ACROSS THE MIDDLE
by Gordon Braban & John Wilkie
Lillers 2014
Hello, this weekend 24th May the Up North Combine would hold 2 races, the first from Lillers (the first of the 5 channel races) and also a race from Melton Mowbray, which is a come-back race which we lost at the start of the season due to bad weather. The birds were basketed on the Wednesday, with hopes that if the forecast was alright on Friday we would get a race. On the Wednesday while we were basketing the birds, the rain never stopped. The forecast for the Friday was good for the first 250+ miles then the last 100 miles or so the weather was to turn bad, with rain forecast {that was a correct forecast} so with the birds all basketed up and away to France it was just hold tight and see what happened on Friday. Well Friday came along and it was just hold on till Mr Steve Proffitt and his team of convoyers got the birds ready, and at 09-45 they liberated 12-527 pigeons into a south west wind. So the birds were away and it was then where would the combine winner be and what time the birds would do? With a south west wind most people were expecting a fast race, not quite a mile a min, and they were not far wrong. With the rain steadly coming down, it was just sit tight and hope that I would have a few pigeons that would fly through it {I train in it so they should do}. The phone calls started to come in from the front end 30+ miles away telling me that the birds were back on around 5 hours 40 mins, which was not expected to be that quick, so that made the birds to be getting into our area about 40 mins after, but the rain got heavier which slowed the birds up a little bit. I was standing inside the cabin when the phone calls came in from closer to home about 15 miles away that they were getting nearer, so outside I went {well if they can fly in this I can get a little wet as well}, standing on my steps {like a idiot} and I did not have to wait for too long for birds to drop in. But that's a story for Section 3 results, so let’s get down to the results from the 3 sections that I write about starting with:
Section 2 Gateshead Fed and Newcastle West fed
Gateshead fed 883 birds.
Saltwell h s. D Pearson & Bell had a clean sweep in the club taking the top 3 positions in the club. Their first pigeon was a 3 year old blue hen which took 6 hrs 31 mins 59 secs to cover the 349+ miles and was doing 1567-9 and ended up 1st club, fed, section and 74th combine. Their next 2 birds were just over 15 mins later, both yearling pied hens doing 1510 & 1509 for 25th & 26th fed.
Springwell h s. Scott, son & Harty took the red card with a yearling check cock that took 6hrs 28mins 31secs to cover 345 miles and was doing 1566-6. This cock was 2nd fed section 78th combine and wins the fed 2 bird club. John Southern was 2nd club 28th fed with a yearling blue cock doing 1507-2.
Wrekenton h s. Terry Elliott & John Watson clocked 3 hens in within 12 mins to take 1st, 4th & 7th club and 3rd, 11th and 21st fed. The first pigeon was a 2 year old blue hen that was doing 1565-8 and ended up 82nd combine, the 2nd pigeon was a yearling blue white hen doing 1527-8 that finished up 204th combine, and the 3 bird was a yearling blue hen doing 1514-4. Crawford & son clocked 2 birds in nly 82 secs apart, first a yearling blue cock that was 2nd club, 9th fed and 182nd combine doing 1533-1, next pigeon a 2 year old check hen that was 203rd combine doing 1527-9. Tommy Askew was 5th club 14th fed 240th combine with a 2 year old check cock. A & M Hirst were 6th club 19th fed with a 2 year old check cock doing 1517-7.
Bensham h s. Quinn, son Smith & Noble, flying 348+ miles clocked 3 birds in with 15 mins between them, first a blue pied Z ring hen that took 6hrs 32mins 43secs to take 1st club 4th fed and 88th combine doing 1563-1 (this hen will win the Zring Lillers open race and also the Lillers show), 2nd a 2 year old check hen that was 2nd club 7th fed and 108th combine, 3rd a blue cock that was 30th fed. The Gray bros Bob & Mick clocked 3 pigeons. The first 2 birds were only 1 sec apart. The first bird was a 2 year old blue hen that was doing 1522-3 and was 15th fed and 245th combine, the next pigeon was a 3 year old red cock that was 246th combine, the 3rd pigeon was 22nd fed doing 1514-25. Kenny & Ged Hooker took 5th club 18th fed 250th combine with a 2 year old blue hen.
Dunston h s. John Jobey, Mark Bainbridge & David Scott took the top 2 positions in the Dunston club. Their first pigeon was a 4 year old mealy cock that has a good few turns to its name now, doing 1562-2 to be 5th fed and 90th combine, next doing 1523-2 was a yearling check hen that took 2nd club 13th fed and 235th combine.
