ACROSS THE MIDDLE
by Gordon Braban & John Wilkie
Peterborough & Rivenhall YBs 2012
Mid Tyne Federation, Peterborough.
This week 30 lofts sent 793 birds with the majority of the fed honours going to Boldon Colliery H.S. where 12 member lofts sent 484 birds. Liberated at 9-30am an ETA of about 3 ¼ hours for the 173 mile flight was estimated and this proved to be just about spot on. In pole position are John Blackburn & Son, Nigel, clocking after 3 hrs 11 minutes to record a velocity of 1587.9ypm to be 1st club 1st fed. These lads have had a very quiet season this year with this being only their first win. They did however have another in at 14th fed, 1572ypm. Second in both club and fed are Graham Gilchrist & Brennan on 1586.5ypm, and they also had another three on the fed result to be 6th, 7th & 10th, the first two both on the same second to record 1583.7ypm with the third one doing 1581.8ypm. Walker & Greenlay also had four on the sheet being 3rd, 4th, 15th & 19th, the first two doing 1585.2ypm and 1585.0ypm. Kevin Mcfarlane kept up his good run to be 5th club 5th fed 1585.0ypm with another at 16th club 18th fed, 1568ypm. Billy Gates & Sons were in at 8th club 8th fed 1583.1ypm. Billy Miller 10th, 11th, 18th club 11th, 12th, 20th fed and McKenna Bros at 14th & 15th club 16th & 17th fed.
Jarrow Alexandra H.S. had the only two non Boldon pigeons in the top 20 positions. These to Mr & Mrs Davy Mills for 1st club 9th fed doing 1581.8ypm and Denis Walton 2nd club 13th fed on 1575ypm, this a GB rung chequer hen was second club to Davy out of Worksop. I’m sure Denis will be trying to reverse this Davy, third time lucky as they say.
At Heworth H.S. it was Birks, Frail & Birks making it four wins in a row, mind Colin Birks has been on holiday part of the time, so well done to the loft manager.
Unfortunately no one sent this week from Hebburn East End.
Houghton fed 710 birds lib 09-30.
Washington Gardeners h s. Gordon Tyzack was the club and fed winner this week with a blue Vandenabeele hen. This hen came out of nowhere and dropped like a stone after 3hrs 10mins 37secs on the wing and doing a vel of 1576-06. Braban & son clocked 2 hens in within 2mins for the Gardeners club to be 2nd & 4th club and 6th & 13th fed. First hen was a cross Brian Sheppard x Busschaert then a red Busschaert hen. Davy Makepeace timed a blue white cock in to be 3rd club 10th fed doing 1557-64.
Washington Celtic h s. After a 3 year dry spell they finally won a race - Mickey Thompson & Mel Laidler win with a blue white cock that took 3hrs 9 mins 43 secs to take 2nd fed. Dyson & Nichols clocked 2 hens in with only 2 secs splitting them to be 2nd & 3rd club and 3rd & 4th fed. Mr&Mrs Hindhaugh & Donaldson were 4th & 5th club 5th & 7th fed with a blue cock and a blue hen 17secs apart. Billy Scott & T Holmes had 2 birds dropping with 30 secs between them to be 6th & 8th club and 8th & 11th fed. First was a blue hen doing 1562-12 then a blue white cock and it was doing 1556-83. John Scott was 7th club 9th fed clocking in a blue cock, then Braban & son clocked a red cock & a check hen in to be 12th & 16th fed.
North Biddick h s. Clennell bros & Curry took the first 4 positions in the club this week. Their first 2 birds were both hens with only 1 sec splitting then to be 14th & 15th fed then 2 cocks that were 22nd & 28th fed. Ian McKinnon was 5th club 29th fed with a blue hen. Shiney Row h s was won by Mr&Mrs Tucker Wells for the 2nd week running, this week with a check hen that was doing 1542 and ended up 17th fed.
Dubmire h s was won by the Jacksons with a check pied hen that was 20th fed and Colin & Carol Surtees were 2nd club 27th fed with a GB Z blue cock.
Our fed sheet was filled within 50 yards this week with not many losses in my own area.
Section 4 / Sunderland Prem fed 1552 birds lib 09-45.
Plains Farm h s 315 birds. Out of the 7 positions on the fed sheet this week from the Farm there were only 2 lofts that clocked in so the overall club and fed winners were Wormleighton and Swinney who took 1st, 4th, 5th& 6th club and 1st, 10th, 11th & 12th fed. Their first pigeon was a hen that won the club from Melton Mowbray when she was 11th fed and she also wins the Ford 2bird club and the fed noms doing 1653-16 {that’s 70+yards faster than secs 1, 2 & 3 ????}. 2nd & 3rd club and fed were Kev Armstrong & Paul Shergold with 2 birds dropping nearly together doing 1652-80 & 1652-64. These 2 birds were also 2nd & 3rd fed noms.
Sportsmans & Comrades h s. The Dunn bros took the top 2 spots when they were 4th & 5th fed with only a couple of secs splitting these 2 birds. Tyler bros, Pearson & son were 3rd club 7th fed doing 1650-09 and Murphy & Ayretook 4th club 8th fed just decimals behind them.
