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Copied from Facebook 20th June 2026 I was sad to learn of the passing of Jimmy Dalgliesh. In his early years Jimmy lived in the village of Watchhill, near Annan and had an interest in the pigeon hobby from when he attended school. When the Dalgliesh family resided at Watchhill, it was Jimmy’s older brother, Ian who initially raced pigeons and he encouraged Jimmy and his younger brother, Graham to assist him with loft chores. In time Ian married and left home, with the family subsequently moving to Ecclefechan and on changing residence they formed a loft at their new address, competing under the loft title Dalgliesh and Sons, with the partnership comprised Jimmy, his brother Graham and their father. The years moved forward, Jimmy and Graham married, with each forming a loft at their own address. After several years, with the responsibility of a young family, Jimmy chose to part with his pigeons. In time his daughter, Cindy and son in law, Alistair Little formed a loft, with Jimmy assisting them and together they gained a number of successes from the Classics. Alistair has his own business and with time constraints due to his work, he chose for a while to leave the Fancy. When he parted with his pigeons, he passed several to Jimmy to enable him to form a loft at his own address. Amongst the birds that Jimmy received was a super Black Cock that scored several times from the Nationals including being 3rd Section S.N.F.C. Sartilly. The months passed and he set about assembling a meaningful team of pigeons including purchasing several birds from Tranquillity Lofts. Amongst the pigeons to emerge was a fabulous Blue cock that was named ‘Tranquillity Boy’. This marvellous Cock initially competed with the S.N.F.C. in 1998 when 2 y.o. and was 29th Sect. 96th Open from the Inland national from Frome. Two weeks later he went to the Gold Cup race from Rennes and was up with the leaders to be 9th Sect. 14th Open. The following season he again raced from Frome and was 13th Open and was thereafter doubled back into Rennes when he was 11th Sect. 15th Open. In the Millennium season he once more went to the Inland National, which was from Newbury and was 24th Open. He thereafter competed from Messac and was 11th Sect. 17th Open. Jimmy did not send to the channel in 2001 due to problems caused by Foot and Mouth Disease. The cock competed from three Inland Nationals, however, and was 11th Open Frome, 109th Open Hastings and 96th Open Portland. ‘Tranquillity Boy’ was bred from direct stock introduced from Tony Mardon, the grandparents being ‘Rebate’ x ‘Retain’ and ‘Reproach’ x ‘Relax’. Amongst other SVR’s to emerge was a year 2000 Blue Cock that was 1st South Section 3rd Open S.N.F.C. Chenoise 2002, when there were only three arrivals into Scotland on the day of liberation. The Sire known as ‘680’ was a full brother of ‘Tranquillity Boy’. The Dam, meanwhile, was homebred from a Cock known as ‘The Mardon Cock’ when he was coupled to a hen that was introduced from Tranquillity Lofts bred from ‘Random’ and ‘Resolve’. ‘The Mardon Cock’ was bred from ‘Racket’ and ‘Resign’ and proved to be an extra special producer as he bred sixteen individual Club winners, six 1st Fed. winners and two Section winners from the Y.B. National. On the sad news of the passing of yet another Solway legend, here's WPW with some words. I was sad to learn of the passing of Jimmy Dalgliesh. In his early years Jimmy lived in the village of Watchhill, near Annan and had an interest in the pigeon hobby from when he attended school. When the Dalgliesh family resided at Watchhill, it was Jimmy’s older brother, Ian who initially raced pigeons and he encouraged Jimmy and his younger brother, Graham to assist him with loft chores. In time Ian married and left home, with the family subsequently moving to Ecclefechan and on changing residence they formed a loft at their new address, competing under the loft title Dalgliesh and Sons, with the partnership comprised Jimmy, his brother Graham and their father. The years moved forward, Jimmy and Graham married, with each forming a loft at their own address. After several years, with the responsibility of a young family, Jimmy chose to part with his pigeons. In time his daughter, Cindy and son in law, Alistair Little formed a loft, with Jimmy assisting them and together they gained a number of successes from the Classics. Alistair has his own business and with time constraints due to his work, he chose for a while to leave the Fancy. When he parted with his pigeons, he passed several to Jimmy to enable him to form a loft at his own address. Amongst the birds that Jimmy received was a super Black Cock that scored several times from the Nationals including being 3rd Section S.N.F.C. Sartilly. The months passed and he set about assembling a meaningful team of pigeons including purchasing several birds from Tranquillity Lofts. Amongst the pigeons to emerge was a fabulous Blue cock that was named ‘Tranquillity Boy’. This marvellous Cock initially competed with the S.N.F.C. in 1998 when 2 y.o. and was 29th Sect. 96th Open from the Inland national from Frome. Two weeks later he went to the Gold Cup race from Rennes and was up with the leaders to be 9th Sect. 14th Open. The following season he again raced from Frome and was 13th Open and was thereafter doubled back into Rennes when he was 11th Sect. 15th Open. In the Millennium season he once more went to the Inland National, which was from Newbury and was 24th Open. He thereafter competed from Messac and was 11th Sect. 17th Open. Jimmy did not send to the channel in 2001 due to problems caused by Foot and Mouth Disease. The cock competed from three Inland Nationals, however, and was 11th Open Frome, 109th Open Hastings and 96th Open Portland. ‘Tranquillity Boy’ was bred from direct stock introduced from Tony Mardon, the grandparents being ‘Rebate’ x ‘Retain’ and ‘Reproach’ x ‘Relax’. Amongst other SVR’s to emerge was a year 2000 Blue Cock that was 1st South Section 3rd Open S.N.F.C. Chenoise 2002, when there were only three arrivals into Scotland on the day of liberation. The Sire known as ‘680’ was a full brother of ‘Tranquillity Boy’. The Dam, meanwhile, was homebred from a Cock known as ‘The Mardon Cock’ when he was coupled to a hen that was introduced from Tranquillity Lofts bred from ‘Random’ and ‘Resolve’. ‘The Mardon Cock’ was bred from ‘Racket’ and ‘Resign’ and proved to be an extra special producer as he bred sixteen individual Club winners, six 1st Fed. winners and two Section winners from the Y.B. National. In 2009 Jimmy won the Falaise National with a 3 y.o. Mealy hen that was named ‘Hoddom Dynamo’, taking its name from the football team that played at Ecclefechan in days gone by. The Mealy Hen was a real topper winning out of turn from the young bird stage. Dam was bred from a SVR cock when coupled to a Hoffkens hen. The Hoffkens hen was sister to two hens, which each won the Section from the Y.B. National. The SVR Cock was homebred from an Ian Axe SVR when coupled to the loft’s noted ‘The Mardon Cock’ to which I referred. Sire of ‘Hoddom Dynamo’ was obtained from Martin Adair from Flimby, West Cumbria, son of the late Bobby Adair, who was one of the best fanciers in the North of England and Southern Scotland. Bobby and Martin won the noted Big Cup in the Derwent Valley Federation on ten occasions for the best average from all races through to the longest channel race. The Sire of the Red Cock, which Jimmy obtained from Martin, was 8th Fed Nantes, being bred direct from Bobby and Martin Adair’s noted Red Hen, which was the first Gold Award winner in Cumbria. This hen scored in the Fed. from the channel on twelve occasions and featured in the first fifty of the Cumbria Combine result from the channel on eight occasions. Dam of the Red cock that Jimmy obtained from Martin Adair was a Mealy, bred by Tommy Nichol from Langholm. Tommy used to visit West Cumbria and formed a friendship with Martin’s father. Through their friendship, Bobby Adair gifted Tommy a son of the good Red Hen, which he coupled to a daughter of ‘Jack’s Boy’ that was bred and raced by Dickie Harkness and was 1st Open S.N.F.C. Rennes. This pairing produced a noted hen that left winners for several fanciers across the country and when Tommy Nichol left the fancy, Martin Adair made a point of purchasing the hen. The pigeon that Jimmy obtained from Martin Adair was a full brother of another Red Cock that fellow Club member, John Gilmour obtained from Flimby that bred the noted ‘Gilly’, which was 1st Open S.N.F.C. Alencon, 2017. Working with a handful of pigeons, Jimmy continued to feature in the Classic results, year after year. Consider, for example, that he has won the Section with the National eleven times including in recent years being 1st Section S.N.F.C. Eastbourne in 2015, move forward to 2016 and he was 1st Section 2nd Open S.N.F.C. Buckingham, move two years further forward and he was 2nd Section S.N.F.C. Ypres followed the next year by being 2nd Section 3rd Open S.N.F.C. Maidstone. Move forward to season 2020, when due to Covid-19 the members of the S.N.F.C. only competed from two Old Bird Nationals; Jimmy was 3rd Section Maidstone and 2nd and 3rd Section from Reims. We advance to 2021 and he recorded his second National win when he headed the result from S.N.F.C. Eastbourne, heading the result by 65ypm. The pigeon on this occasion was named ‘Hoddom Ranger’ taking its name from another local football team. When only a schoolboy at Watchhill, Jimmy shared a friendship with Will Ferguson and Jim Crombie and together they talked about John Kirkpatrick winning the famous Gold Cup from Rennes. All three of the schoolboy friends became good fanciers with their overlying ambition being to one day emulate the achievement of their boyhood hero. In 2022 Jimmy realised this ambition when he won the Blue Riband event from Alencon. The convoy was liberated at 6.30am and he timed at 5.39pm to win the