Great Snfc Perfomances Into Ayrshire

[Rooster J. Cogburn]

http://www.homingpigeons.co.uk/pigeonyears13.htm

 

This may be of interest to some members.

[andy Burgess]

http://www.homingpigeons.co.uk/pigeonyears13.htm

 

This may be of interest to some members.

was a very good read Lewis , enjoyed that .

[Rooster J. Cogburn]

was a very good read Lewis , enjoyed that .

 

I liked the photos as well.

 

I have a copy of a photo for almost every Kings Cup winner of the last 40 years.In only one or two of them does the pigeon's tail touch the floor.When you look at these birds winning in the 20s,30s,40s almost every bird's tail touches the floor in the photo.Change in the way birds are photgraphed now?or change in the type of birds around and winning today?

 

Also interesting to read that the 1927 Rennes winner was a cock raced on Widowhood

[alec guinness]

http://www.homingpigeons.co.uk/pigeonyears13.htm

 

This may be of interest to some members.

 

some great names lewis from ayrshire,i remember alex lockhart(local gamekeeper and the source of our base pigeons) at nantes 77 won by ralph whyte with "jubilee victor" bursting into our kitchen at the smallholding after timing in his good mealy cock SU73SN 14401 at teatime shouting that he had probably won the national!!!!!!!!! my dad had to drive alex in his old van to Airdrie as he was in shock only to arrive with most of the chaps in the west section there with their clocks.!!!! :lol: ps we got the mealy cock after alexs death and timed him from Avaranches!memories.

[andy Burgess]

I liked the photos as well.

 

I have a copy of a photo for almost every Kings Cup winner of the last 40 years.In only one or two of them does the pigeon's tail touch the floor.When you look at these birds winning in the 20s,30s,40s almost every bird's tail touches the floor in the photo.Change in the way birds are photgraphed now?or change in the type of birds around and winning today?

 

Also interesting to read that the 1927 Rennes winner was a cock raced on Widowhood

yes i will be honest i noticed that too , many times over the years reading old articles .not just the tail Lewis but head and neck shape and stance has changed a lot in my opinion .its a very early mention of widowhood , have read old books from the 1930,s on widowhood before ,and even then it did mention some had flown the system for nearly 30 years. i dug out an old "pictorial" article for a site member ,and read through it before gifting it to him ,was a very good article on the " yb darkness system" ....... the copy was dated 1974 i think ??

[Ian McKay]

A brilliant read well done Lewis :emoticon-0137-clapping: :emoticon-0137-clapping: :emoticon-0137-clapping:

[geordie1234]

Great read

[MIK]

very good

[JADE]

Very interesting reading. Good to see the reports of the 1000 mile club race from Palamos when Bert Stewart won. There was great interest in racing from Palamos up to the Dundee and Angus area at that time. Clockie will know a bit more of the history. He even timed from Palamos.

[Delboy]

Lewis, note the Montgomery Bros won Rennes in 1953, well my poor old grandfather ( WULL McCRAE ) missed his opportunity to win the race that year.There were a few pigeon men playing football at the front of the loft that night when my grandfathers fancied pencil blue hen came like a train over the field and onto the loft, it was 9pm.All the fanciers at the loft were very excited as my grandfather ran over and put his hen in with his trapping cane.He entered the loft and couldnt find her????All 5 pigeonmen were in the loft searching for her but to no avail.The air was blue as they searched till it was pitch black and nobody could believe what was happening.Darkness came, along with heavy rain and although everyone was leaving, my grandfather sat in his loft all night with his torch, totally disillusioned and bewildered.It poured from the heavens all night and around 5.55am my grandfather thought he saw something move , out of the corner of his eye.He looked up at a small corner that ran directly off the trap inside the loft.Then he saw it again, a tail flashed out then back in.He put his hand up behind this small neuk and with his heart pumping out his chest felt about.He got hold of his pencil blue hen, with emotions high, he didnt know whether to laugh or cry and I think he did both.He timed the hen and I think she was 21st Open or there about.That pigeon had never went into that tiny corner in its life before and yet decided to do it when returning from the biggest and most prestigious race in Scotland.The following year the same pencil blue hen did the exact same thing, it came at 9.15pm and went behind the trap corner.If this was me , I wouldve probably chucked the pigeon game but my grandfather soldiered on and said it was not meant to be.He was a legend in my eyes and went on to score many times from SNFC nationals.He even returned his clock after timing from the Gold cup race, 550 miles, 40 years in a row.He was a household name in the Glasgow fed.

