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Blackpool weekend is the highlight for the showing fraternity.......and a great meeting point for many fanciers.

Here's an article from Billy to set the scene.

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Dickie Graham
As I pen this article we look forward to the Blackpool Show and trust that there is a good Scottish representation amongst the winners.   In the days before ‘Blackpool’ the show that everyone wanted to win was The People Show in London and over a good number of years Scottish pigeons were very much to the fore, due primarily to the ability of two exceptional fanciers.    
The first of these was John Thornton who was arguably the most able show competitor ever in the U.K.   On two occasions he won Best in Show at the People Show two years running with the same pigeon and on the second occasion he came ever so close to winning it for a third time.   His first champion was ‘Bluebell’, which was a truly exceptional pigeon.   The second champion was named ‘Peter Pan’ and having won Best in Show two years running the cock was entered in the Show for a third time.   The judge in his class on the day was Tom Millar, who was a close friend of John Thornton and obviously knew the pigeon.   On the death of John Thornton, Tom Millar wrote that he experienced real anguish on the day pf the show.   As he walked around the pens to have a preliminary look at the pigeons before he handled them, he realised that ‘Peter Pan’ was in the class.  Whilst he so admired the pigeon, he was conscious of what might be said, were it to win and when he judged his Class he chose to place the pigeon second to a younger cock.    Following selection of the All Winners Prizes the Specials Judge said that if the old cock had advanced to the prize winners table he would most probably have once more gained Best in Show.    The Scottish National Flying Club was formally established in 1899 with the Jubilee Dinner being held in The Codora Restaurant, Glasgow on 28th January 1950 and amongst the guests present was Harry Ainsworth, Editor of ‘The People’.   During the Evening trophies were presented to the winning fanciers with the famous Gold Cup being presented to George Mitchell from Gartcosh.   Also on display was the Gordon Richards Trophy, which was presented to the winner of B.I.S. at The People Show.   This trophy had been won three years in succession by John Thornton from Johnstone and in recognition, the proprietors of The People presented him with a beautiful time piece and a sum of money, the actual presentation being made by Harry Ainsworth.    
The second successful Scottish fancier was George Greenshields from Salsburgh.   When I was a boy I remember him coming to Annan to judge a Show that was held in the local Drill Hall and he brought several pigeons with him that were put on exhibition.   They were truly magnificent!!!    
I was fortunate to share a friendship with Jim Kilgour from Salsburgh and when I once asked him about George Greenshields he said “George Greenshields was the owner of the local bus service.   He was a top class football player and played professional with Motherwell Football Club and Albion Rovers.   He was also owner of a top class kennel of greyhounds with such open track winners as ‘Chesterfield Gertie’, ‘La Kazarre’, ‘Brilliant Pebble’ and ‘Misty Lan 11’.   The latter two dogs were winners of the Scottish Consolation Derby.   As can be seen from the foregoing, George was born to be a winner.   His world wide acclaim, however came from his beloved Show Homers, founded at the start by birds that he introduced bred from  ‘Policeman’, Forlorn Hope’ and ‘The Weinberg Hen’ these being Osman’s bred by Colonel Osman, with Putman added.   He later visited Fred Shaw at Manchester and thus he added the Gurnay’s for their lovely heads, black coloration and strongly coloured eyes.   Characteristics for which the Greenshield’s pigeons were famed were medium size, shallow keels, short legs and an abundance of rich, silky feather.   All these characteristics were welded into a line-bred family of pigeons which reigned supreme at all the major shows, such as The
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People, Altrincham, Leeds Amalgamation, Old Comrades, Larkhall Pioneer and Blackburn with such outstanding birds as ‘Scotland for Ever’, ‘Saddleback’ and ‘The Budgie Cock’, so named because of its budgie markings on the shoulders and wings, along with the black coloration, which became a feature of many of this family.  ‘Elizabeth’ and ‘Perfection’ were the Sire and Dam of Annie Bowes ’People’ Show winner ‘Princess Alexandra’.                                                                                                              George was at his peak when, in the early 1950’s, disaster struck – a fire which was assumed to be dead was fanned during the night by a strong east wind and burst into flames, the strong wind blowing the flames against the end of the loft, which was newly creosoted.   Only the courage of a girl, Jean Fairlie, who worked in his bus garage, saved the birds from total extinction.   She crawled through the flames and smoke to burst open a window and about 20 birds escaped.   The remainder, about 80 birds, baskets and lofts were reduced to ashes.   These 20 birds were eventually coaxed into an 8’ x 6’ loft erected for the purpose.   It says much for George Greenshields that after this disaster there was no lull in his winnings; he carried on as before churning out winners”.                       On concluding his letter to me Jim said that he could not be precise as to when George Greenshields died but he believed it was in 1962 at the age of 65 years.  
