Christmas Article 2022 by Joe Murphy

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May I wish ALL readers of the Joe Murphy Column a Very Merry Christmas and I hope you
ALL have a lovely day; and may I wish each and every one of you all the Very Best for 2023. I
would also like to thank all the fanciers who throughout the year have remarked how much they
enjoy the column. With quite a lot of fanciers and their wives also enjoy the weekly joke, which
seems to go down well. Christmas is a special family occasion and we normally go to our oldest
sons for Christmas dinner. This year is going to be something special as both he and his wife
have a Ukraine mother and daughter whom they took in after the appeal to help families out.
They are lovely and the young girl’s English has improved tremendously and she is enjoying
school in Scotland. So hopefully when we raise a glass to celebrate Christmas we can also think
about her husband and the girl’s father; and with any luck they will be able to join up once this
terrible war is over.

Wet Weather

Like most fanciers within the UK, we have been having terrible rain and everything is soaking
wet. I shut over half my windows in my small stock loft to try and stop the rain from getting into
it, but to no avail; as it still gets in. I am blessed in the comfort of knowing that I have a bucket
of Respiro San Dry and I sprinkle this on the floor and it act as a quick drying agent, absorbing
moisture and within hours the loft floor is dry again. I swear by this product and you can obtain it
from Phil Gardner his email address is; pgardner25@btinternet.com
Slabbinck-Cattrysse

While speaking to Jim Hannah the top Scottish pigeon photographer one day, he said he would
send me an old RP dated the 27 th November 1965; which had the sale of the above family of
pigeons. My father was a great Slabbinck enthusiast and he purchased a couple of pigeons of this
breed in 1959 & 1966. (see photos of bird’s pedigree). I also found a cutting from the RP in
Scottish Notes, regarding Fife; From the Fife Federation Christchurch race with an entry of 1157
birds, Tom Stevenson & son (this would be you and your dad -Ronnie) who won Leven club.
Davy Cook won Kennoway with Joe Murphy & son (this was yours truly) the only two
Kennoway members making the open result. In my dad’s scrap book was a De Belgische
Duivensport dated the 25 th March 1969. I have enclosed a photograph of this; it measures 43
centimetres by 62 centimetres and has 4 full pages. I have also added a few photographs of their
wonderful winning pigeons.
The Tip a famous pigeon in the family; He was a winner of 11 x 1 st prizes and won over £1000
(which was a fortune in those days) The Tip flew NFC Pau and won 31 st open 3207 birds; 102 nd
open 3560 birds in English Nationals. He was sire, grandsire, great grandsire of many of
Slabbinck winners. The Tip was a son of ‘Bismark’. Blauwetik Barcelona’ Belge 55 3016795.
Five times Barcelona International, 1100km, This remarkable long-distance ace won 41 st open
3578 birds; 41 st open 4114 birds; 15 th open 3599 birds; 80 th open 3300 birds; competing against
ALL Belgium; ALL Holland; All Germany; All Luxembourg; All France; All Great Britain.
Even as a 4-year-old in his first attempt he was placed 471 st with 481 birds competing-a terrible
race when many birds were lost. ‘Grace Kelly’ Violet Eye Hen; an exceptionally nice hen;
raced well as a yearling; won 3 prizes in the first 6, also 14 th & 22 nd Orleans; was then stopped for
stock. As she was something special. Her sire was The Tip and her dam was a daughter of

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‘Little Mo’; who was a little Diamond. Her half brothers were The Favourite; The Young Tip
& Wittepenne and they won 21 x 1 st prizes between them. ‘The De Pol Hen’ Cattrysse at it best.
She was a ½ sister to the famous 6 times Barcelona cock; another brother was ‘Bismark’ winner
of 11 th , 28 th & 23 rd international Barcelona; The Oude Pol, produces numerous national winners
and his stock was wildly sought after as his offspring were also very good producers. Sire of
Oude Pau was 1 st national Pau from Pol Bostin, his dam was a sister of De Kleinen, also a 1 st
prize National winner for Cattrysse, they were paired together and both fanciers had an egg
each. So, fanciers will see that the Oude Pau was a first cross. Another hen was the De Ide Hen;
her sire was De Boer; always stock; he was a brother to two 1 st prize National Winners; De 90
and De Draaier; winner of 297, 4901franks by 1964 only. He was a phenomenal racing cock,
whose wins made history in Belgium. Dam of De Ide Hen; was De Boerinneke 61 3301395. A
daughter of the famous outstanding ACE long distance pigeon of ALL Belgium in 1958. De
Jerome from De Ide of Gistel in Belgium; Paired to a sister 58.3301287 who is De Durumeaux
55.3016912; Sire of two 1 st prize national winners.
I could go on and on about this wonderful family of pigeons as I was brought up on them when I
was a young boy. So, looking over my late father’s old loft book has brought up so many happy
memories. The thing that caught my eye was how Cattrysse used the crossing of two inbred
families to heightens the vigour of their strain. If you look at the breeding of my own pigeon in
the 2023 Blackpool Charity Sale you will see that I have done exactly the same principles at
these past wonderful fanciers. Don’t get me wrong I’m not saying that I’m in the same bracket as
them but one thing I have learnt over my 75 years is this is the way to go if you wish to succeed
in racing pigeons.

Joe’s Joke

No one believes seniors; everyone thinks they are senile. An elderly couple was celebrating their
sixtieth anniversary. The couple had married as childhood sweethearts and had moved back to
their old neighbourhood after they retired. Holding hands, they walked back to their old school.
It was not locked, so they entered, and found the old desk they’d shared, where Andy had carved
“I love you, Sally.” On their way back home, a bag of money fell out of an armoured car,
practically landing at their feet. Sally quickly picked it up and, not sure what to do with it, they
took it home. There, she counted the money - fifty thousand pounds!
Andy said, “We’ve got to give it back.” Sally said, “Finder’s keepers.” She put the money back
in the bag and hid it in their attic. The next day, two police officers were canvassing the
neighbourhood looking for the money, and knocked on their door. “Pardon me, did either of you
find a bag that fell out of an armoured car yesterday?”
Sally said, “No”. Andy said, “She’s lying; she hid it up in the attic’. Sally said, “Don’t believe
him, he’s getting senile” The agents turned to Andy and began to question him. One said: “Tell
us the story from the beginning.” Andy said, “Well, when Sally and I were walking home from
school yesterday ....” The first police officer turned to his partner and said, “We’re out of here!”

Season Best Wishes to ALL

May I once again wish all readers of my column a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New
Year; I hope you all have a very enjoyable time; God Bless.

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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 or https://sites.google.com/site/internationalracingpigeon/
Who wish my weekly contribution portfolio on pigeon topics from Scotland?
© COMPILED BY JOE MURPHY