Plebs and Tin pot clubs

[Guest]

Roland, so true...........the best back garden fancier I have ever met and he won the WGNFC from Lerwick is as unknown today as he was whenhe won it back in '81 I think it was. This fancier's parents were deaf and dumb, farmers I believe and also pigeon fanciers , Bobby Thomas the fancier concerned had a great advantage that most of us don't have his parents had to compensate for thier sensory loss and I would assume they did this by heightening their use of other senses, seeing/noticing being aware of things we would not pick up also touch, their feel would I think be far more enhanced than ours, their genaral awareness observation would have needed to be far more accute. (Of course it must have been terrible to lose two key areas of speech and hearing).

Boobby (G R Thomas for those of you looking up the result) was born and bred in Tredegar and then moved over to Merthyr when he moved to Merthyr he continued happily to be top prizewinner year after year to his 24'x6' loft (about that size give or take a few foot), he would win at all distances and he was not the most liked ...why? simply because he was a winner, he was not brash but he would ahppily point out that he was good and when the next young lion came along to depose him, he'd just smile and say we'll see!!

Bobby's strength was his ability to go to any loft and pick birds at an early age and they would turn out to win for him and very often breed as well, another great strength was that he rarely paid for a bird!!

I remember in the 70's one of the minrers had a pay off from work and he bought a brand new loft (petron I think!?) and some Busschaerts from Paul Smith, Golden Wonder etc, for a year or two this fancier became top flyer with Bobby second but it was only for a year or two. It probably did Bobby good cause he had to raise his game and I think the other fancier became a bit too full of himself, in that he thought it was easy now, he had the blood so he could sell the originals and get some money back. However of course he didn't count on the fact that there is some stockmanship required in pairing birds to win, which as the year's went on became harder and harder for him, he bought in new birds to no avail.

But Bobby was and still is I believe a fancier who would win from the first to the last flying a small team and to win 1st WGNFC Lerwick for me is the tops, the toughest 600 mile route thereis except perhaps 600 in to Ireland (though I don't think the Irish have had a 600 mile National for quite a few years, have they?).

Whilst talking about gentlemen and great flyers, I would like to mention two more.

Taffy Bowen, it was my privelge to call in to Taffy's once every couple of months when my work took me down his way, he is without doubt one of the greatest men I have ever met in my life, the wisdom of Solomon, humility, greatness and tolerance.

I visited his nephew in Tonypandy Eric Davies a Sergeant in the Police force when he won the YB national in to Wales Penicuick I think it was or maybe Carlisle can't remember which now, but I was saying how I would love to meet Taffy, he arranged for me to visit if I remember correctly. I was fortunate Taffy took to me, always remember him saying, 'I like youngsters who ask 'why' it's the only way i learnt in my life', at the time I thought there's a cheek cause I was in my mid/late twenties!!!

I spent some great times there, handling many top birds and not really appreciating it and having many debates about the eye not realising I was talking through my a**se to a man who had many secrets of selection. Sadly I retain little of our conversations but I retain in my mind's eye his fantastic prescence and the respect I like many have for him.

This is not perhaps the right thread for this I know but I started it and I think its run its course annd everyone has had their say, so on I go.

Back in 1999 I moved from Huddersfield to Barnsley I had started up again in 1998 I think it was, but was still playing Hudddersfield league cricket so my poor wife was timing in for me and then coming to make teas!!

I moved to Darton, the local club ceased at the end of year one and most of us joined Mapplewell. I have some great memories of the characters in this club, lovely guys even the hard men and there were a few like Darren and Fred Duffy. I always remember being introduced to Darren at my first race marking on a Friday night and then at knock off the next night seeing him with two black eyes!!! Not an uirregular occurence, not someone I would want to cross either but a lovely lad I found and was pleased to call him a friend. Then there was Peter Metcalfe, the Sec of the club I hold him in great affection, a wicked sense of humour and lovely man.

But let's get back to the story, first meeting for me to attend was to be held in Mapplewll workies, I was the first in and then behind me came a big man I'm 6'2" but he seemed to be much bigger than me. I asked him was this where the meeting was, yes he said, introduced myself and he introduced himself as Frank, we had a chat and he seemed a nice chap. Over the few years I was in Barnsley, I learnt that Frank was a man of great humility, I never once heard him boast and I never once heard him say a bad word about anyone, and other members of the club would go to him for advise which he freely gave and many were flying his birds which he happily gave to them and occasionally they beat him with. I was sad last year to see his partner Philip had died, I did not have so much contact with Philip as he had been unwell but he was of the same ilk as Frank; and who were these two gents? Pearson & Dransfield one of the greatest partnerships ever, a loft I believe that has topped the Barnsley Fed every decade since 1950's. And your a proud man if you can say you topped Barnsley fed. It was a privilege to know in particular Frank (and Peter Metcalf).

[Guest Vic]

WOW!

          The last few excellent posts between Albear and Roland  the star (Sorry about my typing MATE) have left me somewhat gobsmacked. Absolutely BRILLIANT! Bar everyone else! and write a best seller between you. Once again! Thanks. Vic Hansen.    

[BIGK]

Best seller!! war and peace didnt take that long to read!!

like it though!!

there are many great fanciers in our sport just as there are great football teams all managing there teams in an alternative way but with great results, keep it up everyone its better to chase than to be the chased!!

happy christmas!!

[Roland]

nd of course it's not what you do, but allowed to get away with... laws for one, and not another has been common place since year of dot I guess. But the lickers band together and make it alright, and even excused.

Remember the T.V Documentry, and that further on to this article

 

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2003/20030426/spr-trib.htm#1

 

Carl Lewis tested posative before, when winning the World Games, and WHEN Ben Johnson was disqualifed. ... Seems nothing changes.