Joe Murphy 9th Article December 2022

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Received a photo from John Barlow who wrote; ‘Hi Joe, found this old photo and thought it might be of
interest for one of your articles. It consists of George Corr, Johnny Currans, Ian Mac Donough, Tom
Gallacher and George Campbell. This photo was taken at Chryston & District Homing Society prize
presentation. This is the only club in the West of Scotland to have 2 SNFC Gold Cup winners since 1945. I
reckon this photo was taken in the early 1980's; sadly, all the fanciers in the photo have all passed away now.
I also came across this recently; it was my uncle George's 1965 diploma signed by Robert Cormack. It was
from the Scottish Central Combine race from Dol. Best wishes and keep your column going as you are
promoting our sport up here in Scotland yours John B.
Phone Call

Received a phone call from Billy Brown of Orkney who is 84 years young and had kept pigeons during his
life time. Billy enjoyed my story on Bert Stewart and he remembers going down to visit him away back in
1959. As he wanted to purchase some young birds. He had a look at the birds and every dark one he selected
was not for sale, as they were connected to ‘Betty’s Delight’. He did have some reds, mealies and blue bars
and these were £15 each and Billy bought 6. He trained them from Stromness which was is a distance of 40
miles regardless of the weather. As they have to learn to come over it if they want to get home. He raced
them as young birds and through time had sent some of them to Hastings and 2 red cocks’ home on the 3rd
day from the 597-mile race point. Billy was a great ‘bean’ man and fed beans, beans, and more beans with
barley added to it. He also remembers speaking to a man who wished to view his pigeons, and he remarked
that the pigeons had excellent silky feather quality and this would help them when flying from distance
racing. From a Hastings race the birds were liberated at 07-45am and they were timed on the Monday.

‘Recollections from the Past’

Continuing with my I came across an article written by James Aitchison of Tranent who wrote in the 1982
issue of the BHW Stud Book which was called ‘Oh! So Near’. James was the winner of 2 nd East section 2 nd
open SNFC Rennes and he wrote; ‘Liddle did I think I would ever have the opportunity of writing an article
for the BHW Stud Book, and I would like to thank the editor for giving me the great honour of doing so.
(This was Ernie Harbourne). Jimmy starts; ‘Like most pigeon men, I could talk ‘doo’s’ for a week, but when
it comes to writing, it is a different story. It is a long time to think back but I will do my best. I was one of
the founder members of the Bellshill Club in Lanarkshire; my friend, Dick McGowan and I joined as
McGowan & Aitchison back in 1920. I was 16 years of age at the time, and I remember that Dick and I
would gather coal from the Pit Bings and sell it in order to feed and race our birds during the miners’ strike
in 1921. The year 1922 brought more members into the club and we were able to buy small cups and gold
medals for average prize, and I think at the time the medal cost £2-50. We managed to win the old bird
average that year, as we had the only bird time in on the day from Bristol. We continued to fly until 1924
when my parents decided to move to the east as we were only getting employment for 3 days a week in the
pits and no buroo money- (unemployment benefit)
In April 1925 the family moved to Newcraighall, and I started to build a loft straight away as I had been
promised youngsters from Bellshill. My friend Dick McGowan moved to Newcraighall to be with us. There
was no club in Newcraighall at that time, so we joined the Edinburgh Club as McGowan & Aitchison- that
was when we won our 1st Norman Rhead Art Vase. In 1928 we formed a club in Newcraighall and joined
the East of Scotland Federation. The club was a great success from the start, the whole village was behind us
in everything we tried, and the event of the year was the presentation night when all the young women had
to have a NEW DRESS, FOR THE Doo Dance. I was married in 1926 and took on the job as secretary of
the club, and we joined the Midlothian federation when it was formed.