Castletown h s was won by Rush & ptns this week flying against 174 birds and they were also 2nd in the Ford 2bird club doing 1650-30 and 6th fed. Watson, bros & son were 2nd & 4th club and 9th & 15th fed. Their first pigeon has been timed in a couple of times this year and has a few turns in the club and fed doing 1645-22 and their other bird was doing 1635-04. Geordie Chipp & Davy Kibble were 3rd & 5th club and 14th & 16th fed with a couple of birds from Ronny Evans.
The Oddfellows h s was won by C&R Greenhow for their 2nd win with the young birds this year and it was doing 1638-28 and was 13th fed. The wind must have got up a bit stronger when these birds were liberated for them to be doing about 70+ yards faster than our lot. Well that’s how pigeon racing is; you never know what’s just around the corner.
The next race was from Rivenhall, a distance of about 229 to the middle. The birds went away on the Friday as normal, because the forecast for the Saturday was supposed to be spot on. Well with the birdage from around our own area dropping each week, this week was no different than any other. I don’t know if it’s with the losses that people have been having or have they just locked the doors for the last couple of races - who knows?
The NEHU held its annual race this week from Maidstone for the FUT rings. We will not say much about this race. I did not get any rings so I can’t pass judgement on it but I live in the middle, but it was a good race for some and a waste of money for the others. Well that’s enough twisting about that, let’s get down to my area which I write about by starting with sections 2, which is the Gateshead fed, Newcastle West fed and the Chester Le Street fed which are situated on the west side of the A1 motorway.
Gateshead fed 1167 birds lib 08-30 into a light west wind.
This week’s winner comes from the Dunston club and is 1 of the furthest flying members in the fed with 4 in the top 30. The Dunston h s club and the fed winner was Gordon, Gray & Gray {the 3Gs} who win with a blue hen that took 4hrs 53 mins dead to cover the 234 miles and was doing a vel of 1407-81. Then they clocked a check hen in 3mins 20secs later to be 3rd club 5th fed. The other 2 birds were check cocks that were 18th & 30th fed. Morpeth & Scott {Chas & Dave} had 5 in the top 30 with their first bird being a check cock that was doing 1397-15 then they timed in the Greenside Cowboy a check cock that was bred for them by Hollywood’s Kev {HOFKEN, SUK} Parsons. This cock was timed in 5mins after their first pigeon. The Greenside Cowboy wins them the 1bird & the 2bird clubs in the fed. Their next 2 pigeons were about 1min back. All these birds were check cocks unless the computer is wrong. Chas & Dave ended up 4th, 10th, 13th, 16th & 19th fed {did you bring some stuff back for the birds from Turkey Chas?}
Bensham h s 240 birds. THe Gray bros Bob & Mick were the winners this week for the 4th time this year with the youngens. They timed a check hen that was doing 1407-78. This was her first fed position and she nearly topped the fed, just missing out by 1 hundredth decimal. Their next 2 birds were 10 mins aback of this hen and were 27th & 29th fed. Quinn, son, Smith & Noble took 6 out of the next 7 positions in the club and were 5th & 6th fed with 2 blue cocks, the doing 1390-28 then the next on 1379-94, over a 2 min gap then another 2mins later a blue white hen dropped that was 4th club 11th fed doing 1370-97. Then just like the busses 3 come along together to take 6th, 7th & 8th club 22nd, 23rd & 24th fed all doing 1363. M Bainbridge took 5th club 17th fed with a blue cock.
Wrekenton h s 243 birds. Brian Pallister had the first 2 birds on the Gardens. The first bird took 4hrs 50mins, the next bird took 4hrs 56mins to be 1st & 2nd club 3rd & 8th fed, 2 cocks the first doing a vel of 1403-24 then the next cock was doing 1374-66. This cock wins him the gold ring race. B, S, K clocked a blue hen in 3 mins later to be 3rd club 20th fed doing 1366-39. T Anderson was 4th club 21st fed with a check hen 20 odd secs later.
Mount Pleasent h s 87 birds. Ray Howourth timed a Wensbeck bred blue hen in to win the club and take 9th fed doing 1374-01. Hulme & Larvin were 2nd club 28th fed with a pied hen that takes 2nd position in the 2bird club. Geordie Miller was the winner at the Highfield club with a pied cock which is also 2nd in the fed gold ring scheme. Bob Walden & son was 2nd club 14th fed with a check hen. There were 171 birds away in the club this week.
Scott, son & Harty took the red card at Springwell this week with a GBT ring blue cock that was 15th fed. There was some 47 yards splitting this fed, with some big gaps from the first pigeon to the next pigeon to each loft, and I think that nearly all the birds made it home either on the day or the next morning.
The next fed is the Chester le Street fed. These birds are up with the Gateshead fed & N,W fed. They fly the shortest distance in the section and it hard to believe that these birds are as far back in velocities as they are, but it does not happen every week as last week Chester fed topped the section. This week’s fed winner is 59 yards aback of Gateshead. It’s hard to believe but it does happen in other sections as well.
