I have now received three letters from the same person about incidents that are going on within the sport in that particular area and I am at a loss to answer those questions because of their very nature. I am fully aware that there are clubs that are dictated to by the minority and I am afraid that will never change because you are always going to get the dominant people who will run any club no matter what sport you are in. I must say that the three letters are very sad to read in what should be a hobby that is being spoilt with threats etc by the few, the bully boys. I must say we travel to that part of the Country on a regular basis and I have not seen any bad feeling. Having said that I am an outsider so do not see too much of the local feeling spilling over into public conversations especially when someone such as myself is present. There is little that I can do or advise if the letters are correct (I have no reason to doubt that they are not) such matters cannot be dealt with outside of that area. The only way to sort out club bullies is that the remaining fanciers must stand together or you will never enjoy your hobby. Over the last few months there have been a few stories going around about problems within the sport but if a scribe highlights those problems then they become liable to prosecution generally by people who are taking it out on the wrong people for one reason or another. Even though we continually hear that pigeon racing is a dying hobby, it will dye even quicker if such incidents are not controlled. It is always the case in life that a few spoil it for the majority and that will never change. As I have already pointed out I am at a loss to advise any real course of action because problem’s such as this can only be resolved by the local fanciers getting together and standing firm.


In contrast to the above I received an e-mail with the subject being “Young Fanciers” that follows on from a conversation that Elizabeth had with a young lady at the Blackpool Show. We do need to help young fanciers and as suggested a good idea would be to waiver the subscriptions with other idea’s being that young fanciers or say under the age of 16yrs should also be allowed one free entry per race whether in the local club’s or specialist events. One fee for a pigeon would not be missed in several crates and would be an early incentive. This is an area where all the big clubs for National and specialist racing could make the first move by giving a concession to the younger members of the sport. It would be no good making this move in a small way because it would go unnoticed, we need a good spread with plenty of ways to make life easier for the younger members of the sport. Also fancier’s who have more clocks than they need could lend clocks out to younger members within their local club’s. Clock’s on loan would need to be insured to cover the owner against loss or damage. As long as there is good tight control on these matters there should be no problem, it’s the same with everything, the powers at the top must make the first move and not put it back to the club’s because they consider it to be a local issue. Getting new people into the sport is not and never will be a local issue as is more often than not suggested, the sport need’s strong hard leaders who make decisions and stick by them. I am sure that if the RPRA Council made more positive moves to support younger members of the sport then they would get the backing of the members. All fences need knocking down so that people cannot sit on them and watch the world go by, move with technology move into the new century and the younger generation may just sit up and take notice that the days of the flat cap have long since gone.


I received a phone call about my comments regarding the electronic system and ended up having a good conversation and the benefits and the pitfalls. I am not going to go into any detail because we have had the system delivered and I am going to go through it with a fine tooth comb and see what problems there may be. Back to the phone call, the question was “Why have the RPRA no accepted the electronic clocking system but are going to use it for the Cheltenham One Loft Race”. More on that when I have the system up and running, however even at this early stage I have pout a potential problem forward to Unikon, Peter Bryant and Linda Brooks. I am going to enjoy covering the system while in use for training purposes and if I find a problem it will be in these notes, on the other hand so will the benefits.


A few weeks back through a letter that I received I mentioned a product called Sambucol, since then I have had quite a few phone calls from fanciers who want to get hold of the product or want to know how to use it. I am told that this is a prescribed medication and therefore you would need to ask when you obtain the product. Myself I am sticking to the CCKur that is not a prescribed medication but a natural product that I have been happy using since it was recommended to me. Young bird sickness is just around the corner and I hope that fanciers do not suffer again, lets hope that more have leant how to avoid or deal with the problem. There is always an alternative and the following is an extract from an article that I wrote last year but was withdraw by the fancier because he did not want people chasing him for a product that he could not get hold of unless through the vet. “We have a serious problem with young bird sickness, call it what you because nobody appears to know what it really is. I have suffered like a lot of fanciers, it doesn’t matter how good a fancier you are once your YB’s go in the raced basket you are in the lap of the god’s. one thing I don’t agree with is that it is a virus as a lot of people say it is. The reason being you get an almost instant recovery with an antibiotic. Chevita make a product called “Mycosan-T” (active erythromycin) that ahs been developed for bacterial infection’s on the gastro-intestinal and respiratory tract that can result from stress situations. They recommend the use of this product on Sundays for one day. Although I don’t particularly like to use this you can almost guarantee that if you don’t by Sunday night they will be sick. Unfortunately this product isn’t available in the UK on general sale which is a great shame, so many fanciers suffer with this problem without much help”.


