ACROSS THE MIDDLE
by Gordon Braban & John Wilkie
Melton Mowbray
Saturday the 25th of May, most of the Lillers birds had made their way back home early in the morning, which on the whole did not make a bad race after all. Like I said earlier, we would hold 2 races on the same weekend. The second race was from Melton Mowbray, which is about 150 miles to the middle of the combine. The weather was not that good but it was forecasted to get better for the Sunday, which it did. With most of the fanciers keeping their inland team back for this comeback race, there were still some big teams away.
Saturday morning and with Mr Steve Proffitt and his team of convoyers away with the Lillers pigeons the job of liberating the Melton Mowbray birds was up to the assistant convoyer. Word came back that he would start with Section 1 at 06-45 am then at 15 min intervals. With only Houghton fed racing from section 3, we were put up with Section 5 at 07-30 am, so Section 2 Gateshead fed and the Newcastle West fed lads went up at 07-00 am into a south wind, so a fast race was expected.
Gateshead Fed. 1111 birds.
Dunston h s. Making it a clean sweep by taking the top 7 positions in the club were Phillipp Steele & Alan Hubbuck. Their first 5 pigeons were clocked in within 40 seconds to take the top 5 position in the fed. 1st pigeon was a yearling check white cock taking 2 hrs 43 mins 14 secs to cover 156 miles and was doing 1683-7, next was a blue cock 7 secs later, then another blue cock clocked 3 secs later, these 2 birds doing 1682s, then a 2 year old check cock 5 secs after that then a yearling blue hen 26 secs later to make the 5th fed position. 7 secs after that dropped another bird, a 2 year old dark hen to take 6th club and 7th fed, then a yearling check hen which was 7th club 8th fed doing 1674-8. Tommy Mollet took 8th club 9th fed with a yearling blue cock and was doing 1674-0.
Bensham h s. The Gray bros Bob & Mick were the winners with a yearling check cock that was doing 1676-0 to take 6th fed. Quinn, son smith & Noble were 2nd club 10th fed with a yearling check white hen that was doing 1668-8, Hall & Blair were 3rd club 17th fed with a yearling Sed blue cock it was doing 1660-6 then the Gray bros took the next 4 positions in the club with all 4 birds dropping down with 8 secs splitting them.
Mount Pleasant h s. Taking the top 6 positions again in the club this week were H,J,S, Howourth, Johnson & Steele. Their only bird on the fed sheet was a 2 year old blue hen that was 11th fed doing1668-8 taking 2 hrs 44 mins 26 secs.
Alan Wilcox jnr was the winner at the Highfield club with a 3 year old check hen that was 13th fed making it 2 wins on the same weekend from both races
At Wrekenton h s Crawford and son took the top 3 positions. First was a yearling blue cock that was 15th fed doing 1663-3 then 24 secs later with a yearling dark hen that was 22nd fed then a yearling mealy white cock that was 28th fed and T Anderson & son were 4th club and 30th fed with a 2 year old blue hen
All 30 positions were taken up within 30 yards and with good returns for all members.
Sunderland Prem fed 889 birds.
Sportsmans & Comrades 156 birds. Having another good weekend were H Potts & sons who got their 2nd win on the trot. These lads clocked 5 birds in that were only a couple of mins apart to be 1st, 3rd, 4th, 7th & 8th club and 1st, 4th, 5th, 10th & 12th fed. Their first pigeon was doing 1751-8 and wins the fed noms. Their 5th pigeon was doing 1729-1 and takes 2nd place in the Ford 2 bird club. The Dunn bros took 2nd, 5th, 6th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th & 14th club and all these made the fed sheet taking 3rd, 6th, 7th, 13th, 15th, 17th, 18th, 19th & 20th fed doing vels from 1748-5 down to 1720-2.
The Sportsmans club had 14 pigeons on the fed sheet.
Armstrong & Shergold took the top spot at the Plains farm club doing 1749-3. This bird wins 2nd fed noms and also wins the Ford 2 bird club and it was 2nd fed. K Patterson was 2nd club 16th fed doing 1727-1.
Oddfellows h s. W Cummings took the top 2 positions in the club with only a second splitting them to be 8th & 9th fed with vels of 1734s. R Wardle & sons were 3rd club 11th fed and S Potts & sons were 4th club 14th fed doing 1727-8.
Section 3 Houghton fed 830 birds.
Washington Celtic h s. Dyson & Nichols had a good day. They got 5 pigeons within 52 secs to take 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th & 6th club and 1st, 2nd, 5th, 6th & 7th fed. Their first 2 birds were only 1 sec apart, both of them yearlings, first a check hen then a blue cock doing 1750s. The next 3 birds were 2 secs apart, 2 yearlings and a 3 year old. Mr & Mrs Alan Hindhaugh & Donaldson were 3rd club 4th fed with a yearling blue cock doing 1742-9, T Craggs was 7th club 8th fed with a black Belgie cock, Thompson & Laidler took 8th club 10th fed doing 1738-8 and Tommy Smith was just behind that doing 1738-1. This blue white hen came and dropped straight on top of the factories next to Tommy’s loft before going in.
The Fort bros were 1st, 2nd & 4th down at the North Biddick club. Their first pigeon was the good 4 year old blue cock that has a good few wins now it was 3rd fed doing 1748-0. The next 2 birds were 9th & 17th fed. The Clennell bros & Curry were 3rd & 5th club 14th & 18th fed with 2 yearling blue hens. Alan Pallas was 6th club 20th fed with a 2 year old check hen.
Billy Laidler & Alan Simpson were 1st & 2nd at Shiney Row. Their first pigeon was a yearling blue white cock that was 12th fed and then 30th fed with a 2 year old check hen.
Gordon Tyzack was the winner at the Gardeners club with a red cock and was 19th fed and Davy Makepeace and Surtees were 2nd club 26th fed with a 3 year old blue pied hen.
It was a good sort of a race with some of the birds sky high and some of them just over the head height but on the whole a very good race.
Well that's just about it from me this time. I am nearly getting caught up with my write ups. I have been having trouble with this computer. They are dangerous things in the wrong hands, with all these updates and viruses that can get into computers, but I am getting there. Any news or results that you want me to write about get them in as quick as you can. Next week we are at Melton Mowbray again so until then THAT’S ALL FOLKS GORDON.
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