Joe Murphy Article 25th February 2023

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Received a phone call from Micky Ward whom I highlighted in my article 2 weeks ago, Micky
along with John Conlin; and others (sorry cannot remember all their names) all from the Dublin
area; were over at Edinburgh international show. They came and visited us on the Sunday, and
one of the lads asked me while in the loft if I had any birds down from ‘Dundee Joe’. I was taken
aback and asked him how he knew about ‘Dundee Joe’. It transpired that ‘Dundee Joe’ the
pigeon he had gone into his loft from a race from France and I allowed him to keep it and
transferred the pigeon. What are the chances of this ever happening???? There is another part to
this story as well … We only had a small team of youngsters and one of our club mates Jim
Wilson asked if I would like a training toss with our youngsters as he was going over to
Kirkliston with his. I basketed the birds and Jim took them with him. I waited and waited but no
youngsters home; I was dayshift the next morning so went to bed about 11pm when I heard a
knock at the back door. I got up opened the window and there was Jim, ‘How did you get on
with the youngsters, he asked’. ‘I never got a bird home’ was my reply; when all of a sudden a
‘woosh’ came over the top of the house, and; there was my team of youngsters. It was dark, but I
got up and went outside looking for them but they were nowhere to be seen. The next day when I
came home from work, Margaret had 2 youngsters’ home, one with both legs broken, which I
had to attended too. Then over the next day we were up to 5 plus a Dundee stray; which I
reported. Mark and Kevin were wee boys at this time and wanted to go to see ‘Herby Rides
Again’ at the pictures, but I was not in the mood for sitting watching a picture; as my youngsters
were lost.!! It came to the Friday basketing night and the boys picked out a pigeon each, with
Kevin’s picking a speckled blue cock that he named as ‘Young Kev’. Mark’s pigeon was sent to
the race and was never seen again. Over the next few weeks ‘Young Kev’ made the club result
and in the last young bird race he was our pooler and nomination and he won the club and pools
and the boys were taken to the pictures to see ‘Herby Rides Again’. On the Sunday lunch time a
car drew up at the house and this man came and said ‘I believe you have one of my pigeons’. His
name was Joe Hunt (he was the father of Joe Hunt who won a Silver Award and a Meritorious
Inland Bronze Award in 2019 with his famous pigeon ‘Cool Hand Luke’, prior to his death) Joe
senior saw that we only had 5 youngsters and allowed us to keep the red chequer. Whom we
named as ‘Dundee Joe’ after Joe Hunt; he turned out to be a very good pigeon and won us a lot
of prizes and pool money for us. I sent him to Avranches and he failed to return home, a few
weeks later he was reported in Ireland, so I transferred him to the fancier. So for this same
fancier to be standing in my loft all this time later was ‘quite spooky’ he did informed me that
‘Dundee Joe’ had bred some very good pigeon for him. A small world indeed, however it was
good to speak to Micky the other day, time moves on but happy memories always live with us
forever.

My Trip Down Memory Lane

I received an email from Alan Reed of Wales whom I wrote about in last week’s column;
regarding my trip to Wales. Allan wrote; ‘Hi Mr Murphy. I remember the Thurso race very well,
there was a strong wind blowing with low rain clouds passing over our area, while waiting for
the birds I was making a crate for training my young birds. It was around 10 o’clock and the
weather was not good so I knew there was a film just starting on TV so into the house went to
get warm and have a cuppa. I watched the film to the end and was going to get ready for bed,

