The Joe Murphy Column

[THE FIFER]

• The Joe Murphy Column
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• Received a nice letter from Karen James from the BHW show of the year Charity Auction thanking me for my donation of a bird to the sale which raised £220 and the total amount overall was £6300 which was superb. I have always believed that you have to give a ‘good well-bred pigeon to this sale. The BHW are good to me and publicise my article’s each week therefore I like to give something back in return. It was just as well we were not going to Blackpool this year as a few days before I ended up with a very bad head cold and my eyes and nose did not spot running for days. The heavy snow we also experienced did not help matters and I was so glad to be kept nice and cosy in the comfort of my own house. Going by conversations that I have had with people who attended it was must the same as normal for the weekend. With plenty of money being spent at the auctions sales with some of the birds not worth the money paid. Still this is up to each individual fancier and if you think it is worth so and so then you buy it; it’s your money so why worry.
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• SHU Gold Ring
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• The Scottish Homing Union are holding a Golden Ring Draw in 2018 at £2.00 a ring; How it works; Fanciers can purchase as many rings as they like, these will be registered at the SHU office in their name. Fanciers can choose to put the ring on a pigeon or not. Your ring number will be entered into each of 5 monthly draws beginning in August 2018 and ending with a final draw at the SHU Show in December. Therefore every number has 5 chances to win. (If the SHU raise £1500 from the sale of these rings there will be 4 draws beginning in August to win £125 with the final draw being £200). Why not speak to your club secretaries and buy some Gold Rings under you club name and you could decide in advance how winning could be used to benefit the club members. Contact Ann or Linda at the SHU offices for more information.
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• Dewar Trophy Winners
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• The above trophy has been going since 1973 and in 5 years’ time it will be its Golden Jubilee within its history many outstanding pigeons have won this award and I intend to collect details on ALL these birds and make a memorial acknowledgment of this group of pigeons. We in Scotland should recognise the Dewar Trophy winners as a Hall of Fame within our sport. This is about the PIGEON and yes to some degree a little information on the owners and fanciers as well as the birds breeding history will make this documentary all the more interesting. These exceptional pigeons were recognised as the Bird of the Year in their time and surely this worth celebrating; I have started to collect information with the help of my wife Margaret and I we spent hours going over old BHW Stud Books; Squills; Scotland Own Year Book, plus many other items that I have kept on pigeons over the years or what I have forwarded to the press and web sites. Let me tell you this has been a rigorous task and I have put an appeal into my column and also written to some of the owners of the above winner and I am extremely grateful to the fanciers who have helped. Needless to say there are always some people who do not wish to participate and the sad thing is it THEIR PIGEON who does not receive the accolade of joining this wonderful band of birds. At the present time I have 2 birds that I have no details on but hope this will be rectified within the next few days. One person I did make contact with was Jake Brown of Dundee who won the above award in 2001. Jake informs me that he is just out of hospital after having had another heart attack and I know readers of the column will be like me and wish Jake a speedy recovery back to good health. Jake did inform me that he has a photograph of his winner and will look this out and come back to me with all the relevant details. Jake like a lot of other fanciers expressed his pleasure of his bird being recognised in this way and is looking forward to reading the final outcome about these very special pigeons that are part of our past history within the Scottish sport. Another fancier who wrote was Richard Combe of Elphinstone who said; ‘Hi Joe, abelated Happy New Year to you and yours and apologies for the delay in responding. Elaine and I became grandparents again just before the end of November (a beautiful wee lass named Amber Elizabeth). As you may remember we have a granddaughter in South Africa (now 12 years old) but she has been followed by 5 boys (between the ages of 2 and 7 years old) so we are absolutely delighted with the arrival of another girl! Her mum has not been too well and her Dad has been hospitalised a couple of times since the turn of the year but thankfully he is now on the mend. Anyway, Elaine and I have spent some time down near Sunderland where the family lives; helping out as best we can and everything else has just had to take a back seat. I have finally got around to preparing a note to you (see attached) on ‘Midnight Son’ for your forthcoming articles on SHU Dewar Trophy winners. I have not, however, been able as yet to find a photo of him; I even turned up with a copy of the BHW of 20th May 2005 in which you did a big article on me. This has photographs of many of my winning pigeons at that time including ‘Midnight Son’ and as soon as I find the picture I will contact you. I hope the attached is of use to you and best wishes to you, Margaret and Kevin for a successful season; kind regards Richard’.
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• Good SNFC Birds
