DEESIDE & NORTH WALES
with Paul Jabobs
3rd & 4th Shotton Shows
Connah’s Quay Labour Club was again the venue for Shotton HS third show which was held on 13th November. There was a slight drop in the birdage from the second show (139 in both classes the first week, 181 the second and 173 this week). This also shows in that the prize money was down as well with £239.50 in total to show for this week which is not to be sniffed at. The last three shows have produced a total of £734.50 in prize money and nominations! Nice! Our judge this week is someone who I can only describe as something of a character and I knew we would be in for a very good night. It is the one and only Brian (Brycer) Williams of Pentre Halkyn. Brian won the prestigious Chester 2 bird Nantes race a few years ago with his wonderful hen. He is also a very small team racer, proving that you don’t need a lot of birds to win races, only quality. Brian was accompanied by his sparring partner, Alan Wilkes. They both had to cast their eyes over a very strong show and I didn’t envy them one bit. Anyway, one particular man this evening was in for a night to remember.
On to the results of the third show which was old hens through the wires and young hens through the wires. OHTTW (112 birds). An increase of 37 birds from the first show sees one man having a super night and starting to pile on the pressure. Who was it? It was Neston’s N. Favager and son. He won the 1st, 2nd and 8th places and also having his winner nominated to take home £137.20. Well worth the short trip over mate! 3rd – another Neston member and someone also having a very good night was Brian Wilcock winning £11.20, these Neston lads are really showing well at the moment, 4th – Brian Hodson’s ex racing partner and fellow Everton supporter, Eddie Bentley, Eddie picks up £5.60, well done Eddie, 5th – W. Taylor, 6th – goes to a fantastic flyer and possibly the best all round racing loft in North Wales at the moment, 4 x 1st open Chester 2 bird winner, Nigel Wright of D.Wright and son, and finally, 7th – goes to Shotton’s George Harris. YHTTW (61 birds). Going home over £200 richer tonight, £204.40 to be precise was Neil Favager who also won the old hens class. He won the 1st prize and nomination again to take £67.20 from this class. Top class showing Neil, 2nd – goes to Shotton HS hard working secretary, Terry Allen. So near yet so far mate, 3rd – goes to Brian Wilcock of Neston winning £6.10, a fruitful night for Brian as he was third prize in the old hens class, 4th – goes to Llandudno’s ace show man and corn merchant, rob fryer, well done Rob (Shotton HS would like to thank Rob for his generous donations of corn and other accessories for our raffle every year, they are very much appreciated, thanks Rob), Rob takes away £3.05, 5th – goes to the multi prize winning loft of Rhos D. Wright and son, 6th – goes to a very good friend of ours, Terry Andrews of “CLM” Lofts (Curly, Larry and Mo) or is it “Curly” lofts as the “Larry” & “Mo” have since departed! 7th – goes to our friend from Liverpool and the lad along with “JR” who got me into this malarkey, fellow scribe, Paul Dalton and finally goes to a new name to me, E. Stevens, well done sir. Here are the first five positions in the points and a new name rises to the top with N. Favager and son with 32 pts, 2nd – Rob Fryer on 27 pts, 3rd – with 19 pts, Brian Wilcock, 4th – Brymbo’s Tony Murray and son with 17 pts and finally 5th – Mark Jones and son on 13 points. Shotton HS would like to thank “Brycer” for accepting our invitation to judge our shows this week, cheers Brian.