In those days Show organisers named the judges in the adverts for the Shows and further advised which Classes the officials were judging.   I was told often that if the really good show fanciers gained a ticket under a particular judge they then knew exactly what he was looking for and was thereafter able to put one down to win under him in a future show.    
Several fanciers from the Solway area participated successfully in larger Shows including Jim Scott from Dumfries and Ted Henderson from Annan who both gained BIS in large Open Shows.   Over the Border also we had for example Heb and Alf Walton from Dalston, Harold Dalzell from Keswick who was without question a Master Showman and in more recent years Alan Spedding from Egremont.    
A further fancier from our area who was an absolute Ace at showing out and out racers was Dickie Graham from Ecclefechan.    He won at all the major shows including Larkhall Pioneer Show, South of Scotland Championship Show, N.E.H.U. Show at Peterlee, Ayr Dam Park Show, Edinburgh Charity Show etc.   When I say won at the major Shows I mean gaining Best in Show, Best Opposite Sex, Most Points etc.   I recollect also that in 1987 he gained 6 x 1st at Blackpool including 500 Mls.Hens, 450 Mls. Cocks and Hens and the Breeders Class.   He owned a number of superb individual pigeons including ‘Castle Queen’, which was BIS Larkhall 1981, BOS Peterlee 1981, BIS at the South of Scotland Show in 1982, BIS Peterlee 1983.   This fabulous pigeon scored thirteen times on the road in Inland competition and scored twice in the Federation Open Race from the channel.   In his youth Dickie was an Ace cyclist, he raced on the grass track and was six times second in the Scottish Championship and was third in the quarter mile National Grass Track Championship.    No motor cars in those days, he cycled to the event with the racing wheels strapped to the bike, on occasion travelling more than 100 miles, changed the wheels when he arrived at the venue, competed on the track and then cycled back to Ecclefechan.   When his cycling days were over he took an interest in pigeons and quickly learned from such fanciers as James Dalgliesh, George Hind and Lew Horsburgh.    In 1970 he was asked to officiate at a Show at Kelso, being accompanied by James Dalgliesh and Ewart Warwick.   Dickie judged three Classes at the Show with John Carmichael gaining 2 x 1st and 1 x 2nd.   Dickie was much impressed and on investigating learned that the three birds had scored prominently on the road.   He was anxious to meet John Carmichael and was actually introduced by Jack Wylie from Newcastleton.   The following week he visited Mr. and Mrs. Carmichael’s home at
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Lauder with James and Ewart and on the morning of their visit, John’s stock loft was broken into but nonetheless, the three fanciers from the South of Scotland were made very welcome.    Dickie formed a friendship with John Carmichael and ordered youngsters for the following season.   The friendship was such that in 1971 John brought his National candidates to Hawick each afternoon, to where Dickie was working who brought them on to Ecclefechan and tossed them.   Eventually in 1972 John and Mrs. Carmichael moved home to Ecclefechan.   Residing at Ecclefechan, John Carmichael gained a number of National successes including 1st Section from the Inland National from Dorchester, 1st Section from the Y.B. National and 1st Section from the Blue Riband event from Rennes.   Whilst residing at Ecclefechan John Carmichael was elected Scotland’s Fancier of the Year.  
