ACROSS THE MIDDLE
by Gordon Braban & John Wilkie
Peterbrough - April 2013
It was the 3rd race for the UP NORTH COMBINE this week. The birds were at Peterborough which is around the 170 miles to most of the people in the middle. This race is when the convoyer liberates the pigeons in 2 splits, sections 1, 4 & 6 then sections 2, 3 & 5. The week leading up to the Friday was good with sunshine for most of the areas. A few of the lads in my own area have decided to train our water birds on with the Wednesday club which is run by Graham Brennen. This week the birds went to Pontefract which is over 80 miles and they were liberated at 12-55. It took them just over 1hr 40 mins to make their way home, with great returns as well, which is not bad for the first long chuck. These birds will go each week with the Wednesday training until the week before Lillers, which is in a month’s time.
So here is the convoyer’s report for the Peterborough weekend. Thursday it was predicted heavy showers with some sunshine. Friday, still looking good, fresh winds predicted, good visibility, heavy showers some wintry. Saturday 07-00, the forecaster advised the longer we waited the better the chances would be. 08-00 poor conditions at the race point and on the line of flight, then later on it was good at the race point, line of flight still experiencing showers but not as heavy and persistent as earlier, so he decided to liberate sections 1,4 & 6 at 11-55, then sections 2, 3 & 5 at 12-20 into a cold north wind turning to a NNE wind en route so the birds were away leaving the liberation site within minutes.
Section 2 Gateshead fed 2187 birds
Bensham h s 401 birds. The Gray bros Bob & Mick won it and well, what can you say about these 2 lads flying 174+ miles and clocking 2 cocks in on the same second, first a red cock that went over the pad on 3hrs 56mins 4secs to record a vel of 1300-63 and a blue cock not putting its leg down quick enough to record the same vel to take 1st & 2nd club and fed and also in the section. Out of the 2 sections that I write about that were up at the same time these lads had the first 2 birds beating 6-315 birds. Kenny & Ged Hooker clocked a Kev ‘Hollywood Hofkens’ Parsons check cock that was 3rd club 15th fed nearly 4 mins later; this cock was doing 1280-02. Mark Bainbridge was 4th club 18th fed with a yearling check cock. Alan Wilson was 5th club 21st fed clocking a 2 year old check cock doing 1267-25. The Quinn, son, Smith & Noble clan took 6th & 7th with 2 blue hens. Their 2nd hen was just over 8 mins after the Gray bros 2 birds and she was 30th fed {did you only send 2 Bob?}.
Birtley h s 208 birds. Potts, Walker & Birlleson took the red card in the club with a well fancied 2 year old check cock that was 3rd fed and wins the fed 2bird club with a vel of 1296-73. Jeff Morris & son took 2nd & 3rd club 8th & 23rd fed, firstly with a 2 year old blue hen then a yearling Zring blue hen. TB Wilkinson was 4th club 26th fed with a 2 year old pied cock doing 1260-34.
Wrekenton h s 426 birds. Crawford & son kept up their run of good luck. This week they win the club with a yearling MT dark cock making it 2 wins on the trot and they ended up 4th fed doing 1296-12. Just behind them were Terry Elliott & John Watson with 2 yearling Zring cocks in 8 seconds, first a check cock doing 1295-91 and then a blue cock doing 1294-79 and were 5th & 6th fed. T Gray & son Dean took 4th club 17th fed with a 2 year old check GB hen. Crawford & son were also 5th club 19th fed with another MT check hen and Elliott & Watson took 6th club 20th fed with a 3 year old SS blue cock.
Dunston h s 364 birds. Chas & Dave Morpeth & Scott came out on top this week when they timed a 2 year old check cock in to take 1st club, 7th fed and 2nd in the fed 2 bird club; they also took 3rd & 4th club with a 2 year old ckeck cock that was 14th fed and a yearling check cock that was 25th fed 5 mins apart. The 3Gs Gordon, Gray & Gray had to settle for a second club this week with a 2 year old blue cock doing 1280-71. Tommy Mollett took 5th club 27th fed and Philipp Steele & Hubbock was 6th & 7th club 28th & 29th fed.
