massive amount of credibility and they didn't have very much credibility with some fanciers before this, so on the positive side, they have successfully managed to increase their critics.

I was not told that there was a Meeting tonight. Perhaps it has been kept to the three Presidents. Nothing has been posted to the Clubs yet.

Good afternoon all.

No. Every individual has their own individual circumstances. Some are shielding, some not. Some are working, some are not. Some are on furlough, some are not, etc. The RPRA have made their interpretation and the SHU President(s) have made theirs. If you are racing under RPRA rules, then their guidance has to be followed. Federations and Clubs have to ensure they can meet the bio-security and they must inform their Members. The Members then have to decide on their own personal circumstances and interpretation of the guidelines. There is no definitive answer at this time as far as I am aware. I am a RPRA Delegate and a SHU Delegate. The RPRA have been excellent with their communications and the CEO has made himself available to speak with. I have received a few phone calls from Dougie Bald and I have spoken with Gordon Turnbull, but the SHU communications have been very poor, until recently by posting retractions to the original guidance. The RPRA have used video conferencing, the SHU haven't.

Welcome to the site. I hope you enjoy your pigeons.

Welcome to the site.

Didn't bother buying one. Too many stories of leaking, etc. Just use the normal method. I hope you get the advice you need Matthew.

Happy birthday.

Good morning all.

This is not a Scottish Government issue. This is an issue regarding one persons interpretation of Scottish Government guidelines and his failure to take a decision. No politician will give a definitive answer. I await the answer to the Edinburgh MSP's question.

This could decline into politics again. I think we should stick to the management issue.

Just passing the time when I have a spare minute. Just passing the time when I have a spare minute.

Sorry, still lost. You require to be more explicit. To whom are you referring?

Now you have really lost me tiddler. In what way would asking such a pertinent question result in him receiving a vote of no confidence and cause him to stand down? I didn't realise that tiddlers could make such massive jumps. Making jumps of such a size usually means that there are a lot of missing facts between take off point and landing spot.

Good morning all.

Happy birthday.

I am sending a letter to the SHU today, in the morning. Good question and one that will be asked at the earliest opportunity, if not by your own Councillor, then by me.

I have sent a message via FB to Jeremy Balfour. Jeremy, I have just been informed that you have asked a question regarding Racing pigeons. To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it has issued regarding the racing of pigeons during the COVID-19 outbreak, and whether it has granted the Royal Pigeon Racing Association approval to resume racing. My understanding at the present time is that there have been no answers given to the many questions from the SHU and the RPRA. What they have received at best are referrals to the guidelines and at worst opinions from MSP's completely ignorant regarding racing pigeons, ie. All Clubs and Federations should be fully aware of the following statement which was made by Mairi Gougeon MSP, Minister of Rural Affair and the Natural Environment in the Scottish Government on 2 June 2020 before arranging training of any kind. At the current time, it is best that racing pigeons are exercised from their home loft. It would be permissible for birds belonging to a few members to be transported, in disinfected crates, to a distance of less than 5 miles and released for a slightly longer flight. This could be carried out without the need for your members to come into close contact with others when the crates are uplifted. This is a statement made out of ignorance by someone with no interest in the subject. My racing pigeons exercise from the loft flying at around 40 mph for between 1 and 2 hours. Simple maths between 40 and 80 miles. To suggest a trainer of 5 miles would be of any worth proves her ignorance. I expect she has not even read the stringent guidelines regarding bio-security that have been issued by the RPRA. I sincerely hope you have checked all the FACTS to enable you to ask subsequent questions. If the fanciers travel to their local Clubs and follow the Scottish Government guidelines and the RPRA guidelines, then their Federation is able to transport their pigeons, our racehorses in the sky, just as racehorse owners are doing now. The RPRA bio-security measures should be extremely effective in limiting the possible spread of Covid 19 and by allowing the fanciers to make their own decisions whether they are able to safely meet the requirements will allow them some outdoor leisure and the subsequent benefits to their mental well-being. A refusal could result in the destruction of many pigeons since these athletes need to be trained and raced to benefit their future to the fancier. I hope you are aware of the charitable work that the racing pigeon fraternity carries out and the vast sums of money donated regularly. Further the feed market etc receives much benefit from fanciers, so by this resumption of pigeon racing, in line with other outdoor leisure pursuits, we are assisting kickstarting the economy. Multiple benefits at very little risk. I am a Secretary of a RPRA Federation active in Scotland and also a Secretary of a SHU Federation. please check the FACTS so that you are able to speak regarding the matter from a position of knowledge. Thank you for asking such a definitive question. Hopefully he will research his question properly, so he can respond correctly to whichever answer he receives. At least the proper questions are being asked in the proper places.