Happy 90th Birthday Uncle George

[Pompey Mick]

Happy  90th Birthday Uncle George

 

 

On 7th January  2010 Leslie ‘George’ Johnson will celebrate his 90th Birthday, and most of those birthdays have seen an involvement  in Racing Pigeons.

Born on 7-01-20 in Buckland, a working-class area of Portsmouth, George first got involved with the birds at the age of 14 when he used to run the rubber for his Dad.

George worked on the buildings in his early working life and then moved into the plastics industry until his retirement. Although always involved in pigeons through family connections it wasn’t until he moved into a new Council house in the vast Post-war housing estate that is Leigh Park nr Havant, just 5 mls NE of Portsmouth.

Leigh Park offered gardens and open space something which was  lacking in the tightly packed streets of Portsmouth and was (and still is) an ideal location for Pigeon Racing. Leigh Park was still in its infancy when he moved there and was very rural in the early days.

A loft was soon erected and membership of the Leigh Park Invitation Club was sought  in 1950 so that he could begin racing his pigeons and follow the family tradition in the sport.  Apart from his Dad, brothers Roy, (My Dad),  Jim, Cowan, and Brother-in-Law Jack Inch all had the pigeon bug. Cowan had raced in the ‘Delhi Arms’ a local pub, Roy in the Milton Arms and Jim & Jack in the Portsmouth Columbarian.

His original birds were mainly Kirkpatrick to which he has added Busschaerts with newer introductions from local flyers   Colin Angel and Kevin Bakes. The Race Team consists of a maximum 16pr Old Birds on Natural and a maximum of 20 Young Birds.

All the loft work is done by George with Son (& partner) Graham helping out with the training and getting the corn.

George flies South Road with the Solent Fed and North Road with the Southampton & Dist. NR Fed. And tries to compete in both Feds which can be hard sometimes with his relatively small team. The Club he now races with is the Leigh Park W.M.C. and has done so for the last 20yrs taking his birds to the Club on his trusty buggy.

He is also the President of the Milton Homing Society.

George has enjoyed his racing over the years and has had his fair share of success, 2009 being one of his better ones, He took1st,2nd & 4th from Bergerac the longest South Road race and promptly followed that performance the following week by winning the shortest North Road race from Marlborough. He then went on to perform a notable double that year by winning both the Solent Fed on the South and the Southampton Fed on the North from an entry of only 4 young birds on each occasion.

Fanciers like George Johnson should stand as an inspiration to us all, 60yrs a fancier and still enjoys his racing with a good measure of success sprinkled in.

 

Pompey Mick

 

 

 

 

[Pompey Mick]

Here is George with his 2009 Solent Fed YB winner

[pigeonpete]

A very Happy Birthday George, Hope you have many more  :-)

[Guest lenwadebob]

Have a great Birthday George, hope you are still racing when you get the Telegram from Her Majesty. Can't be many older, active pigeon men in the country. The hobby needs youngsters like you  

[Jeams]

Happy birthday George

ç¦å¦‚东海，寿比å—å±±(Chinese couplet)

ç¦=happiness

寿=longevity

Wish you happy everyday and enjoy a long lifespan.

[Guest]

happy birthday "uncle George"  , dont overdo the cake .                andy.

[Taylorsloft]

happy birthday  

[greenlands]

Good post Mick,Happy birthday George and the best of health to you at that grand old age.

Lindsay

[Pompey Mick]

Has anyone got the BHW this week,(I haven't got mine yet)  and if so did they print the article & photos I submitted about George.

[mark croker]

yea,  its in it mate, page 14

[Guest karl adams]

happy birthday  

[DOVEScot]

Happy belated birthday