Joe Murphy Article March 2025

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The Joe Murphy Column

 

I came across a photograph of one of Scotland’s outstanding pigeons away back in 1967; at this time one of the most consistent Channel fanciers was Jock Ellis of Wellbank in Dundee. Although a fancier of comparatively short standing Jock has notched up better 500 miles and over performances in his meteoric career than most fanciers gain in a lifetime. Naturally enough when Jock started to purchasing his foundation stock, he turned to that other Tayside leading-light, Robert Strachan of Invergowrie, last year’s ‘Fancier of the Year’. The Stachan birds, blended with Ed Fell’s Gaffers, some good birds from Frank Hall of Forfar, and a selection from the late great Harry Duncan of Dundee, have been fashioned into one of the most powerful racing teams in the country today. Jock’s main edict is ‘Hard Work’. All young birds go through the programme, some of them go twice to the longest points. Some of the yearling go down to the coast, with 2-year-olds and older going over the water, some of them twice in the same season. Jock never lets them rest on their laurels. This is the system which has produced so many long-distance triumphs, but is a system which brings its share of disappointment as well. Jock has lost many birds, the like of which the average fancier is never privileged to own, like the famed red chequer hen timed in practically in darkness on the day; later lost at Nantes.  The legendary ‘Wellbank Pride’ winner of 1^st east section 8^th open from Rennes in 1965. (Posted missing from Avranches this year 1967)

However, Jock seems to have the elusive knack of producing another good one when the occasion arises. This season he again worked the oracle from Rennes only three positions behind his great friend Robert Strachan. Then from Nantes he produced a real cracker to take 11^th open in a hard race with his good red chequer cock who had already proved himself from the Paris smash in 1963. Jock’s success is not confined solely to National racing as he wins more than his share all along the line. This season Jock suffered with the rest of us at the Worcester smash while he had been going strongly, but he recovered to collect several trophies in his local club. Jock’s training methods are extremely rigorous and National candidates get numerous morning tosses at the 60 miles mark. Most of the birds are big and deep so they need plenty of muscle on them to keep going at the distance. Jock is a bean feeder and also believes in mating his birds according to eye-sign. Last season Jock suffered a bit of a setback when his birds picked up some fertiliser in the surrounding fields and several good squeakers were lost in the nest as a result. This season Jock increased his already substantial premises at Wellbank with the addition of a fine young bird loft. The main loft was also shifted a considerable distance without dismantling. Quite a feat of manipulation as it’s quite a substantial shed. The youngsters as usual have put up some sterling performances finishing with a bang at the Federations longest young bird race with 5 leading positions. So, it looks as if there’s another batch of potential champions up at Wellbank. As well as being a top-notcher in the pigeon world Jock is also a leader of a successful Scottish Country Dance band which has broadcast on numerous occasions and set the feet tapping at the Federation Annual Dance.

Sharp Brothers of Arbroath:

Away back in the 1930’s a young Norrie Sharp and his brother Bob started racing pigeons with stock imported from the legendary Albert Buick. Since then, the name of Sharp Brothers has never been far from the forefront in long distance racing. Norrie is now the one who races the birds and he was one of the pioneers of channel racing in this neck of the woods. The first of the great Sharp Brothers birds was the old red cock which won 40^th open and 160^th open Rennes.  The time he was 40^th open he flew the 586 miles in 16 ½ hours, being timed in at 10-50pm in darkness by the aid of lamps from the nearby signal-box. At the time this was reckoned a near record performance. His daughter was the mealy hen which scored from Nantes 89^th open and her son was the almost legendary Rennes cock which flew Rennes on the day four times and took the following positions. 11^th open Rennes and 15^th open Rennes. For his 15^th open place, he won the then record sum of £566 and altogether he lifted over £700. (a fortune in those days Joe M) His fastest performance when he was clocked around 7pm he wasn’t in the hunt. Such is the irony of pigeon racing. Then came the game little hen ‘Baldy’ which won 131^st open from Rennes and the pied hen 4779 which scored in the 700-mile club race from Rochefort, taking 39^th open Position.  Recent successes include 1^st Dol and 55^th open in the Continental Club’s Beauvais race in 1965. Long serving president of the Arbroath club, Norrie took over the helm when the club was in a bad way and along with the go-ahead secretary, Andy Shepherd, he has made the club one of the best-equipped and successful clubs in the country. Young bird racing has always been Norrie’s bugbear and many a promising youngster has been lost over the years. But this several new crosses from Ireland have been introduced and the young birds have turned in some cracking performances and lifted the young bird average in Arbroath club. This augurs well for the future of this famous loft, and Nor will no doubt to hearing that there’s another ‘Rennes Cock’ in the young bird loft that will gain the coveted 1^st National that has been his ambition.  

