Lancashire Social Circle
The second old bird race for the Lancashire Social Circle was again a new race point for Circle members, when they entered 77 birds from 39 members in a race from Littlehampton. The race marking went very smoothly and my thanks go out to all the marking committee who did a splendid job getting the birds marked so we could all sit down for lunch, something that has now become part of the fabric of the Circle race markings. For the second time this season the weather was kind to us, although there was some rain about as the birds travelled up country. Liberated into a very fresh west south west wind members were on the lookout for some fast times, as other organisations on the day were in the 1600's. But you can never compare one race point with another as we all know, but for some reason we all seem to do it.
George Pendleton tops the result sheet with a widowhood blue hen one of the two I reported on in my last report. George was flying 216 miles from Littlehampton doing almost 50mph with a velocity of 1429. He entered the same two pigeons as he did in the circle race the week before and once again they were both in the clock in a matter of minutes winning him the Best Two Bird Average on 1412 going one better than last week when he was runner-up in this average. These two birds were bred by Thomas Daniels from Ireland and have more that earned their keep, George made the decision to bring in a sprint family as his base birds are more distance pigeons. With no channel racing this last couple of season this has proved a very shrewd move. George races a form of roundabout and from the 16 cocks 16 hens he started with he still has a strong team. His loft is self built with the external skin of red bricks on a wooden frame that is well insulated with plenty of ventilation built on a fully insulated concrete floor, all three sections have grill floors for easy maintenance as George is a self-employed heating engineer, so time is somewhat limited. The loft is deep with a corridor running the full length. The centre section contains the nestboxes for breeding and in the racing season houses the racing cocks, a much smaller section to the left is where the hens are housed on V perches. Then to the right is a large two part young bird section that is open to the corridor with a large aviary manufactured by Jeff Greenaway, this has proved a blessing giving the youngsters plenty of fresh air that has helped keep them healthy since its introduction.
George Pendleton with his Winning Pigeon & George Pendleton's Racing Loft.
Chris Corfield in his first season racing with the Circle, is second timing in a 2y old mealy cock that figured on the result in our last race from Maidstone. Chris kept pigeons as a small boy before football took over his interest in sport, I understand he played football for Burnley for a time before moving on to a job in transport. Being a long-distance lorry driver, travelling to France, Belgium and Holland on a regular basis. A connection, a number of our older members will be able to relate to, when starting out with his driving job he worked alongside one of the Circle's past members Peter Barber from Bury, who later moved up the ranks and was in charge of the operation at London Carriers. It was around this time along with his long time partner Lynn he decided to have another go with the pigeons, encouraged by his now, boss Peter Barber, who bred him a team of late breds to start him off. Chris explained being away from home for days and some time weeks and not really knowing much about how to race pigeons, he devised a system for him and Lynn that would enable them to race. Lynn looked after the pigeons and did just as she wanted ignoring the plans Chris had laid out, this was in the late 1980's. Any success that came their way which was very little at first came from the work put in by Lynn, and Chris was first to admit this. Lynn's interest grew and for a time was the secretary of the Phoenix club in Heywood and later became the secretary of Norden for a time. Around 1992 things changed when they decided to have a go with a team of yearlings on widowhood, and with this change came a big change in the results that has carried on to this very day. Lynn has taken a backseat since Chris's retirement and her health has got the better of her, but is always there on race days to watch the birds come home. The loft set-up is small as the pigeons are kept in the backyard of their house, this season a roundabout system has been practices but next season the intention is to revert back to 12 widowhood cocks and 10 hens in a small compartment. The reason behind this is with limited space the hens are being kept in a small section that has not been idea to keep the hens in. Only 4 pairs of stock are used and along with a few choice youngsters from the race birds make up his YB team, who this season have been on the darkness, but this might change this next season. Chris's winning pigeon from Littlehampton was a 2y old doing 1415 flying 205 miles to its loft in Heywood.