Saltwell h s 174 birds. D Pearson & Bell clocked 2 hens to be 1st & 2nd club 9th & 11th fed. These hens were clocked in taking 3hrs 59mins 50secs & 4 hrs & 17 secs. J Turnbull, Turnbull & Steele were 3rd & 4th club 12th & 16th fed.
Mount Pleasant h s 198 birds. Davy Hulme & Craig Larvin clocked a 2 year old blue hen and a yearling pied cock to take 1st & 2nd club 10th and 22nd fed. Happy Ray Howourth, Honest Kev Johnson & Just Micky Steeletook the next 4 positions.
On a hardish sort of a day it only took 41 yards to fill the fed sheet, which is funny as it took longer the past 2 weeks on a faster day to take up the 30 spots in the fed, 8 minutes to be exact from 1st to 30th.
Newcastle West Fed 1226 birds
This week’s fed winner comes from the British Legion Club. K McKenzie clocked a 2 year old blue hen in to take 1st club 1st fed and 3rd section taking 4hrs min 45 secs to cover the 178 + miles doing a vel of 1300-37. The next bird in the club was 5 mins later and belongs to the Burns bros, that was a yearling blue hen doing 1273-09 and was 4th fed. Their next pigeon was nearly 2 mins later which was a 2 year old blue cock that took 10th fed. Decca Lamb clocked a yearling blue cock in to be 3rd club 7th fed and then a min plus later a check white yearling hen that was 5th club 13th fed.
Westerhope h s. B Wallace & son Jeff took the red card with a 3 year old blue hen that was 2nd fed 4th section doing 129-33. Graham, son & Brown clocked 3 birds in within 2mins 30 secs to be 2nd, 3rd & 5th club and 5th, 9th & 14th fed clocking 2 check hens and a check cock. The singing sparkie Davy Little, son & Ray Southgate took 4th club 11th fed with a 2 year old check cock. Copeland & Bolam clocked a 3 year old blue cock that was 16th fed. In Coxlodge h s W Anderson was the winner again this week with a check cock that took 3rd fed, R Sanderson was 2nd club 8th fed with a check white cock, Harvey & Hammond took 3rd, 5th & 6th club and 12th, 19th, & 20th fed all 3 being hens and D Rutherford was 4th club 15th fed with a 3 year old check cock doing 1258-59. The Harland bros were the winners at the Skinnerburn club for 17th fed and Grant Robson took the red card at the Hazelrigg club and was 18th fed doing 1257-38 with a blue hen. It took 44 yards to fill the top 20 positions in the fed this week.
Section 3 / Houghton fed 1631 birds
Washington Celtic h s 751 birds. Dyson & Nichols got 2 hens that trapped at the same time, and first to register on the a yearling check hen then the 2nd hen was a 2 year old check hen that was 3rd club 4th fed last week from Newark (these 2 birds were doing 1284-55), then a check cock went in 32 secs later to be 3rd club doing 1281-62. Another 5 birds dropped within 4 mins to take 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 8th, 11th, 14th, 15th & 16th fed. Craggs, son & G/son clocked a yearling Belgie hen to be 4th club and fed doing 1278-15, then Barry Mason clocked the next bird down on the allotments by nearly 2 and a half mins to take 5th club 5th fed with a dark cock. Richie Herron & sons clocked the next two birds a blue hen and a blue white cock to be 7th & 9th fed. Kirby & Smith clocked a yearling check cock to be 10th club 12th fed doing 1249-34.
Penshaw h s 210 birds. Steve Wilson, son & dtr took the top 4 spots this week. Their first bird was a yearling blue white cock that was bred by Soderlund & Maddison from Shields doing 1265-79 to be 5th fed; the other 2 that made the fed sheet were 23rd & 24th fed nearly 6 mins after the first bird.
Shiney row h s 187 birds. Laidler & Simpson took the top 4 positions in the club. Their first was a blue cock that was 10th fed doing 1256-67. The next bird was a dark hen that was 19th fed and the 3rd bird was a blue white cock that took 28th fed doing 24-57.
Gardeners h s 155 birds. Braban & son dropped 2 birds at the same time, first a red Busscheart hen then a grizzle, but the grizzle hen did not register over the pad so it was down with the fantail and corn tin and get a hold of her. There was 59 secs between them {keep the inside doors locked}. These 2 were 1st & 2nd club 13th & 20th fed. The grizzle hen was 3rd club, 6th fed from Bubwith. He also clocked a 2 year old check hen in to be 4th club. Makepeace & Surtees took 3rd club 25th fed with a check white cock.