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One of the birds I got from Bellshill was from W Kennedy. It was a late bred black cock, ‘Mason’s 1210’
blood, which he got from Landles Brothers in Calderbank. This bird won us prizes from Rennes and
Bournemouth. White & Dickson of Paisley had a sale in 1931, and Dick McGowan and I bought 2 hens, one
from Matt’s White ‘Lady Lane’. We mated her to the black cock and they bred 2 light cocks, who won
repeatedly for us. One of them; SHU34E1135, was known as ‘Lothian Lad’ won prizes from Dol 514 miles
in 1936 & 1937. In 1938 he was 1st club 1st federation 3rd open from Dol, from the East of Scotland
Combine. The war put an end to his channel career, but he won 1st twice from Bournemouth with the
Craigmillar Club. The war also finished the Newcraighall club, and my partners, Dick McGowan moved
back to Bellshill. My brother-in-law, Jock Sheriden then came in with me to give a hand with the birds.
In 1940, thanks to another old friend of mine, Jim Brown, we moved from Newcraighall to the Wisp
Cottages, and I joined the Craigmillar club where I raced successfully all during the war. After the war, for
family reasons, we moved back again to Newcraighall, and around 1950 I was invited to join the Millerhill
Club. These turned out to be our happiest days since I became a fancier, we had weekends at Blackpool and
days at the coast with our families. I’m sure Charlie Graham and his wife May, will agree with me.
I was president of the club and Charlie was the secretary. It was one of the strongest clubs in Midlothian and
you had to be on your toes to win, with such men in the club as, J Williams & son, William Balloch, George
Bain, Innes Brothers, and of course, Charlie Graham and his son’s Jim & Bobby, R Robertson & son, Lesley
Ross, A Kerr and Elms & Hilton- some of these men later won National Races, Bobby Graham & his wife
won 2nd Rennes.
While I was in Millerhill club I had many successes but I also had very many disappointments. My best year
was 1956 when I won the Gold Cup for the best average in the Federation for last 4 races. I also topped the
federation from Christchurch that same year, and I was 1st & 2nd in the open Wigan young birds. Dol was
my favourite channel race then, and I was quite content if I got one channel race with the East of Scotland
500-mile club. In 1956 I was 46th open, and in 1958 -10th open, and 1st federation winning the feds canteen
of Cutlery. In 1960 the same bird (SURP53N2401) was 35th open. I bought him as a young bird from Jock
Hill of Avonbridge. The Danderhall members broke away from Millerhill club and formed the present
Danderhall Club. This left 7 or 8 members so we moved our quarters and started the Newcraighall Club up
again. In 1969 I retired from the pit, and moved to Tranent as the national coal board, decided to sell of the
village of Newcraighall to Edinburgh District Council. Before I moved, I bought grandchildren of ‘Trellis’
from Jock White of Gilmerton, 2 mealies and a blue. I mated one of the mealies to a red hen which was
139th section Rennes in 1970. The produced a red cock (SU73E 4541) who flew the channel several times. I
then mated 4541 to a red hen from William Roberston of Tranent and they produced a red hen
(SU74E1128). She won 105th open, 85th section in the YB national. Her other achievements were; 1976-
85th open 70th section Avranches, 1977- 266th open 141st section Rennes; 1978- 134th open 120th section
Avranches; 1979- 293rd open 173rd section Rennes; 1980- 12th open 12th section Avranches winning a
SNFC GOLD AWARD. This year (1981) from Avranches she was 60th open 48th section, and she was also
timed in on the night from Sartilly but just out of the prize list. 1978 was my best year since coming to
Tranent, winning several trophies including the Social Club Average- we had over 50 members at the time.
In 1980; I was 11th open 11th section Avranches with a red hen (Su78E 2472) bred by W Robertson, and
27th open 23rd section Rennes with ‘Wee Lynne’. I have had a good year club racing in 1981, but the best
performance was from Rennes, winning 2nd open 2nd section with ‘Wee Lynne’, although those of us who
race the nationals with 2 or 3 birds must have ‘wee man’ on our shoulder along with good birds.
I would like to take this opportunity in thanking William Robertson, D Thomson, J Robertson and old
Jimmy Robertson for the help which they have given me in training my birds for the national- they were

