ACROSS THE MIDDLE
by Gordon Braban & John Wilkie
Newark - April 2013
Welcome to the second race from the Up North Combine’s 2013 season. This week the birds were going to be liberated from Newark which is around the 130 mile area to most of the members in the 3 sections. The convoyer’s report this week reads a little bit like this blue skies and sunshine with a south west wind on the Thursday and Friday. On the Saturday morning it was excellent conditions but very cold at around 07-00, the line of flight was all clear from Newark up to the borders with blue skies, sunshine with a south west wind, so the forecast for a good race was on the cards for all 6 sections - a good racing day. The chief convoyer Steve Proffitt decided the cut the strings for the first section at 09-00 then the rest of the sections in 20 min intervals, so let’s get started with the first section that I do which is section 2.
Gateshead fed 2411 birds lib at 09-20.
Wrekenton h s 533 birds. This week’s club winners were Crawford & son. These 2 lad were 2nd club last week from Bubwith when they were 20th fed and this week they timed a yearling pied Z ring hen in, taking 2hrs 9 mins 30secs to take 1st club & 1st fed doing 1779-26. In 2nd & 3rd club and fed were big Tommy Laskey & Brian Robinson timing a check hen in first doing 1769-18 then a blue cock just 7 secs later doing 1767-60. A & M Hirst took 4th club 9th fed with a yearling check cock and Elliott & Watson clocked 2 birds with only 1 sec splitting them to be 5th & 6th club and 12th & 13th fed with 2 yearling cocks.
Bensham h s 393 birds. The Gray bros Bob & Mick clocked 3 birds within 5 secs to take 1st, 2nd & 4th club 4th, 5th & 7th fed. Their first pigeon was a blue cock which took 2hrs 12mins 39secs to cover the 133 miles and doing 1767-07 then a check white hen just 2 secs behind then it was the mealy cock that they timed in last week and it wins the fed 2bird club again.
M Bainbridge clocked a blue white hen in to take 3rd club 6th fed doing 1766-56, the Quinn, son, Smith & Noble partenership took the next 4 positions in the club timing 1 cock and then 3 hens the first cock was timed in taking 2hrs 13minsand 1 sec doing 17765-76 then the next 3 hens going over the pad at the same time to clock the same vel 1760-03.
Dunston h s 390 birds making it 2 wins out of 2 this week were the 3 Gs that is Mickey Gordon, Ian Gray & Jordan Gray. This week they take the top 3 positions in the club there was only 4 secs between their 3 cocks. The first cock that was timed was a 3 year old TD bird then 2 yearling cocks that take 10th, 11th & 14th fed. Morpeth & Scott {Chas & Dave} timed 2 cocks in to be 4th & 5th club 18th & 19th fed with only 1 second splitting them both birds doing 1756. The 3 Gs were 4th club with a yearling blue cock. The next 4 positions were taken by Steele & Hubbuck clocking 4 yearling blue cocks in with just 3 secs splitting them taking 21st, 22nd, 23rd & 24th fed. L & G Rose took the next turn in the club and fed with a 4 year old check cock.
Highfield h s 340 birds was won by the Hay bros with a yearling blue cock. Mount Pleasant h s 238 birds - this week’s winners were the partnership of Happy Ray Howourth, Honest Kev Johnson and Just Mickey Steele when this week they take the first 3 positions then in 4th club was Harry Tonothy and H, J, S take 5th & 6th club. Their winner was bred by John Walker from Boldon h s. I think it was the same bird that won last week but it’s not on the fed sheet. Morris & son took the 2nd spot in the fed 2 bird club so I think he might win the Birtley club.
Section 3 Houghton fed / 1863 birds.
Penshaw h s This week Steve Wilson timed the same hen in that he clocked last week. She is a blue hen bred by the 2 Js Soderlund & Maddison from South Sheilds. She was 27th from Bubwith. This week she was 2 mins clear of their next 2 birds. This hen took 2hrs 8mins 10secs to travel the 127+ miles home to take 1st club, fed & section doing 1746-39. Billy Rumney was 2nd club 17th fed with a blue white cock then Wilson, son & dtr took the next 2 spots that were on the fed sheet being 26th & 27th fed 5 secs apart. Celtic h s 830 birds. C Raggs, son & G/son clocked 4 yearling hens in to take 1st, 4th, 5th & 11th club and 2nd, 5th, 6th & 15th fed. The first hen was a dark one taking 2hrs 9mins 44secs doing 1745-90 and the next 2 were a blue hen and a check pied hen going over the pad at the same time recording a vel of 1743-88. Dyson & Nichols dropped 2 checkers a cock and hen and these went over the pad at the same time doing 1745-00 to be 2nd & 3rd club and 3rd & 4th fed. Herron & sons clocked their good Irish cock in to take 6th club and 8th fed. Thompson & Laidler timed 3 hens in with-in 1min & 6 secs to be 7th, 10th & 13th club. The first hen was a blue home grown hen and the other 2 were imports that they had getting in last year. Braban & son clocked a yearling check widowhood cock in to be 8th club 10th fed doing 1732-20 then he dropped 4 cocks and the mackam hen at the same time, the first 3 going over the pad at the same time and 2 secs splitting the other 2 cocks. Last week’s winner Billy Scott and Trev Holmes were 10th club 14th fed with a check white hen.
North Biddick 234 birds. Clennel bros & Curry took the red card this week with a yearling blue hen that was 7th fed doing 1742-34 and then it was J & N Robson & Moon with a blue cock to be 2nd club 29th fed.
