What Brought You Into Keeping Pigeons

[THE FIFER]

How were you introduced to the pigeon game and when,(racing,show or fancy) also what have you achieved, or hope to,

[Poppy Loft]

My Grandfather and then my dad both raced. My dad died when I was 13 so I took on his birds and raced them until I found girls about 15/16! I remember my grandads loft and him telling me stories about not having a clock, so when a bird arrived my mum had to run off down the road to give the thimble to another fancier to clock. Simpler times when I dare say there just wasnt the in-fighting and politics that seem to be with us today!

 

First season back for 15 years and have achieved my first gaol of winning a race. Next up I would love to top the fed and in a few seasons time join the nationals etc.

 

Hope to get my kids to take more of an interest, though the boys at 15 and 17 have bigger fish to fry!

[alex young]

Back in 1962 when walking through the local woods I spotted a bird lying in a little hollow it didn't make a move until I was right up to it then it tried to fly but couldn't.On taking it home my dad said it's a pigeon get shut.Anyway it died that night but that was me hooked,our coal shed wasn't being used as we had been made a smokeless zone,so that was my first loft after I'd white washed it.My dad didn't twig-on for a couple of weeks that I had birds in there because I didn't open the door until he'd gone to work and closed it before he got home,I was on the darkness but didn't know it. Anyway 50 years on I'm still hooked.

[Walter swanston]

What brought me into the doos?? Simple! INSANITY

[Wiley]

My dad always had pigeons, what got me hooked was when he bought the Planet Van Loons at Freddie Hunts entire clearance, they looked unbelievable, best pigeons I have ever seen to this day.

[demolition man]

My Grandad,

 

I remember when i ask my mum if i can have a pigeon loft like grandad and mum saying to my dad let him have the pigeons you know it will only be a five minute wonder

[KMCK]

I started with the pigeons as a 10 year old help my old grandfather lift baskets and watching them come home but then I found Woman and drink at about 16, But at that time my younger brother took over and helped him and he became a partner and to be honest he is gifted with them, but he then found woman and could get as much time with them as he would have liked, But nearly 2 years ago my gradfather passed away so my Dad brother and I just didnt have the heart to see my grandfather life just go for a pittence before he was evan cold, so we decided that we would move one of the lofts about 24ft by 8ft to my dads backdoor so my brother and father set about getting it to fit in and they had to L shape it 18ft on way amd about 12ft the other, so we then had the task of breaking the pigeons to home to us about 5miles from the old loft we missed the old bird season in 2011 but got the young bird season racing the full programme and been competitive, last year was our first ful year as a partnership and it had Highs and lows, Lost a lot off birds tht my grandfather had many tickets for and also had a freak toss with 60 young birds lossing 45 of them, But we have a hunger and desire to be competitive with them from 60 miles upto 500miles, But that may be a couple of years to build a racing team.

 

Just a wee story

 

Kenny

[PIGEONPACKMAN]

l went down to meet a friend to hang about when l was 14 we ended up at the allotments with his dad and his birds l was tooken back by the birds and liked them ever since at the time l asked my parents for a couple of pigeons they refused straight away .We used to have a caravan where we had some friends when i was about ten we had fond memories of that time when i was old to work we bought a caravan at the same camp site and low and behold they still had there caravan me and one of the ladies hit it off from meeting again her father is an avid pigeon man and the bug took hold and we got our own house then i got my first loft nearly one year and l love my pigeons

[Guest lambrechts31]

I SAW A PROGRAM ON THE TELLY YEARS AGO ABOUT PIGEONS DURING THE WAR AND WAS HOOKED, SO PROMISED MYSELF THAT 1 DAY WHEN I HAD A GARDEN ID GET SOME, IV NOW GOT EVERYTHING BUT JUST AS A HOBBY,I DONT RACE THEM BUT GET GREAT PLEASURE SEEING THEM OUT N ABOUT, BUT 1 DAY HOPE TO RACE, THERE SUCH AMAZING BIRDS... :emoticon-0157-sun:

[Guest grizzler]

always intersted in pigeons from an early age,collecting strags and trying to get them to home to old tea chests without success. as soon as i bought my home,got my first pair of fancy birds and had them since for over thirty years.been fortunate to travel around the world meeting some great fanciers and making lifelong friendships with some of them...only had the racers a couple of years,so everything to learn,but enjoying it.