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taken away every morning for a fortnight to Yetholm until 3 days before marking. (Yetholm is south of
Kelso and east of Jedburgh)
I have been exchanging birds with Manson Brothers of Hartlepool and it is them I have to thank for my
winner. They sent me a blue white flight hen in 1975 and a young mealy cock in 1977. I mated them in 1978
and ‘Wee Lynne’ was the outcome. She flew Penrith, Lancaster and Leyland as a young bird, 6 races to
Dorchester as a yearling; winning 4th open federation Worchester and as a 2-year-old Penrith, Leyland &
Stafford then into Rennes, winning 27th open 23rd section. This year she had Penrith, Leyland, and
Redditch and then Rennes, winning 2nd section 2nd open, almost 16 hours on the wing, sent sitting 10 days
on eggs with 1 ½ new flights grown.
I usually winter 14 or 15 pairs of birds and rear about 30 youngsters, although I’m lucky if I have 20 left for
racing, the loft being surrounded by wires, but I don’t think the wires take them all. I usually stop racing
what I think are my best birds at Leyland 155 miles. My feeding I get from Stewart of Larbert his No 2
mixture with a little maise added at the distance, a pick of Hormoform in the morning and a pick of Redband
at night.
For the novice, it is hard to tell them what to do, they seem to have too much money to spend on ‘Doo’s’ and
they race far too many. I have to shake my head at ‘Marking Nights’ when I see young fancier with panniers
full of birds.
As regards Eye sign, there might be something in it, but why do the eye sign men keep so many birds? My
birds don’t have their liberty as I’m plagued with cats. If there are 20 youngsters left by the time racing
starts, they are split into 2 lots and raced alternative weeks. I have been in the game a long time and have
seen many changes- and not all for the better.
I miss my trips to Waverley Station for National and Federation race marking. There you could meet old
friends and chat about the ‘Good Old Day’s’. I remember at one open Bournemouth race, and old friend of
mine, ‘Wee Dobbie Moffat’, won of the ‘Old Great’s’ who is still showing them how to race pigeons, asked
me, “How many birds are you sending Jimmy” I told him 3 and he replied; “You’re a Mob Flier”.
I have made many great friends through the ‘Birds’ and look back with many happy memories, and although
I am now 76 years of age, I hope to carry on for a year or two yet and win the national. There is one man
who, had been spared today would have been pleased, my wife’s father, Old Dennis McKay. When he was
the age, I am now, he would help me carry my basket to Millerhill station 3 miles away, and if was
threatening to rain. We would take our raincoats. If the rain came on, I would put mine over the basket and
he would say ‘Your Daft’. Well, they say All Doo Men Are Daft. I will close now hoping the readers find
something to interest them in my article.
I hope readers of my column have enjoyed the above, it is quite funny that some of the NAMES
mentioned above are still reported on in my weekly race results within my column, which Andy Miller
sends regarding The Pentlandhills federation results. Obviously, some of the present-day fanciers may be
descendants of the above and if so; I hope they have had some pleasure from this week’s column Joe
Murphy.

Joe’ Joke

Hot and Cold Sex;
After his exam the doctor asked the elderly man; ‘You appear to be in good health, Do you have any medical
concerns you would like to ask me about? ‘In fact, I do,’ said the old man. ‘After I have sex with my wife. I
am usually cold and chilly, and then, after I have sex with her the second time, I am usually hot and sweaty.’

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Later, after examining the man’s elderly wife, the doctor said, ‘Everything appears to be fine. Do you have
any medical concerns that you would like to discuss with me?’ She replied that she had no questions or
concerns. The doctor then said to her. ‘Your husband had an unusual concern. He claims that he is usually
cock and chilly after having sex with you the first time, and then hot and sweaty after the second time. Do
you know why?’ ‘Oh, that crazy of bugger’ she replied. ‘That’s because the first time is usually in January
and the second time is in August’.
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
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