Gardeners h s. Gordon Tyzack was the winner this week with a check hen that took 11th fed doing 1731-02, Mr & Mrs Brian Swinburn clocked a blue white cock in to be 2nd club 13th fed. Brian only started to fly pigeons last year and is not doing to bad at the moment. Davy Lowery was 3rd club and Paul McMann took 4th club. The Jacksons were the clear winners over at the Dubmire club taking all the positions and Laidler & Simpson were the winners at the Shiney Row club. They made 30th fed doing 1714-70. Only 32 yards split the top 30 in the fed this week and I think 95% returns.
Mid Tyne Federation. Newark. This week’s race certainly turned out better than last week. Returns this week being near 100% although the velocities were about the same, so I wonder what did go wrong last week, plenty of theories knocking about but as usual no hard facts.
Onto this week's result where we had 48 lofts send a total of 1,239 birds. Jarrow Alexandra HS took top spot this to the loft of Mr& Mrs Davy Mills to be 1st club 1st fed with a two year old red cock recording a velocity of 1743.6ypm. The loft was also 3rd club 20th fed on 1725.9ypm. Keeping up his good start to the season is Stevie Whitehead in for 2nd club 2nd fed on 1739.7ypm, this pigeon was 7th club 15th fed last week. All of the other positions in the top 20 fed result are Boldon Colliery HS pigeons where 18 lofts sent 562 birds. Coming out on top are Graham, Gilchrist & Brennan for 1st & 2nd club 3rd 4th fed these recording 1738.4 and 1731.3ypm. The lads had another four on the fed result at 10th 11th 14th & 16th fed these dropped together to record two on 1727.884 with the second two on 1727.455ypm. This is the second week that Big Willy has had to go to work so has missed both races, fingers crossed for the third race Willy. Third club 5th fed went to Miller Bros & Kyle on 1730.2ypm. I’ll jump a bit now and bring in John Blackburn & Son, Nigel who took 7th club 9th fed 1727.98ypm. Now to the remainder of the positions, these were taken by Walker & Greeenlay. Being 4th 5th 6th 10th11th 14th 15th 16th 17th club 7th 8th 9th 12th 13th 16th 17th 18th & 19th fed. All of these were clocked in a space of 10 seconds with the first one recording 1729.1ypm and the last 1727.0ypm. As can be seen from the above velocities if your bird goes around a couple of turns you’ve lost. W & L Curry were the winners at Heworth HS with Ian Nelson the victor at Hebburn East End.
Section 4 / Sunderland Prem Fed 2174 birds lib 10-00 south west wind.
Plains Farm h s with a reversal in the top 2 positions this week as it was at Bubwith. They go like this: 1st club and fed were Hammond & Webster & Webster who must have fancied this pigeon because it wins the fed noms and the Ford 2bird club doing a vel of 1798-13 and flying 127+ miles. Timing a couple of birds in quickly were the partenership of Wormleighton & Swinney. Their first pigeon was 2nd club and fed doing 1792-22. The next birds were 4th, 5th & 6th club and 5th, 7th & 9th fed with only a couple of seconds splitting them going over the pad. Kev Armstrong & Paul Shergold took 3rd club and fed and also 3rd fed noms doing a vel of 1787-41. Dawson, Frost & Clarke clocked in to take 7th club and 10th fed, then it was Robinson, son Johnson & Moon who took 8th club 12th fed doing 1781-09.
Sportsmans Arms h s 623 birds. H Potts were the winners this week doing 1786-47 to be 4th fed, J & S Barnes took 2nd & 4th club and 6th & 11th fed with 2 birds that had only a couple of seconds between them, Small & Naisbit were 3rd club 8th fed doing 1784-95.
Castletown h s 228 birds was won by Watson bros & son who took 15th fed doing 1775-83. W Cumming was the winner at the Oddfellows flying against 512 birds and was 16th fed. Mr & Mrs Collinson & son were 2nd club 18th fed, and B & D Mullen took top spot at the Deptford club. Reggie Royal & son took 2nd place in the Ford 2bird club and their pigeon just missed the fed sheet {it was 21st fed}. Only 28 yards split the top 20 in the fed.
Sunderland & Dist Fed 1183 birds
Cornhill h s 390 birds. Andy Shepherd timed 2 hens in to be 1st & 3rd club and 1st & 3rd fed. The first bird was a blue hen that took 2hrs 6mins 34 secs and recorded a vel of 1796-18 and the next pigeon was a blue white hen 25 secs later. Andy also clocked a blue white cock in later on to be 9th fed. The Woodrofe bros kept up their good form again this week when they took 2nd, 4th ,& 5th club and 2nd, 4th & 7th fed also with 3 hens with only 39 secs splitting them.
High Southwick h s. Ray Atkinson & McDonald clocked 2 hens in with only 1 sec splitting them, both birds doing 1785, a blue white hen and a check hen. R & A Evans, Dixon & Gibbon took the next 4 positions with 2 hens and 2 cocks. The first bird was a blue hen that was clocked on at 2hrs 8 mins 50 secs,the next 2 were a blue hen and a check cock that went over the pad at the same time and the 4th bird was a check GB cock that was clocked some 8 secs later. The partnership finished up 10th, 11th, 12th & 16th fed.
Town End Farm h s 191 birds. The winner was J Smith who clocked a yearling blue hen that ended up 8th fed doing 1779-85. Farrington h s 209 birds. The Prest, Snowdon & Prest parttenership won for the second week running. This week they timed a yearling blue cock that was bred by Wormleighton & Swinney from Plains farm {they bred last week's winner}. R Riley was 2nd club and P,S,P took the next couple of spots in the club.
32 yards split this fed and out of the 2 feds it looked like the birds were nearly all clocked in within mins. A good race was had by nearly all the clubs and feds around the area
Well that's just about it from me this week. Like I said last week, if you have any results you want me to put in the press just drop me a line or email me on
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