Duncan McInroy of Miramar- Dundee.

One of the great fanciers of the past was Duncan McInroy of Dundee, who holds the distinction of being the first Taysider to in a National Race. Duncan’s triumph occurred in the 1926 Derby from Rennes, 581 miles, with 1408 birds contesting the issue. Duncan’s game blue chequer pied hen, ‘Lady Betty’ returned the great velocity of 1017 to take top honours and beat the second bird by 135 yards per minute.

In those days the Dundee Club was composed of well-to-do business men who flew their birds for the fun of it and Duncan was president of the club for many years. Another sporting field in which he was successful was angling and he won many trophies.  Duncan’s memory has been perpetuated in the McInroy Trophy which is awarded, most appropriately to the first Tayside bird timed from Rennes each year, a truly worthy memorial to a great fancier.

 

Blast from the Past

Received an email from Andy Anderson who wrote; ‘Hi Joe, it was really lovely to see your articles again in BHW. I’m not keen on the broad sheet issue but that’s for another day.

We’ve met a few times over many years but one particular time I was with a friend Alex Hamlyn from Roslin who lost some youngsters and you reported them to him. Anyway, thought if you were looking for article material you might be interested in our club closing down after more than a hundred years. With only having three members it was a very sad decision to make. There were more than forty members at one time the likes of P and J Thompson; W Cherry; G Hodge; C Jones; Kerr and Davidson to name a just a few. I enclose a photo of just some of the beautiful trophies such as the ‘Challenge Cup’ which was first won by Eyers Bros in 1924 and the ‘Rose Bowl’ first won by Campbell and Johnstone in 1925. And more recently a beautiful trophy presented by the family of the late Wullie Cherry a top fancier and expert clock setter. These last three years we have flown with Easthouses club and been made very welcome. I hope this is of some interest to you Joe and may I wish you and Margaret the very best of good health and keep up the good work. Kindest regards Andy Anderson.

 

Obituary

I was very sorry to hear about the passing of Willie Strang of Falkirk from his brother Jock.

Willie would have been 82 in July and he and Jock have been very close all these years. He never married and lived with his sister Agnes in California in Falkirk and worked in the coal mines. Once the Pit’s closed he helped Jock out by driving his orders (shed’s & pigeon lofts) all over Scotland. On one trip to Ayrshire, he was stopped by the police and asked where he was going and he said ‘Moscow’. The police then asked him where he had come from and he said ‘California’ they thought he was trying to make a fool of them; and they were going to arrest him. He was Jock’s ‘right hand’ and would train the pigeons and take them to the club and go with the clock. One year they had topped the federation 5 weeks on the trot. Needless to say, some people thought they were cheating. So, the next week they went to the federation president and swapped Toulet clocks with him prior to the race. At the club they took off the clock and noticed there was a crack in the outer glass. Once the clocks were read and they had won again. Someone contacted the federation president to complain about the partnership; as they were using a clock with cracked glass. So, this is how they are winning!!!! When he told them the Strang’s had used HIS CLOCK THIS WEEK, and he had theirs. Needless to say, nothing more was said about the clock. As Jock and Willie often said, ‘Good birds, well trained and sent to the race to try and win. Margaret and I have met up with Betty and Jock over the years and they informed us that they were married on the same date as us 21^st October but they were married the year before us in 1966.

To Jock, and ALL his family we are so sorry at the passing of Willie; he will be sorely missed by all who knew him. I will always remember his helpfulness and the laughs we had at his stories. He may no longer be with us but he will always be part of our lives. R.I.P Willie.

I was also sorry to see in this week’s BHW the news that fellow scribe Gareth Watkins had passed away. I always enjoyed Gareth’s articles, plus we have met up a few times over the years. He was a very good pigeon man and a true gentleman; to his family and friends we send out heartfelt condolences at the passing of such a wonderful man. RIP my old friend.  

 

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 log onto www.elimarpigeons.com - cogeco.ca -forum@pigeonbasics.com who wish my weekly contribution portfolio on pigeon topics from Scotland

© Compiled by Joe Murphy