Mount Pleasant h s. Davy Hulme and Craig Larvin took 1st and 2nd club, 6th & 17th fed and also 102nd and 248th combine. The first pigeon was 2 year old pied hen doing 1557-3 and then 1521-6. Howourth, Johnson & Steele were 3rd club 20th fed with a 2 year old blue cock doing 1515-7.
Birtley h s was won by Jeff Morris & son with a 3 year old blue hen doing 1550-7 to be 8th fed and 122nd combine. Jeff was also 2nd club 27th fed with a 2 year old pied hen.
Highfield h s. A Wilcox was the winner with a 2 year old blue hen that was doing 1526-3 to be 12th fed and 218th combine. W McMillan was 2nd club 23rd fed with yearling blue cock and J Johnson was 3rd club 24th fed with a 3 year old hen.
On the whole it did not turn out to be a bad race, a bit gappy, but most of the birds made their way back on the day and those which had a night out were knocking around the following day.
Mid Tyne Federation. John Wilkie reports.
For this the first Channel race of the season from Lillers 33 member lofts sent a total of 558 birds, this actually being about 130 up on last year. Liberated on the Friday at 9-45am, this due to a dodgy forecast for Saturday and the days following. At Boldon Colliery H.S where 15 lofts sent 344 birds the loft of Graham, Gilchrist & Brennan finally got off to winning ways to be 1st club 1st fed and 1st section 3. Their winning pigeon, a three year old hen bred by Soderlund & Maddison, completed the 345 mile trip in 6hrs 26min 56secs to record a velocity of 1572.89ypm. This is only the second time that this hen has won but has been in the top ten on many occasions, and the way she has been coming this year Willy Brennan said if the loft had only entered one pigeon this would have been it. At 2nd & 3rd club 3rd & 6th fed was the inform loft of Walker & Greenlay, these two recording 1544.3 and 1530.3ypm. As has been the norm with this loft they also recorded 8th 17th & 18th fed with velocities of 1529.4, 1513.9 & 1513.6ypm. Ken Young also flew a canny race at Boldon to be 4th 8th 12th club 7th 12th 16th fed, the first one on 1529.6 and the third one on 1516.1ypm. Billy Miller was in at 6th club 9th fed this one doing 1528.9ypm. At 7th 9th & 10th club 10th 13th & 14th fed Miller Bros & Kyle 1527.1 & two on 1520ypm. Tom Ridley, last seasons N.E.H.U. Futurity Race winner, came in at 11th club 15th fed on 1519.6ypm. The other Boldon loft to make the fed sheet was Kevin McFarlane being 15th 16th club 19th 20th fed these doing 1512.9 & 1511.3ypm. Heworth H.S. saw John Gofton take pole position for 1st club 2nd fed this one doing 1549.5ypm, its been a while since we have seen John in pole so well done John. At Jarrow Alexandra H.S. it was Steve Whitehead who got 1st club 3rd fed 1538ypm with Kev Seales at 2nd club 4th fed 1536.4ypm, I believe Kev had a problem with his E.T.S. system. Third club 11th fed went to Scott & Son on 1526.1ypm. As can be seen from the above just a drop of 61ypm, 16minutes, to get 20 pigeons, not bad from 345 miles especially in the weather conditions at the home end. It is the writers opinion that had the home end weather forecast of showers been correct instead of the horrible low cloud and drizzle we got then a much better race would have been had. As it was there were a lot of empty perches on the night but fortunately most birds have turned in since.
Section 3. Houghton fed 596 birds.
Washington Gardeners h s. Jeff Jobling was the club and fed winner out of the first channel race with a 2 year old blue hen which took 6hrs 31mins 51 secs to cover the 343+ miles. This blue hen was doing a vel of 1541-2 and ended up 154th combine. Gordon Tyzack was 2nd club 4th fed and 188th combine with a yearling blue hen doing 1531-7, and Mr & Mrs Brian Swinburne took 3rd club 9th fed with a yearling check white hen on 1503-6.