I was looking through he Mid Cheshire results and see that Andy Emery from the Wrinhill club had a good season with a good sequence of results since moving to Madeley with 40 x 1sts. Andy started in 97/98 racing to an 8ft x 6ft loft with the best results being 1st club 1st S.W.C.F, 2nd Cheshire Combine, 6th Three Counties Combine Niort 3800 birds. 11th sec 72nd open MNFC. The lofts have changed since then with the present set up being the original loft that is now for the 20 young birds that he breeds each year. Andy also went onto the darkness for 2001 with great success that also saw the team have a good moult, there is no heating used in the loft. The old bird loft is 30ft long with three sections for widowhood cocks and one section for hens. The team are Janssens based on three from Dick Van Berg of Holland and one from Honeysuckle Lofts which is a Red Hen of the Young Mercka/019 lines. Andy’s first full season with the Mid Cheshire Fed racing in the Wrinehill club saw 1st fed Wincanton. 1st fed Portland. 1st second Longest Young bird and 1st longest young bird races Mid Cheshire. 1st & 2nd Championship. Mid Cheshire Championship aves. Over 50 fed cards. Results include 5th 10th 11th 15th 18th 25th 29th 1830 birds. 18th 1965 birds. 16th 1862 birds. 2nd 14th 19th 20th 26th 30th 1764 birds. 12th 15th 16th 1798 birds. 2nd 23rd 26th 27th 1332 birds. 30th 1358 birds. 11th 1104 birds. 7th 10th 1277 birds. 11th 1189 birds. 1st 5th 7th 17th 18th 29th 1018 birds. 1st 2nd 24th 771 birds. During the season he has won 8 x 1sts. 9 x 2nds. 10 x 3rds. 6 x 4ths. 8 x 5ths. 5 x 6ths. Blue Cock (see photo) is a winner of 8 x 1sts club plus 2nd fed 1162 birds. 3rd fed 1245 birds. 5th fed 1000 birds 9th fed 700 birds 9th fed 983 birds with the SWCF. And as a 2yo only competed in two races after being attacked by a hawk. He also won 11th fed 1104 birds. 18th fed 1965 birds and 2nd Championship with the Mid Cheshire. Blue Hen (see photo) is only a 2001 bred pigeon that won 1st club 11th fed 1189 birds. 1st club 1st fed 1088 birds. 1st club 1st fed 771 birds 1st Mid Cheshire Champ. 90th Sec North West Midland National Portland. In these first few years since moving Andy has flown a good pigeon and no doubt we shall see more of him in the coming season


Before going into the next piece I must stress that at this point my position as Press Officer to the National FC has been put to one side and the following is a personal view and one of many fanciers who race the longer National events. I must also add that between penning these notes and them appearing the NFC committee will have met so there will be another report going out from the club. The subject is the controversial HOD with the NFC that when I first saw it thought it may be a good idea. “May be a good idea” that was then now I am now thinking “Could not be a good idea” all this will depend on the decisions made at the National FC committee meeting. I received an e-mail that explains a great deal, none of which I might add is in the favour of the fanciers whose pigeons have a greater task ahead of them. The greater task being the extra 100mls after covering the first 500/550mls that is when the pigeons are starting to go down and refuse to do that few miles extra. Pigeons that will fly until dusk are few and far between, that also applies to pigeons that will get up at the crack of dawn to continue their journey. I am hoping that the report on the NFC meeting will be a good one that will keep the longer flying members interested, because as I pen these notes there are quite a few who have said that they will not send because it is an unfair race. It is not very often that we have the conditions that we had for the San Sebastian race in 2001 when the conditions were perfect to fly all day long, even then those clocked late at night were few and far between. More often than not the weather is not good for racing pigeons after 9.30pm after a long hard days fly and remember that this is reality and not figures that do not give a true version of events, look through the results over the years to get the true facts. The proposed system as laid down will only benefit the shorter flying members but until the meeting no one knows what the factors set down by the committee will be. Hopefully somewhere in this weeks edition those factors will be published and we shall still have a race on that will enable all the fanciers North of Watford Gap to compete with the shorter flying members on an even playing field.


Received my first news from over at Chester where a good prize night took place on the 25th January at the St Theresa Club Blacon. The event was organised by Jenny Dodd the hard working Secretary of the Saltney Social club which being a combined night with Chester & District helped increase the guest list to 90 plus this year. The event started at 7.30pm with the buffet provided by Cookie and also the disco. The night was enjoyed by all with dancing till 12.30. The prizes were presented by Fred Tilston of Llay who last year had a major operation on this hip so it was good to see him getting a round so well. First to the table were Ray Newell & Son how had another good season with 8 firsts 7 seconds 6 thirds 6 fourths the OB inland Averages and the Young bird Averages total winnings £338.71. Second was Dave Evans & Steve Jones 3 firsts 6 seconds 5 thirds 5 fourths total winnings £300.64. Third was Eddie Dry &Joe 5 firsts 2 seconds 6 thirds 1 fourth total winnings £363.70. In 4th spot we have Chris and Lee Mackin breaking their novices statues with 2 firsts 1 second 1 third 1 fourth total winnings £43.66. Fifth was Kenny Poynton & Son, Kenny past away in July half way through the season and will be sadly missed his wife Norma is carry on with the pigeons racing under the same name. For 2001 they won 2 firsts 1 second 1 third 5 fourths total winnings £89.43. Sixth were Dave and Lynn Woodworth with 3 seconds 1 third 2 fourths total winnings £104.12. Seventh was Peter Lavender another member who had to deal with the tragic loss of his 4y/o daughter Amy after her brave fight against cancer. Peter wins 1 first 1 third 1 fourth total winnings £45.60 and last of all our new starter who only raced young birds Hakan Gulcicek with 1 second which was fourth federation total winnings £23.45. The total pay out was £1309.36 this being £300 up on last year lets hope the trend continues which I think it will with 2 new members already this season.


Just a reminder that the Middlewich Quiz Night will be held at the Boars Head Hotel Middlewich on the 8th March 2002 with the panel to be arranged. Full details of this event will be published in the fancy press as will full details of the Elimar Sponsored Breeder/Buyer to be held on the 10th & 31st March also at the Boars Head Hotel Middlewich. The first attempt saw the club pay £1200 prize money which is expected to increase considerably with two sales this year, why not send a youngster along.