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when I went into the kitchen, I opened the back door. What a shock I had, there on the wires was
my bird from Thurso, and that is where I caught him and clocked in at 11-40. What time did he
arrive? I could not say, and no one phoned me, to say there was any bird’s home. I was very
lucky in that I opened the back door to see what the weather was looking like for arising the next
morning. Yours in sport Alan Reed.’ Alan had given me his phone number and I phoned him and
he told me that it was his 86-birthday last week; he also informed me that he used to drive a lorry
up into Kirkcaldy in Fife and dropped off items that were to go to Thurso and Lerwick, as he did
not drive to the islands off the Scottish coastline. Alan was quite surprised that I had contacted
him and asked if I had received his email ok, as this was the first time, he had ever sent an email,
as a friend had shown him how to do it. He then informed me that he reads my weekly column
and it was nice to read the report on the Thurso race. Allan was telling me that he has won 1 st
national from Thurso; was twice 2 nd open National from Lerwick; he also won 1 st open National
Welsh South Road from Nantes (winning a motor car) and was 1 st open National Ostend and he
also was 10 times 2 nd national. Truly outstanding results and he sounded a great character and I
enjoyed speaking to him.
I also rreceived an email from my dear old friend Guy Reed of the Isle of Wight who wrote
‘Dear Joe, loving your articles of late, great to see your story on our trip to meet Bernard
DeWeerdt, and it was good to see your photo of ‘Veronica’ and her excellent eye picture. You
will remember the inbred hen too ‘Saul’ you gave me. She is making her mark here still and I
believe she is also related to ‘Veronica’. I have shared your recent pages with Bernard and he
says a big ‘Hello’ to you and was surprised but pleased to know that you are still writing; in the
weeklies. Well done pal, dedicated work indeed regards yours Guy’. I thanked Guy for his email,
and it was nice to know that Bernard had seen and read my article, regarding our visit to him,
very fond memories. Yes; still doing the articles, on this computer most days, although I had the
day off yesterday as we visited my aunt and uncle in Dundee as it was his 91 st birthday (she is 90
next year) My uncle goes out every day to put on his horse bet and goes for a couple of pints. I
hope if I reach that age, I’m able still go out for a walk although I don’t think I will still be
writing my column. Continuing with my Blast from the Past; I have visited many of Scotland’s
household ‘Greats’ over the years; for example, after leaving the pit, I undertook the Heavy
Goods Vehicle training course and passed and then obtained a job as a HGV driver. Then I
worked with a Kitchen company in Kirkcaldy and used to deliver kitchens and accessories
throughout the whole of Scotland. On a Monday I started off in Kirkcaldy, then worked my way
throughout the center of Scotland and made my way over to Glasgow and then headed to Ayr.
Then making my way to Dumfries (where national winner Karl Guenther lives; although I didn’t
visit him but know him very well) while in the south section I visited Jaqueline & Billy Wortley
who was the scribe for the south section at that time and he did a wonderful job covering all the
top lofts in this area. Billy introduced me to some of the famous fanciers ever to grace our sport;
namely Matt Jamieson and his brother John plus his son Billy all from Annan; then there was
Jimmy Dalgleish; Roy Seton; John Hodgson & Dennis Anderson whom I highlighted recently as
they won the Dewar Trophy and were Runners Up in 2022. Then there was and my old pal
Stevie Ferguson of Annan who won 1 st SNFC Dorchester (2) in 1983; Stevie was a great lad and
used to love coming to my Sporting Challenge presentations in Whitburn. plus, many other top
fanciers. I also went and viewed ‘Galabank’ and sat outside the house were the famous John
Kirkpatrick once lived. At Langholm there was Ralston Graham a top fancier who won a Gold
Award in 1976 and another in 2005; he also won 2 Silver Awards these were achieved in 2009 &
2011. I used to meet up with his near neighbours Anne & Derick Norden who had won Gold

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Awards in 1983 & 1989 and then won a Silver Award in 2018 prior to Derick’s passing. We
used to spend most nights talking pigeons and Albert Tedham who also won a Gold Award in
1994, would come and join us. To begin with I slept in the lorry but as time progressed the
nights became colder and Anne & Derick allowed me to sleep in their spare room.

Birds Photos

Jim Hannah has kindly sent me 2 photographs of Fife pigeons that have done; Willie Pratt of
Rosyth has a montage with 4 cracking pigeons on it. His dark chequer hen named ‘Santa’s Dark
Silver’ has won a SNFC Silver Award as she has won 3 times from over the channel from Ypres;
Guernsey & Alencon; plus she also won from the Maidstone race point see photo. The next
photo is of ‘3 J’S’ raced by Keith Cochrane of Crossgates, he has won 4 times from over the
channel and requires one more win to obtain a Gold Award, we will need to keep an eye on the
results in 2023 to see if he achieves it.

Joe’s Joke

Husband walks into Ann Summers to purchase some see-through lingerie for his wife. He is
shown several possibilities that range from £50 to £150 in price, the more see-through, the higher
the price. He opts for the sheerest item, pays the £150 and takes the lingerie home. He presents it
to his wife and asks her to go upstairs, put it on and model it for him. Upstairs, the wife thinks, ‘I
have an idea. It's so see-through that it might as well be nothing. I'll not put it on, do the
modeling naked and return it tomorrow and get a £150 refund for myself’. So, she appears naked
at the top of the stairs and strikes a pose; The husband says, ‘My God! It wasn't that creased in
the shop’. His funeral is on Thursday.
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 Who wish my weekly contribution portfolio on pigeon
topics from Scotland?
© COMPILED BY JOE MURPHY