[Guest Owen]

I used to see pigeons in the panniers on the railway station in the late 1940's and I liked looking at them. My Grandfather kept pigeons but did not race because we lived right out in the Country. i asked my Mother whether he bred with them and she said that she thought he did. So I asked Mother why the place was not over run with pigeons. She said that every so often Grandfather would kill a load and give them to my Grandmother to cook up for the table.

Much later a boy in our village got 4 pigeons as pets. All the lads went to his place to see them including me. There was a blue chequer, a blue bar, a grizzle and a dark chequer.

I thought they were fantastic and couldn't wait to get some for myself. Father caught 4 in an old building and gave them to me to keep in a rabbit hutch. I kept these birds until I left for the Army at 18.

Apart from a very brief go at pigeon racing in 1965 I did not bother with pigeons again until 1997. I had just sold a smallholding and wanted to get back into livestock and I decided to train guard dogs. Then I remembered the pigeons from all those years ago. So I decided to go for pigeon racing instead of the dogs. Most people who know me well think I am mad because I have always made money from things I have done in the past instead of chucking it away as you do with pigeons. I think that the main thing is that I have found the sport facinating and my wife and I enjoy our racing. The down side is that the sport is in decline and that so many people involved are so badly out of date with their ideas which spoils things a bit.

[Guest bakes]

been involved with birds all my life as younglad kept breed canarys,budgies,zebra finchs still breed show budgies today local shows it was a very good friend mine that got me into pigeons watching his birds come from national race he sent to kept in contact and regular went round watch his birds arrive back it wasnt till 4 years coming now got my own house and started up my self enjoy all aspects sport breeding raceing going loft visit made friends all over uk/abroad threw makeing photos theres birds for um try to promote the sport as much as i can me and misses enjoy the sport alot misses helps out up club she loves it we both look forward to saturday seeing them arrive back timeing them in both us enjoy raceing alot but wonting to go to more channel raceing side sport now we both very interested in long distance flying and all being well becoming members british barcelona club in near future all best.

[THE FIFER]

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[jimmy_bulger]

it was 1964 in the infants school and they put me next to the window, while looking out the window there was garden's that backed onto the school.

and in two of them gardens right opposite my class there was two pigeon lofts and i sat and watched all day in between getting the cain off sister "RITA" (nun) for not paying attention cos she thought i was thick.

AHH WELL AFTER ALL THESE YEARS SHE WAS RIGHT :-)

[THE FIFER]

it was 1964 in the infants school and they put me next to the window, while looking out the window there was garden's that backed onto the school.

and in two of them gardens right opposite my class there was two pigeon lofts and i sat and watched all day in between getting the cain off sister "RITA" (nun) for not paying attention cos she thought i was thick.

AHH WELL AFTER ALL THESE YEARS SHE WAS RIGHT :-)

 

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[MIK]

My father

 

when i was about 10(40 now) i took an interest and my uncle reared me 6 ybs to race from me oul boys loft. Me da trained and fed them with me looking in. When the first race came along, 120 miles, ill never forget the feeling when i seen one of mine bomb in , do a wide circle of loft then trap to win the club. I WAS SMITTEN

 

through growing up and meeting the wife i didnt start back until 2003(age 31) when me da decided to pack up and i had me own home to build a loft. I brought some of his down ...broke what i could and raced them out. It was like starting from new and even novice status...im still a novice(although i have won a few races) and learning every year.

 

atb

mick