Chester le Street fed 204 birds.
This week fed winner comes from the Perkinsville club, flying 228 miles and timed at 28mins past 1 with a pied hen and that belongs to J Gordon & son doing 1348-38. Mr & Mrs McGow were 2nd & 4th club 2nd & 9th fed with 2 check cocks four & a half mins apart. The first checker was doing 1336-93 and the 2nd checker was doing 1317-26. B Nixon took 3rd club 4th fed with a check hen.
Jeff Morris & son took the first 5 positions in the Birtley club with 4 cocks and a hen. The first cock was a Z ring pied cock that was 2nd fed from the 2nd Wetherby and 3rd fed from Pontefract; it is also 3rd fed this week. The other 4 birds were 5th, 6th, 7th 8th fed and take the top 3 positions in the 4bird club. McCabe & ptns were 6th club 10th fed with a check hen that was doing 1317-13. There were 31 yards between 1st and 10th fed.
Section 3 Houghton fed 821 birds.
Washington Celtic h s 367 birds. Dyson & Nichols had a fantastic day in the club and fed this week taking 13 top positions in the top 20 of the fed and 14 in the top 16 of the club. The winner was a check white hen. When she came to the loft and tried to drop she went round and landed on my cabin for a drink first before I knew she was not mine and chased her up, then she landed over at Dyson’s loft and after sitting there for about 20 secs, she still topped the fed doing 1397-42 {that’s luck}. There next pigeon was also a hen 1 min 20 secs after to be 2nd club 2nd fed then it was another 2 mins before they got another bird that was 4th club 6th fed. Two more dropped a min + later to be 5th & 6th club 9th & 10th fed. Mr & Mrs Hindhaugh & Donaldson timed a blue hen and a check cock in to be 3rd & 7th club and 3rd & 11th fed. The first hen was doing 1389-11 then the cock was doing 1372-26. Laidler & Simpson took the top 4 spots at Shiney Row with all cocks. The first cock was 4th fed doing 1388-86 then the next cock was 8th fed on 1377-57 and the other 2 were at the bottom end of the fed sheet. Braban& son took the top 4 positions in the Gardeners. His first pigeon was the same hen that was 2nd club 6th fed last week; she was 5th fed this week. The others were not on the fed sheet. The Jacksons were the winners at Dubmire with a check SP cock that was 7th fed, and Emery & McLean were 2nd club 23rd fed. 43 yards splits the top 30 in the fed with some big gaps for most of the fed, and not many birds being missing on the day even though most of the birds were puzzled when they came back. Was it the heat or something like that? They were on their tiptoes going through the traps most of them going of what people have been telling me over the week. You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink it, or so they say.
Mid Tyne Federation, Rivenhall.
Another drop this week, in both lofts sending and birdage 26 / 717 birds. Most of the natural lofts seem to now have called it a day, just the odd one sending. Boldon Colliery HS had an entry of 421 birds from just 10 lofts. Graham, Gilchrist & Brennan had a great race with seven pigeons in the fed top 20 to be 1st 2nd 3rd 5th 6th 12 and 13th The loft had two together, the first one doing 1426.3ypm being a GB rung Gerhard Schlepphorst Janssen which was purchased from Jeff Clare (Clare’s Pet Products) this before Jeff sold up. The second pigeon was doing 1425.5ypm and the third one doing 1413.8ypm, this one 2 1/2 minutes behind the winner, Their next pigeons at 5th & 6th were both doing 1381.0ypm and clocked 9 1/2 minutes behind the winner, the other two recorded 1366.7 & 1366.1ypm, 60ypm behind the winner. This seems to have been the pattern in a lot of clubs this week with pigeons being very gappy. The two John’s, Walker & Greenlay were in for 4th 9th 10th 11th & 19th fed, the first one doing 1411.3ypm and the last on 1357.7ypm. Billy Gates & Sons were in at 7th 13th club 7th 14th fed on 1379.9 & 1364.4ypm. John Blackburn & Son took 15th club 18th fed 1359.5ypm with McKenna Bros at 17th club 20th fed 1356.6ypm. At Jarrow Alexandra HS it was Dennis Walton who took 1st & 2nd club 8th & 16th fed, 1376.8 & 1361.2ypm. His second timer was the GB chequer hen mentioned at Peterborough , this hen now has 3x2nd club 13th 16th 20th fed, will it crack it at the National and get a 1st club. Scott & Son were 3rd club 17th fed, just behind Dennis on 1359.7ypm. Billy Curry got back to winning ways at Heworth HS for 1st club, velocity not known. Again no one from Hebburn sent, all birds natural and falling to bits.
Well that's just about it from me this week. Next week's race will be the Maidstone young bird nat, which is around 260 to the middle of the combine, and all this week the wind has been blowing from the west leading up to the the weekend. Just let's hope that the man upstairs has a bit of thought for the men in the middle. I do hope that most of the fanciers that have got the £10 Z rings have a few left to go to the race and best of luck to them. Well there's not much news knocking about at this time so it a farewell and THAT'S ALL FOLKS from GORDON.
