Kyleakin Lofts

Good morning all.

Happy birthday.

Congratulations to all the family.

Happy birthday.

Good morning all.

Well done Andy Murray.

Well done all.

I have some tropical in the house. They were my sons, but he lost interest. The other boy is relatively keen. Nothing fancy, just a community tank.

A cat, tropical fish and a bearded dragon. The tropical fish then the dragon were my son's, but he tired of the fish, so the other boy has taken over. He has now tired of the dragon, so I am in charge at the moment, but the other boy will probably fall heir soon.

Happy birthday.

Good morning all.

Looking in fine fettle Davy.

Good morning all.

Jim, you should receive a race controllers guide via your secretary from the SHU. It should contain the contacts for the other SHU controllers. The North Road also gets the RPRA guide. I don't know whether all organisations get this one. Once you have these books, you at least will have your contact information and who should be racing from where and when they should be there. Of course there are sometimes last minute alterations where some may go to a different lib point because of weather predictions or perhaps even move on the day of liberation, but at least you will have a start. Another good thing I trialled this year is liberate app. They have submitted it to the RPRA and will probably go commercial, looking for money in the future, but once you are in England, it could be a useful tool for you.

Good morning all.

Derek, you are talking about a form of double handling. Pigeons being brought from outlying areas to a central marking area. The only difference would be they would not be in sealed crates whilst being transported to the central marking. I understand your concerns and I understand that one station would give a true National result, but I must concur with George that it is impracticable in todays society. Most organisations are attempting to make themselves easier to send with by increasing the availability of their marking stations. I think one marking station would be the death knell for any race where this was adopted. Due to population spread, it would have to be Central Scotland and this would mean outlying areas would dwindle and disappear. What do the North fanciers think?

Happy 58th birthday Tommy.

Good morning all.

This is the latest DEFRA guidance. DEFRAAdvice1.pdf

Walter, I have been a Delegate for 2 years now. There should be 30 Delegates. I accept that it is nigh impossible for Highlands and Islands, NE and Aberdeen to attend. It will be difficult for Dundee, Angus and Scottish Borders to attend, however, you are Solway and are able to manage despite the difficulty. I don't think I have been at a Council meeting with more than 20 attending, usually around 10. Personally, I haven't managed the AGM. The first year I was watching the kids and was advised not to bring them, but they would have been fine playing their game systems up the back, it is not as though it was overcrowded. This year my Fed AGM was on, but steps have been taken to avoid this difficulty in the future. I also think some of the points raised are valid, however the amount of work that is put in to run the show probably means running the AGM on the same day would cause too many complications. Balance sheets could be posted out by mail if this is not done as appears the case. This would raise a cost. I personally feel that the SHU needs a good shake up, as do most pigeon organisations, however, back to the age old problem, who would fill positions and carry out the work and are they fit for purpose.

Happy birthday.

Good morning all.

In what manner do we achieve this? The APHA / DEFRA officers who agreed to lift the restrictions have placed a proviso on lifting the restriction. How do we meet the proviso? We cannot meet the proviso and, in effect, they have done as Pontious Pilate done so many years ago, having washed their hands of the matter and placed the final decision with the rabble who have been pressurising them. The proviso covers the Agency, but the onus has now been shifted onto, in this case, the individual fanciers. Sadly very weak governance by an organisation who have shown in this instance that they are not fit for purpose, unless they have scientific knowledge that this disease cannot enter our island or that pigeons cannot contract it. I have seen no evidence that this is the case.

DEFRA are just covering their ars3. There is a very small risk, so lock up. Pigeons don't come under this guideline, so let them out amongst the wild population, but avoid them coming into contact with the wild population. What a croc of sh1t. If we let them out they are no longer under our control. We can tell them not to mix with the wild population, but will they listen to us? If, and I agree it is a very remote chance, they become infected, DEFRA will state that their guidance was not to let them mix and we haven't followed it, so it is our own fault. Thus my original statement. This sort of guidance hardly inspires me. They require to take responsibility for their guidance and ensure that it is safe and correct. In this matter, they have failed.

Good morning all.