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• This week I have found another 3 quality pigeons to highlight starting with Davie Jamieson of East Calder with his chequer cock SU13CA 3481. In 2016 he scored from Ancenis a distance of 598 miles winning 3rd section D 21st open then in 2017 he scored from Bedhampton a distance of 363 miles winning 58th section D 497 miles this was prior to the Ancenis national were the convoy were released on their own. The chequer cock won 2nd section D 16th open and now requires one more section prize from over the channel to achieve a SNFC Silver Award and we wish Davie all the best with this pigeon. We now come to our top SNFC winner Billy Bilsland of Ayton who has a blue bar cock SU16L 7320 that won 3 national diplomas in 2017. From the first national from Buckingham a distance of 270 miles he won 17th section B 65th open a few weeks later he was sent to Bedhampton a distance of 348 miles and he won 4th section B 10th open and once again a few weeks later he was entered into the Ypres race a distance of 403 miles and won 25th section B 52nd open: achieving his 3rd diploma in the space of 5 weeks great flying and well done Billy. Next we come to Brian Chalmers of Kennoway with a blue cock SU15F 1904 who as a yearling won 104th section C 427th open from Littlehampton flying 388 miles. Then in 2017 he won twice being 89thsection C 278th open from Buckingham a distance of 303 miles then he was sent to Bedhampton a distance of 380 miles and won 108th section C 440th open. Another double inland win during the new season will give him his Bronze Award so we wish Brian all the best.
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• This week’s Photos
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• The first picture is one I found when trying to locate details for the Dewar Trophy it is of some of the top fanciers within Scotland at the time. From left to right George Brownlie; Frank McSherrie; Jimmy Jackson; Bob Carruthers, don’t know the young lad and Eddie Callaghan. Jim Hannah forwarded a photograph taken at Ogilvie Loft in 1984. Also a montage of the late Mae and Ian Henderson of Edinburgh; John and Alice Bell best in show winner best in show at the Fife Federation open show; while speaking to John Bell he informs me that this was the same pigeon who won Supreme Champion at Blackpool last week. Well done to John & Alice on another outstanding achievement. I think this is 5 times they have won this top award out of 6 entries. Imagine winning Rennes or Tarbes National 5 times in your lifetime and this is what this husband and wife partnership have done which is truly remarkable. It is little wonder they are the Pride of Scotland. The other is Ypres Endeavour race for H Wallace of Newmilns.
• SNFC Scottish Greats.
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• Ian Henderson top prizewinners
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• BIS Fife 2017
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• Ypres Endeavour
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• The Ogilvie Lofts 1984
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• Joe’s Joke
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• Donald Trump is in London and has had a secret meeting with the Queen. “Your Queenship,” he asked her. “I am finding things way more difficult than I could have imagined. May I ask you – how do you run such an efficient government? Is there any tips you can give me?”
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• “Well,” replied Her Majesty, “the most important thing is to surround yourself with intelligent people.” Trump frowned. “But how do you know the people around you are really intelligent?” he asked. “Oh, that’s easy” the Queen replied. “You just ask them to answer an intelligent riddle.” She pushed a button on her intercom. “Please send Theresa May in here.” The Prime Minister walked into the room. “You called for me, Your Majesty?” “Answer me this, if you would, Theresa,” the Queen said. “Your mother and father have a child. It is not your brother and it is not your sister. Who is it?” Without pausing for even a second, Theresa May answered, “That would be me.” “Yes! Very good,” said the Queen. Trump went back home, returned to the White House and the very next day called for Mike Pence to come and see him. Pence duly trotted in to the Oval Office. “Mike, answer this for me,’ said the Don. “Your mother and your father have a child. It’s not your brother and it’s not your sister. Who is it?” “I’m not sure,” said Pence. “Let me get back to you on that one. Pence went panicking off to his advisers and asked everyone, but none of them could give him an answer. The next night, as it happened, Pence ran in to Hillary Clinton in a restaurant. By now, desperate for an answer to give to his tyrannical boss, he approached her – much to her surprise. “Hillary, I know we haven’t always seen eye to eye but I would really appreciate it if you could answer this riddle for me. “Sure, Mike “Hillary said. “I’m not one to hold a grudge. What is it?” “Thanks, said Pence,” It’s this. Your mother and father have a child and it’s not your brother or your sister. Who is it?” Hillary answered right back, “That’s easy, it’s me!” Pence smiled, “Thanks!” Pence then went back to speak with Trump. “Say, boss, I did some research and I have the answer to that riddle. It’s Hillary Clinton.” Trump got up, stomped over to Pence, and angrily yelled at him. “No, you idiot! It’s Theresa May!” … AND THAT, MY FRIENDS, IS PRECISELY WHAT’S GOING ON AT THE MOMENT.
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• Please continue to keep the news flowing; to 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 www.fancierchat.co.uk www.pigeon-chat.co.uk andwww.Pigeonbasics.com - Pigeon Racing the Basics! Who wish my weekly contribution portfolio on pigeon topics from Scotland
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• © Compiled by Joe Murphy

[THE FIFER]