Lancashire Social Circle
At one of the Gatherings this last year the Circle held a poll of the members who intended or had registered for their CPH numbers with DEFRA. At this point in time only around 20% of the membership had registered or intended to compete from over the channel this season. The reason for the poll was to assist the management committee in arranging the race programme for 2023 racing season. There would have been little or no point in providing three OB races from France, that has been the norm since the Lancashire Social Circle was formed back in 1906, if two thirds of the members could not send. With this in mind the Circle arranged three in-land races from the south coast that would enable all members to compete and these three races would cover the averages and cater for all the trophies that the Circle hold so dear.
For those members who had gone to the trouble in obtaining their CPH numbers, a channel race was a was provided on the 3rd June from Messac. This was well supported with well over half of the membership now having got the necessary paperwork in order to compete from France, proving there is a real and great interest in distance racing here in the North West as is shown with the high birdage in section 'L' of the NFC.
With the Circle originally founded on distance racing from race points like Marennes, San Sebastian and Bordeaux, it was felt only right this tradition should be up-held while not excluding members who at this point in time have not registered. With several of the Circle members being members of the National Flying Club, 50 years ago Doug Wright presented a silver trophy to the Circle in memory of his father Arthur and past member. This has always been presented to the first nominated pigeon timed in the NFC Pau or Tarbes race. A second trophy presented by the late Roy Mundy's sister in memory of her brother, who many will recall won the section from Pau with his pigeon called 'Rossall King' that was later purchased by Louis Massarella. This trophy was presented to the member who times the first pigeon in the NFC Pau or Tarbes race. With little or no channel racing these last few seasons and with less and less members competing from the 700 mile races these two trophies have not been presented. The race from Messac in conjunction with the NFC has given the Circle the opportunity to reinstate these back into competition.
John Winstanley leads the field with a 4y old blue hen from his now well established family of Syndicate pigeons x Curtis Wall & Lunt birds. This family have stood the test of time with John not having to bring in any new birds for a number of years. The sire of this cracking blue hen is now 14 years old with her dam being a 7y old stock bird. It is true to say the main-stay of the loft are of the above family with one or two exchange birds that make up the roundabout team of racers. John was telling me at this point in the season he has to work hard to stop the hens from pairing, but their performances over the last few week has been remarkable, having won his club and fed in the last two races. John' s winning pigeon was doing 1112 ypm flying almost 400 miles which John feels is about the distance these pigeons are capable of winning at. John wins the Wright Trophy and the Roy Mundy Trophy.
John Winstanley Winner of rthe Messac Race
Graham Mackay flying just over 3 miles short of John picks up the second diploma doing 1088 flying just short of 396 miles with a blue Ceusters roundabout hen that has been more than consistant racing with the North West Classic Club last season from Guernsey. She had all four Guernsey races with the Classic with her best performance being 2nd Section 7th Open. Not to be out done Graham sent her to the Lancashire Social Circle Guernsey race where she was 3rd.
Graham Mackay Second Messac and Sixth Littlehampton with Best Two Bird Average.
Jim Kenny one of the Circles newer members was third with a 4y old blue chequer hen, that one could say is a true Lancashire Social Circle pigeon. The sire of Jim's winning bird was bred by fellow Circle member David Newson, while the dam was one of a small team that Jim purchased when he was re-entering the sport a few seasons back from another of the Circle members George Hilson. As a yearling his winner was not looking to well but with some tender loving care and a dose of medication she has paid him back 10 fold. She is a winner of minor prizes but being bred for the distance races and no channel racing for a couple of seasons this Messac race proved to be her distance.
Jim Kenny Third Messac
Bobby Brandon timed a home bred 4y old blue hen on 1074 flying 401 miles to its home loft in Rochdale taking the fourth prize. Bobby's pigeon is no stranger to the prize cards both inland and from over the channel and has never had a night out, always being clocked on the day. Both sire and dam of this great hen came from Anthony & Simon Hughes.
Bobby Brandon Fourth Messac
David Pritchard picks up the fifth spot with a velocity of 1020 when he timed a 3y old chequer hen. When David first started back in the sport a few years back he only raced widowhood cocks with a great deal of success. He family of birds are all bred around some good distance birds, that like so many of us he has big problems with the birds of prey. As a result a couple of seasons back he retired many of his top winners to the stock loft. Since Covid David's work load has changed, that has meant long working days, resulting in some days not having the pigeons out for exercise. In 2020 he put a small team of hens in the young bird loft on the darkness and derived a system that would enable him to race these with little or no loft flying and only used his club for training. Flown on full widowhood having never been paired or seen a cock until this season.
David Pritchard Fifth Messac
Bob Smith picks up the final diploma in sixth place again with a hen meaning the top six places all go to the ladies of the lofts. Bob's prize-winner was a 3y old blue widowhood hen. Who Bob describes as one of their better racing hens having 4 top National positions plus second Eccles Two Bird Club along with a string of minor prizes in both Club and Fed races.
Bob Smith Sixth Messac
I was so pleased to see so many of our members taking part in this our only channel race of this season, with this being something we could build on should the membership so wish. It was also pleasing to see over half the birds entered, appearing on the result on a very testing race day with a north east wind. Proving how good the fanciers of the Lancashire Social Circle are, with five of the members timed in both their entries.
Arranging races this season had been more difficult with less and less organisations transporting pigeons. Another big problem is we like to race mark our pigeons at 12 noon before we have lunch at must be the best race marking in the country Alder Root Golf Club. The pigeons then need to be held until the transporter can take them to the race point later in the day. With all the above in mind the first inland race was organised from Littlehampton a distance of around 200 miles. 35 member entered 70 birds in this two bird race liberated 8 30 into a north east wind that was changing more south east later in the day, this helped the leading birds do 50 mph.
Taking the top spot was Circle President Stephen Beardmore with a yearling hen doing 1520. Stephen won this race last season so will retain the Briggs Trophy presented to the winner of the first OB race. Stephen also wins the Albert Hitchen Award and a Frank H Parsonage Award. David Newson from Banks near Southport was second, again with a yearling hen doing 1480. David has not competed in the first few races organised by his club as the liberations have been early with birds arriving home while he is still at work. Even though he has ETS he would still like to be there to see his pigeons come. Keith Iddon along with his partner Ronnie Wilson were third with 2y old Van Den Brant blue hen on 1476 for the 215 mile trip to Heskin near Ormskirk. John Mills from St Helens takes the fourth place with a 2y old widowhood cock with a velocity of 1425. Staying over on the west side of the country in Speke Liverpool in the loft of Peter Morris who timed one of the older birds on the result a 5y old widowhood cock on 1420 to take fifth spot. It's not until the final diploma we find a more central member with Graham Mackay who timed the first of his two arrivals a yearling cock on 1410 to take the sixth place. Graham only had to wait a matter of 3 minutes to record his second pigeon a roundabout hen. This two bird performance wins him the Webster Bros Trophy with a velocity of 1401, followed by Keith Iddon in second place on 1388. The race turned out to be a good one for returns on a weekend when several other racing organisations had some heavy losses. The Circle had only 3 members who failed to clock one who had no returns, one who felt his birds were too late and a third who had trouble with his ETS pad for some reason. From the 70 birds entered 53 were recorded on the result with most members timing their nominations going forward to the next race which is in a week's time.
Stephen Beardmore First Littlehampton David Newson 2nd Littlehampton
Ronnie Wilson who flies with Keith Iddon who was Third Littlehampton John Mills Fourth Littlehampton
Peter Morris Fifth Littlehampton
Brian Dearn Tel. 01254 772515.
