Joe Murphy Article 25th March 2023

[sapper756]

Sorry I'm late lads, our granddaughter had to go into hospital, plus our best man's wife was also rushed into hospital. It has been a nightmare trying to catch up and then I found out that I had deleted my article, so have had to sit and type it up again. 

SORRY 

Yours Joe M 

The Joe Murphy Column

I’m sorry the column is quite short this week, but there is not much happening within the sport at the
present time; Margaret has been assisting me to look through old BHW Year Books, Squills; SNFC
Year Books, Scotland’s Own and old articles that I have kept over the years on Scotland’s top
fanciers. I’m writing a book on the Dewar Trophy Winners and Runners Up, this trophy is awarded
to Scotland’s Pigeon of the Year and the Runner Up. This year 2023 will be the 50 th anniversary of
this trophy was first presented and believe me there are some outstanding pigeons that have won this
coveted award. They were raced by some exceptional pigeon fanciers whose names will live in the
history of our sport of Pigeon Racing in Scotland FOREVER. However, the trophy is awarded to a
wonderful pigeon who will be remembered in the annuals of our sport up here in Scotland as they
were without doubt TRUE LONG DISTACE RACING PIGEONS. The majority of the winners won
TWICE from France in one season, while other birds won 3 TIMES from France in the same season.
Truly outstanding pigeons plus there are numerous little stories from fanciers whose pigeon won the
award during this time. Plus, there are other little personal accounts of how the fancier reacted when
their pigeon came home. I have been going through old ‘Scotland’s Own’ year books that Jim
Renwick wrote. I know that Jim did cover quite a number of top fanciers over the years and he did a
wonderful job in highlighting our sport up here in Scotland. He was the one to advised me to take up
the pen away back in 1976, but he did stress if you do take on this job, then it had to be under your
own name, not an alternative name. As if fanciers wished to speak to you then they knew who they
were contacting. At that time, we used to have Jim George as ‘Round O’, John Swinburn; J Brown as
‘Cameron Glen’, Charlie Howie as ‘C S O’. Bill Knox as ‘Eastcoaster’. Jim Paterson as ‘Doon Lad’,
George Ritchie as ‘Sidlaw’; Billy Wortley as ‘W P W’ and Mary Park as ‘MP’. It is funny that NOW
after all these years; I’m the only one left of the above in Scotland to maintain an article on a weekly
basis.

Dundee Federation

Received the list of 2022 trophy winners for the above federation; The old bird averages was won by
Bruce McKenzie who also won the Combine Averages, the 3 longest old bird race average, and the
3 longest race average with old birds and young birds. Bruce also won the Billericay trophy. Mark
Young won the Leicester Trophy, the young bird averages; the young bird cup; and the Fancier of the
Year Cup. Billy McEwan won the SRPC young bird cup with Brian Donnelly winning the first bird
in the SNFC Gold Cup race.

Grampian Combine Trophy Winners

These were as follows; Danny Henderson won the Newark (1) Cup & the yearling cup; Mark
Young won the Newark (2) Cup; Kenny Droog & son won the Billericay Trophy; John Wiseman
won the Huntingdon Cup; Davie Glen won the Young Bird Cup; Bruce McKenzie won the
Grampian Combine Averages; congratulations to all the above trophy winners.

Condolences

I was sorry to see in this weeks BHW the passing of Helen Edwards of the BHW; and a dear old
friend of mine Malachy McGuire of Northern Ireland, I used to speak to Malachy quite a lot
regarding distance pigeons and he was interested in the DeWeerdt family that I had at that time. I met

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up with his son Mark in Newry on the way home after visiting Sheldon Lennard in Arklow. To both
families I send my sympathy and heartfelt condolences at their loss.

Joe’s Joke

Call to GOD

An Englishman decided to write a book about famous churches around the world. For his first
chapter he decided to write about British churches so he bought a train ticket and took a trip to
London, thinking that he would work his way up the country from South to North. On his first day he
was inside a church, taking photographs, when he noticed a golden telephone mounted on the wall
with a sign that read, "£20,000 per call!". The Englishman, being intrigued, asked a priest who was
strolling by what the telephone was used for. The priest replied that it was a direct line to heaven and
for £20,000 you could talk to God. The Englishman thanked the priest and went on his way. His next
stop was in Northampton. There, at a very large church, he saw the same golden telephone with the
same sign under it. He wondered if this was the same kind of telephone, he had seen in London so he
asked a nearby nun what its purpose was. She told him that it was a direct line to heaven and that for
£20,000 he could talk to God. "Thank you," said the Englishman. He then travelled to Coventry,
Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, Blackpool, Lancaster and Carlisle. In every church he saw the
same golden telephone with the same "£20,000 per call" sign under it. The Englishman, upon
realising how close he was to the Scottish border decided to see if the Scots had the same phone. He
crossed the border and came to a small town called Gretna, and again, there was the same golden
telephone, but this time the sign under it read, "20 pence per call". The Englishman was surprised so
he asked the priest about the sign. "Father, I have travelled all over England and I have seen this
same golden telephone in many churches. I'm told it is a direct line to heaven, but in every one the
price was £20,000 per call. Why is it so cheap here?" The priest smiled and answered, "Well laddie,
you're in Scotland now, it's a local call." KEEP SMILING!! If you are proud to be a Scot, pass it on!!
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