Our fourth show on the 20th November was well represented again with 176 birds entered in both shows. There was an increase in prize money and nominations as this week there was £246 to compete for, meaning that in four shows there has been nearly a thousand pounds up for grabs, in fact it is £980.50, not bad eh! We had a bit of a mishap regarding our judges this week as the very respected George Pulford of Chester who was judge this week went down with a bad dose of “Delhi Belly”! But seriously, George was very poorly and lost quite a bit of weight but thankfully, had recovered sufficiently to come to Shotton HS prize presentation (hope you had a good time and are feeling better George). Anyway, into the fold stepped a man who I can only describe as a magnificent flyer, and has been winning nigh on 20 x 1sts a season for as long as I can remember. The man I am talking about is none other than the “Sandycroft Slayer”, Alan Atkinson. Alan cast his eyes over the birds and did a great job at such short notice. Anyway £139.00 was to be competed for in the old birds class and here is the result. (OCTTW 100 birds). Winning 1st and nomination was a partnership that has won all before them the last few years. These lads have won up to national flying club level and have won section “J” a couple of times recently as well as winning many prizes in club and federation with their Huybregts. They are none other than Davenport and Roberts and they win the show with a nice looking blue WF cock and picking up £109.00 in the process, 2nd – was a local lad and a good worker for the club, George Harris and he scored with another blue WF cock winning £15.00 to boot, 3rd – N. Favager and son with a pencil blue cock and £10.00 prize money, 4th – Lloyd bros with a blue cock and £5.00, well done Keith, 5th – Roy Sandland with a cheq cock, 6th – Wrexhams Fred Tilston and sons with his pencil blue pied superstar show cock, 7th – another Shotton member, Joe Mason and son with a cheq wf cock, congratulations Joe and Mike, and 8th goes to A. Dutton with a pencil blue cock. After Alan finished running his eyes over the old cocks it was the turn of the young ones. £107.00 was the total in prizes and nominations in the young bird’s class. (YCTTW 76 birds). In 1st position was another new member to me, Mr. A. Dutton who unfortunately did not nominate their bird but still picked up £15.20 for his troubles nevertheless, well done sir, 2nd – was E.Stevens who capitalised on A. Duttons misfortune and whose bird was nominated and picked up a total of £80.40, 3rd and 4th – was one of the sports characters, Ellesmere Ports Alan Coombes picking up £11.40, 5th – was one of the “Neston mafia”, Mark Jones and son (seriously, these Neston lads have their birds in tremendous condition), 6th – again, Nestons Brian Wilcock, 7th – Lloyd bros who have had a good night tonight winning cards in both classes (did you winning all these cards keep Mr. Murray silent Keith?), and in final position, Llandudno’s Rob Fryer. Here are the first five positions in the points which sees Neil Favager and son cementing their position in first place with 38 points, 2nd place is occupied by Rob Fryer on 28 points, Brian Wilcock still in third with 22 points, 4th – Tony Murray and Mark Jones and son with 17 points and 5th is Roy Sandland with 16 points. I must stress that this point’s league is unofficial as the points are collaborated by Shottons secretary, Terry Allen. But it is a strong guide to who is in the lead and creates a bit of interest through the show season.
Former “Deeside and North Wales” scribe Jeff Reynolds e-mailed me the other day regarding next year's Shotton HS gold ring race. The race will be held again from Eastbourne and the date will be Wednesday, 29th august 2007 with marking taking place on Tuesday, 28th August at the Connah’s Quay Labour Club. Quite a few fanciers thought that this years mid September race was too late in the year and the birds were starting to fall to bits hence the decision to bring it back a few weeks. Others also expressed concern about being released with other birds so next year we have decided to go it alone with a single liberation. In the previous six races over £46,000 has been paid out in prizes and eight different lofts have won over £1,000 with one winning over £2,000!! The race is open to all the local federations, i.e. Wrexham, Deeside and North Wales, North Wales Coast, North Wirral, North East Wales and West Wirral and the West Cheshire Federation and to date every Federation has produced a winning loft, so you can’t get much fairer than that can you!
Rings as always are priced at £10 each and if you buy between 5 and 9 rings, you will receive one free of charge and if you buy the maximum 10 rings you will receive an extra 2 rings free giving you a grand total of 12 chances come august. Race application forms will be left at all the local corn suppliers and an advert should be in the BHW prior to the New Year where you can tear out the page and fill it in. Please note that between January 19th and February 19th I (Jeff Reynolds) will be in New Zealand visiting my brother so all application forms should be sent out to either Albert Gelder or Terry Allen, details of their addresses can be found in the advert and on application forms. Best wishes for the forthcoming season (JR). Thanks Jeff.
Personally, after the last two years where the weather hasn’t been the greatest and all the birds have been through a punishing young bird season, I think it is a step forward as most of the young birds will be coming into their prime having completed at least five or six races by then. So hopefully we’ll have a bumper turn out again.
If anybody has any correspondence they can contact me at 20, Lon Dderwen, Connah’s Quay, Flintshire. CH5 4WG or phone (01244) 819934. E – mail
3/1/07