Washington Celtic h s. Braban & son were the winners. Like I said earlier in this report, while I was waiting in the rain for the birds to arrive standing in my corn shed drinking a cup of coffee and smoking a tab trying to keep dry, over the top of the old Bourges loft went a yearling red Busscheart cock which trapped straight onto the ETS pad. Well just standing there like a wet Nellie I heard the clock bleep {no chance of me getting more wetter] so I let him go for a while. He took 6 hrs 33 mins 47 secs and was doing 1537-9 to be 2nd fed and 162nd combine. Mr & Mrs Geordie Pearce were 2nd club 3rd fed and 178th combine with a 2 year old dark hen doing 1533-4. Dyson & Nichols clocked 3 birds in with in 7 mins to be 3rd, 5th, & 6th club and 5th, 8th, & 10th fed. The first pigeon was a 4 year old check hen doing 1528-3 which was 201st combine, the next pigeon was a 2 year old check hen 6 mins later doing 1505-7, and the 3rd pigeon was a 3 year old check cock doing 1501-9. Terry Craggs was 4th club 6th fed & 230th combine with a yearling blue white hen doing 1523-9 and Billy Scott & son were 7th club 11th fed with a yearling check cock.
Shiney Row h s. Hughie Jackson & son took 1st, 2nd & 4th club and 7th, 17th & 27th fed. The first pigeon was a 3 year old check cock that took 6 hrs 32 mins 32 secs to cover the 339 miles and was doing1523-1 and was 237th combine. The next pigeon was 12 mins later and was a 3 year old blue pied cock doing 1479-4, and the 3rd pigeon was a check cock 5 mins later doing 1461-6. R & K Emery were 3rd club 19th fed with a 2 year old check cock doing 1476-6.
Penshaw h s. Stevie Wilson, son Gavin & dtr Kirsty clocked 6 birds in with in 7 mins, 5 of them belonging to the Penshaw club and the other bird from the Celtic club. They were a mixture of cocks and hens taking the top 5 positions in Penshaw and taking 12th, 13th, 14th,16th & 18th fed and the Celtic pigeon was 15th fed.
Biddick h s. Clennell, bros & Curry took the top 2 positionS in the club with a 2 year old check hen that was 20th fed and a 3 year old blue white hen that was 25th fed.
On a day like it was the 30 positions in the fed were taken up within 90 yards or 25 mins to fill the sheet. Returns were not that bad in our fed on the day.
Section 4. Sunderland Prem Fed.
Sportsmans & Comrades h s 189 birds. It was an excellent weekend for the H Potts & sons partnership with a good win in the club, fed and Section. These lads clocked a 5 year old doing 1562-7 to be 89th combine, and were also 3rd club and 13th fed also 224th combine with a 2 year old doing 1525-8. Thurlow, Strong & Andrews were 2nd club 4th fed and 126th combine with a yearling.
Oddfellows h s 196 birds. The Greenhow bros had a good day taking 1st, 3rd & 4th club and 2nd, 14th & 19th fed. Their first pigeon was a 2 year old which wins the Ford 2 bird club and ended up 99th combine doing 1557-8. The 2nd pigeon was 227th combine. Mr & Mrs Collinson & son were 2nd club 11th fed and 205th combine with a 2 year old doing 1527-5. Plains Farm h s 247 birds. Hammond & Webster took the red card with a 2 year old that took 6hrs 26mins 7secs to be 3rd fed and 118th combine. Brown & Stubbs were 2nd & 4th club and 5th & 16th fed. Their first pigeon was doing 1548-9 and was 129th combine, and the next pigeon was doing 1524.1 and was 229th combine. Kev Armstrong & Paul Shergold were 3rd club 9th fed and 165th combine with a yearling doing 1537-0, Thompson & Kell were 5th club and 18th fed doing 1520-2 and Dawson & Peacock were 6th club 20th fed. Westside 6 bird club, 95 birds, was won by Mr & Mrs Moore & son with a yearling Irish pigeon doing 1540-5 for 155th combine. I Savage was 2nd club, 10th fed and 190th combine. This 3 year old wins the fed £1 noms and was 2nd in the Ford 2 bird club doing 1530-9.
Castletown h s, 80 birds. Chipp & Kibble took 1st, 2nd & 4th club 6th, 8th & 15th fed. Their first pigeon was a 2 year old doing 1542-7 for 148th combine, their 2nd pigeon was 163rd combine and the 3rd bird was 228th combine. Summers, bros & Rose were 3rd club 12th fed and 216th combine doing 1526-5. Rush & ptns were 4th club 17th fed and 241st combine with a 3 year old that has a few positions this year.
Well that's just about it for this story about the first channel race from the UNC. Like we have always said, the winners will always do good times and there will always be something that gets through. A sticky finish for most of the lads in the middle, but it was the lads that fly behind me that I feel sorry for, an extra 20 to 70 miles further on to go, and with the rain getting heavier they did not stand much of a chance, but they made it anyway. Brave little pigeons, that's all I can say. So until next time, THAT’S ALL FOLKS GORDON.
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