Biddick h s 210 birds. Jeff & Neil Robson & Neil Moon took the top 2 spots this week. First was a 3 year old blue hen that was 17th fed and then a yearling check hen that was 29th fed. The Fort bros were 3rd club.
Dubmire h s 118 birds. Hughie & Colin Jackson were the winners with a yearling blue cock and Mr & Mrs Sharp were second with a 5 year old check white hen. It took 51 yards to fill the top 30 in our fed, not that good going off the other feds around the area.
Section 4 Sunderland Prem Fed 2126 birds
Plains Farm h s 337 birds. Coming out on top for the second time in 3 weeks were the partnership of Wormleighton & Swinney making this their 2nd club and fed win doing 1265-12; this bird also wins the fed noms. Armstrong & Shergold took 2nd & 4th club 3rd & 12th fed and fed noms doing 1257-30 & 1244-94. Dawson, Frost & Clarke were 3rd club and 6th fed doing 1250-15.
Sportsmans Arms h s 627 birds. The Dunn bros were the winners making this their 2nd club win of the season. This bird was 2nd fed doing 1257-68 and they also clocked in to be 5th & 6th club 11th & 14th fed. J & S Barnes took 2nd club 4th fed; this pigeon also wins the Ford 2bird club doing 1255-51 and they also timed another 2 pigeons in to be 5th & 8th club and 9th & 20th fed. F Murphy was 3rd club 5th fed and also 2nd in the Ford 2bird club doing 1254-94. H Potts & sons were 4th club 7th fed doing 1249-63.
Castletown h s 237 birds. Summers bros & Rose were the winners for the second time in 3 weeks; their bird was 8th fed doing 1249-47. Chipp & Kibble took 2nd club 16th fed. Oddfellows h s 508 birds. W Mullen & son took 1st & 3rd club 13th & 19th fed doing 1243-45 & 1239-89. W Cummings was 2nd club 18th fed. Mr & Mrs Lavelle & ptn were the winners at the Deptford club flying against 204 birds.
Mid Tyne Federation
This week the fed saw 46 lofts send 1,271 birds. In what turned out to be a good but stiff working day for the race with the convoy liberated into a North North East wind velocities in the 1200 ypm range were recorded. It was from Boldon Colliery HS, where 17 lofts sent 600 birds did the winner come. The winning loft being that of Walker & Greenlay, the lads had two drop together to record velocities of 1275.10 and 1275.01ypm. They also had another couple on the sheet to be 3rd and 5th club 1272.9 and 1262.9ypm these being 4th and 7th fed. Graham, Gilchrist & Brennan came next for 4th and 6th club 5th 10th fed these on 1252 & 1243ypm, the first of these, a blue yearling cock, had a 1st & 2nd club and 2x2nd fed last year. Miller Bros & Kyle 7th club 11th fed 1241.9ypm with a six year old hen. Ray Surtees 8th & 9th club 12th 16th fed 1241 & 1237ypm. J.Blackburn & Son 10th club 1235.5ypm with Gates & Sons 11th club 1235.3ypm, these two being 17th & 18th fed. At Heworth HS the team of Birks, Frail & Birks had a good day to be 1st 3rd 5th club 6th 9th 15th fed these three doing 1250, 1244 & 1238ypm, second Heworth went to John Gofton, 1245ypm this one at 8th fed. Owens & Barnes 4th club 13th fed and Billy Lynn 6th club 17th fed these doing 1239 & 1236ypm. At Jarrow Alexandra HS it was Mr & Mrs Mills following up last weeks 1st fed to be 1st club 3rd fed this week with a velocity of 1272.9ypm. Wilson Son & Howe were 2nd club 14th fed on 1239ypm this with there good two year old hen that had 2x1st fed last year. I mentioned on the first race that we don’t see many Hebburn East End members on the fed sheet, well this week we have another one this time it is Ian Nelson being 1st club 20th fed 1232ypm, well done Ian. As mentioned at the beginning it was a stiff work out for the birds but generally returns seemed to be pretty good.