[Guest Gareth Rankin]

Lewis, note the Montgomery Bros won Rennes in 1953, well my poor old grandfather ( WULL McCRAE ) missed his opportunity to win the race that year.There were a few pigeon men playing football at the front of the loft that night when my grandfathers fancied pencil blue hen came like a train over the field and onto the loft, it was 9pm.All the fanciers at the loft were very excited as my grandfather ran over and put his hen in with his trapping cane.He entered the loft and couldnt find her????All 5 pigeonmen were in the loft searching for her but to no avail.The air was blue as they searched till it was pitch black and nobody could believe what was happening.Darkness came, along with heavy rain and although everyone was leaving, my grandfather sat in his loft all night with his torch, totally disillusioned and bewildered.It poured from the heavens all night and around 5.55am my grandfather thought he saw something move , out of the corner of his eye.He looked up at a small corner that ran directly off the trap inside the loft.Then he saw it again, a tail flashed out then back in.He put his hand up behind this small neuk and with his heart pumping out his chest felt about.He got hold of his pencil blue hen, with emotions high, he didnt know whether to laugh or cry and I think he did both.He timed the hen and I think she was 21st Open or there about.That pigeon had never went into that tiny corner in its life before and yet decided to do it when returning from the biggest and most prestigious race in Scotland.The following year the same pencil blue hen did the exact same thing, it came at 9.15pm and went behind the trap corner.If this was me , I wouldve probably chucked the pigeon game but my grandfather soldiered on and said it was not meant to be.He was a legend in my eyes and went on to score many times from SNFC nationals.He even returned his clock after timing from the Gold cup race, 550 miles, 40 years in a row.He was a household name in the Glasgow fed.

This is what i love about the SNFC, Memories, love reading stories like this.

 

Good thread Lewis.

[andy Burgess]

Lewis, note the Montgomery Bros won Rennes in 1953, well my poor old grandfather ( WULL McCRAE ) missed his opportunity to win the race that year.There were a few pigeon men playing football at the front of the loft that night when my grandfathers fancied pencil blue hen came like a train over the field and onto the loft, it was 9pm.All the fanciers at the loft were very excited as my grandfather ran over and put his hen in with his trapping cane.He entered the loft and couldnt find her????All 5 pigeonmen were in the loft searching for her but to no avail.The air was blue as they searched till it was pitch black and nobody could believe what was happening.Darkness came, along with heavy rain and although everyone was leaving, my grandfather sat in his loft all night with his torch, totally disillusioned and bewildered.It poured from the heavens all night and around 5.55am my grandfather thought he saw something move , out of the corner of his eye.He looked up at a small corner that ran directly off the trap inside the loft.Then he saw it again, a tail flashed out then back in.He put his hand up behind this small neuk and with his heart pumping out his chest felt about.He got hold of his pencil blue hen, with emotions high, he didnt know whether to laugh or cry and I think he did both.He timed the hen and I think she was 21st Open or there about.That pigeon had never went into that tiny corner in its life before and yet decided to do it when returning from the biggest and most prestigious race in Scotland.The following year the same pencil blue hen did the exact same thing, it came at 9.15pm and went behind the trap corner.If this was me , I wouldve probably chucked the pigeon game but my grandfather soldiered on and said it was not meant to be.He was a legend in my eyes and went on to score many times from SNFC nationals.He even returned his clock after timing from the Gold cup race, 550 miles, 40 years in a row.He was a household name in the Glasgow fed.

great little story that Del.

[MIK]

enjoyed that Del....nice to read of the old ones. fair play to your grandfather.

[yeboah]

Good reading ,See it mentioned the nantes race being won on a decimal with M Thorburn of Lockerbie coming second the same M Thorburn went on to win the Nantes race in 1934,He owned the Drapers shop in Lockerbie which was only two doors down from W T Gardiners Grocers the 1965 gold cup winners,Remember going into the shops as a young lad ,sadly they are now private housing and the great pigeon days are just memories,The photo of the snfc president Percy Cameron also brings back memories when percy was secretary of the lockerbie club he had me voted on as a young lad to be his president and taught me to hold a meeting together as he did when he held the post for many years.

[Delboy]

This is what i love about the SNFC, Memories, love reading stories like this.

 

Good thread Lewis.

 

You must have a few stories racing with yer dad,Gareth.Lets hear them.

[Rooster J. Cogburn]

Nice to hear some PB members stories and those of their friends relatives.Agree with Gareth that this is part of the appeal in racing with this history steeped club.