Chris Corfield's Trapping System & Chris Corfield's Winner of Second Littlehampton & Inside one section of Chris Corfield's widowhood loft
Still in this neck of the woods in Rochdale is Bobby Brandon who timed a 3y old cheq hen flying 207 miles on 1407. Bobby's hens are raced on widowhood racing to a small compartment with V perches and a 2 inch wire mesh floor at an angle that makes sure the hens stay on their perches. The hens are flown out twice per day and fly well for over an hour. While the hens exercise the YB loft is closed along with the sections with the cocks in so there are no distractions. Once called in they are fed in the corridor and when they go up for a drink they are closed in with two wire doors until their next exercise period. Sitting there very happily until their next time they are let out. A very light feed is used for all the pigeons old and young and all pigeons fit to race are raced every week, that has resulted in a type of pigeon that when you have handled one you have handled them all. Bobby believes over a period of time this weekly workload has moulded them into shape and size that suites the workload asked of them, with all the pigeons being small-to-medium, shallow in the keels with eyes like diamonds and are very quiet and tame in the loft environment.
Bobby Brandon Third place LSC Littlehampton
600 yards or so as the pigeon flies along the road is the loft of John Dearden who picks up the next place in fourth timing a 2y old blue cock raced natural on 1406. John has been very disappointed this season with no channel racing as his team of pigeons are based on that type of racing and like many fanciers is at a very low ebb finding it difficult to get motivated. I am sure this performance will give him a big lift and our next race in a couple of weeks from Guernsey might be more to his liking. Over the years John's performances in the circle races have been exceptional having his name on many of the silver trophies, proving how successful this Norden loft of pigeons have been.
John Dearden fourth In the LSC YB Race
Over in Liverpool the loft of Peter Morris of Speke is the winner of fifth place, Peter timed a 3y old widowhood cheq cock a past prizewinner for him on 1397. Peters system is to pair around the third week of January, along with the stock pigeons and allow them to rear a youngster. The race team are fed on two good widowhood mixtures mixed together with a fat mix added prior to basketing, this has not been used this season with there being no distance racing. The widow cocks loft has a layer of sand on the floor to help keep it dry, this is not the case with the young birds and stock as Peter uses grills. Peter has lived at his present address since 2007 and makes the most of the small garden that has lofts on three sides of it consisting of stock, widow cocks, widow hens and young birds.
Peter Morris fifth Littlehampton LSC
The final place went to one of our longest serving flying members George Pulford of Chester with a 2y old blue cock on 1388 flying 192 miles. I have reported on this pigeon several times as he has been a most consistant pigeon for George. Bred by Ray Bullen from Cheadle and was an exchange pigeon that performed well as a youngster, but when put on the widowhood as a yearling his performances moved up a few gears. He has been George's first pigeon in Circle races a couple of times with his best performance coming from Truro that was a stiff race for all competitors when he was fourth. This season George tells me his winning form has continued and this performance proves it. Once again the LSC exchange has provided a great result as it did in our first OB race for Stephen Beardmore, that strengthen the bonds between members. George has raced total widowhood with cocks as long as I can remember but plans to cut down on the number of birds kept this next season and intends to try racing a few hens and hopes he will be able to compete in some cross channel races as these are the races he loves.
George Pulford sixth Littlehampton with The LSC
Once again this was an excellent race with 66 birds timed on the day from the 77 entered with some good performances put up by our longer flyers, Peter Robinson in 11th spot up in Kendal flying 261 miles, Maurice McCartney in 14th place flying 248 miles to Carnforth and Tony Merrick on the result flying 256 miles to Windermere in the Lake District. I have to say while the Lancashire Social Circle was founded on distance racing back in 1906, with the ever changing way pigeon racing is going, the need to race from over the channel might not be that necessary. When you look at the results of the last two races held by the Circle that have resulted in almost all members names appearing on the result and the social side of the sport has been kept intact, something most clubs these days have lost, we seem to be doing the right thing.
Peter Robinson of Kendal good performance on the day
Brian Dearn. Tel. 01254 772525.