Classic with a velocity of 1260ypm. His Gold Cup winner was a 2 y.o. Blue Chequer hen that had four races to Bellerby as a youngster and seven races to Yeovil as a yearling. It was coupled in January 2022, reared a pair of youngsters and worked on the Natural method had four races to Upper Heyford, before going to Alencon. It went to the race on its fifth flight, covering 10 day eggs. Dam a noted hen obtained from Scott Irving from Annan. Sire of the Scott Irving hen is ‘Sprinter 44’ that won the Fed. as a youngster and is brother to another cock that was 99th Open S.N.F.C. Alencon as a yearling. Paternal grandsire was ‘Mr.Lambrini’ whilst the Paternal grand-dam was bred by George Hilson from Bury. ‘Mr.Lambrini’ was bred by Stevie Ferguson from Annan, son of Will Ferguson, direct from Stevie’s 2008 Tours National winner and was the Paternal grandsire of Scott Irving’s 2013 National winner from Ancenis. Stevie’s Tours winner was a 2002 Chequer Pied Hen which competed from Tours in 2004 and was timed at 6.10am on the second day to be 1st Section 6th Open. She then went back to the same race point in 2008 and won the National being the only bird on the day of liberation. Dam of the Scott Irving hen was a full sister to ‘History Maker’ that was 1st Section from the Y.B. National in 2013 and ‘Dalambo’ that was 3rd Open Inland National. Maternal grandsire was a noted Black Pied cock named ‘Back from the Dead’. Having been lost from a channel race he was reported in Holland and some twelve months later, Scott secured his return. He was bred from the same ‘Mr.Lambrini’ when paired to a White Flight hen that was obtained from the late Henry Beattie and was the grand dam of Scott Irving’s 3rd Open S.N.F.C. Bourges 2010. This hen, incidentally, contained the lines of Tom Marshall’s East Down Combine winner from Lambelle. Maternal grand-dam was bred by the same Jimmy Dalgliesh, direct from ‘Hoddom Dynamo’, the 2009 Falaise National winner. Sire of the National winner from Alencon a Blue cock that was purchased from Andrew Lawley from Ellesmere by Jimmy’s daughter, Cindy, who gifted it to her father as a Christmas present. It proved to be an extra special acquisition as it bred a number of winners. Dam of the Blue cock a direct daughter of M & D Evans ‘Joe Jones’ when paired to ‘Lady Arras’. ‘Joe Jones’ was one of the best breeders at Myrtle Lofts with his name featuring in the pedigrees of winners across the entire country. ‘Lady Arras’s was a direct daughter of ‘Jong Wittenbuik’ which was a direct son of the world famous ‘Wittenbuik. Sire of the Blue cock was bred from a further daughter of M. & D. Evans ‘Joe Jones’ x ‘Lady Arras’ when paired to ‘Woodface’ that was 1st Midland National Carentan. ‘Woodface’ proved to be Sire, G.Sire and G.G.Sire of Club, Federation and Specialist Club winners. The Alencon National winner was named ‘Hoddom Belle’, being named after Jimmy’s late wife. Whilst Jimmy continued to win, years were catching up with him but he nonetheless retained and raced a team of pigeons to the very end, supported by his family. On viewing the foregoing it should be understood that he achieved his success working with no more than ten pairs of pigeons. He was respected and admired by all who knew him and will be sadly missed by all his friends in the pigeon fancy, On behalf of all members of the local fancy I extend condolences to Cindy, Alistair, Graham, Elaine and the wider family at this sad time.
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Angus & Dundee federations (CESA) liberated at Billericay at 6.30 a.m. Light South West wind
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Fife Federation birds were liberated at 6.30 in a South West wind from Billericay
- Yesterday
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Well done that man 7 birds
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Huge Congratulations to Colin Buchanan on his excellent performances in the SNFC Inland Nationals namely Brighton 1st Open. 1st Sec C 5th Open. 2nd Sec C Kettering. 3 rd. Open 1st Sec C Well done Colin
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FIFE FEDERATION BREEDER BUYER SALE 2026
GRAHAM MITCHELL replied to thunderbigbaws's topic in Notice Board
Lot 16 Su26S 13 Lot 18 Su26S 20 -
Coalburn HC sent 89 birds with SLIRPC to billericay, all the best to everyone 🤞
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I am sure the Webmaster will do his best
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I hope he manages to sort it out
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It has been brought to my attention that recently the site has been running very slow. This issue has been raised with the Webmaster. The Webmaster hopes to re-boot the site and work on this issue on Sunday 21st June. This may result in the site being shut down for a couple of hours in order for the necessary work to be carried out. I thank you for your patience and apologies for any inconvenience caused. Sapper756