It should be understood that John Carmichael’s original family of pigeons was based on Logan x Bricioux lines.   He, for example, owned a particular Red Logan Cock that was named ‘The Bourges Cock’, which had a number of wins inland.   He flew 630 miles on four occasions and once flew 600 miles.   He was 3rd Club, 9th Fed. Bourges 1963, 1st Club, 9th Fed. Bourges 1965 and 3rd Club, 9th Fed. Bourges 1966.   He had a further Red cock, which was twenty five times in the first three in the Club, he raced to 630 miles South and 350 miles North.   On one occasion the pigeon flew the channel and was in such good order when he returned he was immediately turned round and was 2nd Section 8th Open Lerwick C.C.   John then formed a friendship with John Petrie from Carstairs and introduced twelve latebreds from him.   Now it should be understood that John Petrie had a superb team of Kirkpatrick pigeons and I know of several fanciers from Lanarkshire and the East of Scotland who obtained stock from that source.   Away back in 1990, when I penned a profile report for the BHW on Billy and Jackie Gardiner, I was allowed access to their records, amongst which was correspondence from John Petrie and I subsequently learned that the Gardiner brothers obtained examples of the Kirkpatrick family from that source.   In the meantime, through friend John Petrie, John Carmichael was introduced to John McGillivray from Forth, who won the Nantes National in 1956 with ‘Dream Girl’, which recorded a velocity of 690ypm and two years later he won the event for a second time with ‘Glory Girl’, with a velocity of 1478ypm.   Whilst John McGillivray had Kirkpatrick bloodlines from John Petrie the most influential Kirkpatrick in his shed was Red cock ‘1276’, which was bred direct from ‘Galabank Duke’.   In the hands of John McGillivray ‘1276’ left a host of winners including ‘Dream Girl’ and the noted ‘Twins’.   In 1964 John Carmichael obtained two outstanding pigeons from John McGillivray, the first being a Grizzle hen that was bred from ‘Glory Girl’ and the second a Blue Pied hen that was bred from ‘1276’.      
Dickie Graham initially raced the Carmichael lines with great success.  I recollect being shown a photograph of Dickie at a Club Social at which he was presented with ten trophies including O.B. Average, Rennes Cup, Nantes Cup and Best Average from the two Open Federation races.   Over the years he additionally enjoyed going to and participating in local Shows, enjoying consistent success.   The quality of his pigeons was such, however, that he was encouraged to participate further afield and on the wider stage enjoyed spectacular success.   It should not be doubted, however, he was a very, very able fancier.   John Wheatcroft told me that when Dickie was participating in the National Shows, he always endeavoured to room with him, just to watch him prepare his entry for the pen.   He told me “there was none better in the entire country”.   John Carmichael told me that on one occasion, when he was in Dickie’s loft he took a fancy to a pigeon with a ‘keeker’ of an eye.  Dickie apparently said to him “do you want one like that” to which John Carmichael said “have you got another”.   Dickie replied “no, but I’ll breed you one” and several months later he was gifted a youngster, which matured into having the exact same eye.   John said to me “he is so good he can
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breed you any eye you want”.    Dickie shared a close friendship with James Dalgliesh and indeed he and James and their good ladies went out socially each Saturday night.   James was invited to judge at the Ayr Dam Park Show and asked me to accompany him to mark for him.   Dickie was affectionately known by his friends as ‘Badger’ and as James and I travelled to Ayr he said “I’ll have to watch what I‘m doing today because ‘Badger’ will be showing and can you imagine what people will say if he wins under me”.   James had two Classes to judge with over a hundred birds in each Class.   Dickie’s pigeons were fabulous looking Reds, Red Pieds and Mealies and as James went through his Classes he passed by three such coloured pigeons that he believed were entered by his friend.   Eventually, in the primary Class he gave first to a Blue Chequer hen.   We went for our tea with the other judges and lo and behold when we arrived back in the Hall we learned that the Chequer hen belonged to Dickie and had gone on to gain Best Opposite Sex in the Show.   We then learned that the three pigeons that James had passed by did indeed belong to Dickie and had been entered to distract James.   Dickie obviously knew what James was looking for and put one in the Class to beat him.   Dickie was also a highly skilled angler and spent hours upon hours fishing on the River Annan at Hoddom.   Following his death his family erected a memorial seat beside the river close to his favourite fishing beat.
I include with this article five photographs: (a) John Thornton with the Gordon Richards Trophy, (b) a group photo that was taken at the 1956 S.N.F.C. Presentation which shows John McGillivray from Forth with the famous Gold Globe, also included are Bill McIntyre from Kilbarchan,  John, George and Andrew Smillie from Fauldhouse and importantly on the right George Greenshields from Salsburgh,  (c) John Carmichael, (d) John McGillivray’s great Kirkpatrick stock cock ‘1276’ and (e) Dickie Graham in familiar pose with trophies won.