ACROSS THE MIDDLE
by Gordon Braban & John Wilkie
Bourges & Melton Mowbray - June 2012
Well this week the UP NORTH COMBINE birds will be going to Bourges, which is the longest race that we have, around 570 miles to my loft. The weather all week had not been that bad but as it's coming up to the longest day we should be going around in shorts and T-shirts, but we are not and there is no prospect for it getting better in the next month either. The birds went away on the Tuesday hoping that the weather would be good enough for a Friday liberation { well that did not go to plan neither}. The combine also have an inland race from Melton Mowbray on the Saturday so it was basketing the inland birds as normal on the Friday afternoon ready for them to go away, then it was of up to the club for a couple of pints with the pigeon lads that turn out for a drink.
Saturday morning the weather was good around the Washington area and the outlook for a race from Bourges was looking good. The text messages were starting early in the morning from people who were flying Bourges asking if they were up, so at around 05-35 my message came threw that they were liberated at 05-30 in a west south west wind with the prospects of a good number of day birds would be timed in. Well that was 1 liberation out of the way and all we had to do is wait for news about the Melton Mowbray birds. We did not have to wait long for news about them as the morning was getting better as it went on and at about 07- 35 Igot news that they were up in 2 groups. Sections 1, 4 would be at 07-35 and our group would be up 20 mins later, so the races were on all we had to do now was wait.
Here goes with the race result from Melton Mowbray as I have it.
Section 2 Gateshead fed 1349 birds.
Bensham h s 316 birds. Quinn, son,Smith & Noble had a great day at the inland race. Not often does it happen that 1 loft takes the first few in the fed but it has happened a few times over the last few weeks and it's great flying by the men that get them. These lads timed 3 birds in within 11 seconds to take 1st, 2nd & 3rd club then they timed another bird in 20 seconds later to take 5th club. These birds were all yearlings, 1 hen and 3 cocks. It was the hen birds that they timed in first, flying 2hrs 46mins 58secs and doing a vel of 1645-57 to claim 1st club, fed and section. The next 2 check cocks were doing 1645-24 & 1643-76 for 2nd & 3rd fed and section. There 4th bird was also a check cock that was doing 1640-49 and was 7th fed & 8th section. These birds have all been on the fed sheet this year so far. The Gray bros {Bob & Mick} timed 3 birds in within 1 min and 20 secs to take 4th, 6th & 8th club and 6th, 13th & 19th fed 7th, 14th & 25th section. The first was a young check wh cock that was doing 1642-73 and it has been on the fed sheet a couple of times already. The next 2 were 2 x 2 year old hens. M. Bainbridge was 7th club 16th fed with a yearling blue cock that wins 2nd in the 2bird club.
Highfeild h s 179 birds. F Curry & sons timed a young check hen in for her second win of the season to take 4th fed and section doing 1643-08 just ahead of W Mullen who was doing 1643-01 with a pied cock. Geordie Miller was 3rd club 29th fed with a 2 year old check cock.
Mount Pleasent h s 100 birds. Ray Howourth Jnr was 1st & 2nd club 8th & 9th fed 9th & 10th section with 2 hens, only 1 second splitting them.
Dunston h s 184 birds. Steele & Hubbock timed 2 cock birds in to get 1st & 2nd club 10th & 12th fed doing 1639 & 1638. The 3Gs {Gordon, Gray & Gray} took the next 3 positions with 2 cocks and a hen and only 14 secs splitting them and all 3 birds have been on the fed sheet before this year. Neil {the salad dodger } Peart was 6th club 20th fed with a yearling blue cock and Morpeth & Scott {CHAS & DAVE} were 7th club 27th fed.
Wreknton hs 354 birds. Big Tommy Laskey & Brian Robinson claimed their 9th club win of the season when they timed in a young check hen that was doing 1639-27 to take 11th fed. Bowman, Scott & Kelly {B,S,K} were 2nd club 21st fed with a yearling blue cock. Billy Matfin was 3rd club 22nd fed just behind B,S,K with a young check cock and Laskey & Robinson took the next 2 positions in the club.
Saltwell h s 144 birds. D Pearson & Bell clocked up another win this week, this time with a young blue hen and she took 18th fed. They also timed a young check hen in to be 2nd club 25th fed. Scott, son & Harty were the winners at the Springwell club with a 3 year old check wh cock that has a couple of wins and other turns this year.
Chester le Street fed 310 birds.
Birtley h s. Morris& son were thhe club and fed winners this week with a yearling blue cock that was 3rd fed from Melton Mowbray 2. This fed win brings their tally to 5 this season. This young cock took 2hrs 40mins 7secs to cover the 149 miles and was doing a vel of 1643-50 and end up 4th section and it also wins the 4bird club. They also timed a young check hen in that took 3rd club 9th fed and 2nd 4bird club 3 mins later. McCabe & ptnr were 2nd club 8th fed with a young check hen doing 612-45 and Irving & son took 4th club 10th fed and 3rd 4 bird club.
Perkinsville h s. W Loan had a good day in the club by taking 1st, 2nd & 4th and 2nd, 4th & 6th fed 20th, 29th & 31st section. The first pigeon was a yearling blue cock doing 1634-79 then 40 secs later timing a young blue hen in, then 8 secs after that another yearling hen. Gordon & son were 2nd club 5th fed and 30th section. T Atkinson took 5th club 8th fed with a young check cock and Brian Caley was the winner at the Marquis of Granby club and he was 3rd fed 26th section.
Newcastle West Fed 713 birds.
The British Legion club took the lion's share of fed positions this week and Decca Lamb came out on top again after missing out last week. He timed in 5 birds in total that made the fed sheet. The first 2 birds only took 2hrs 52minns and 8 & 10 secs to get 1st & 2nd fed. The next pigeon was a 2 year old blue wh hen 29 secs later. The first 2 birds were 15th & 16th section and the next 1 was 23rd section. K Maughan & son timed a young blue cock in that will be 3rd fed and 19th section.
Westerhope h s. B Wallace & son took the top 3 positions in the club this week with firstly a 3 year old blue hen, then a yearling blue hen and then a 2 year old blue cock that were to take 5th, 6th & 7th fed and all 3 birds made the section sheet. Little, son & Southgate took 4th & 6th club 9th & 11th fed with 2 yearling hens. Proud, son & Downs were 5th club 10th fed with a young GB blue cock, and B & J Potts were the winners at the Coxlodge club with a young dark cock.
Mid Tyne Fed, w/end 23rd June.
This week saw a double header with two races, the big one from Bourges plus an inland race from Melton Mowbray. I’ll come back to the Bourges race later. The Melton race saw 34 federation lofts send 560 birds. Boldon Colliery HS had 15 lofts and 318 birds as their share of this total and it was from here the winner came. Taking 1st club 1st fed is Kevin McFarlane. For those of you who don’t know, Kevin has been out of the sport for about ten years but decided he wanted to have another go. When he was racing in the past he put up some very good performances, especially from the distance races. Last year he set about putting a team together, a few older birds but mainly late bred pigeons that he purchased or was gifted from friends. It was one of these gifted late bred one that was his winner, a June bred blue cock from John Foster of the Oddfellows club in Sunderland. This pigeon, I might add was still carrying one of its nest flights, recorded a velocity of 1652ypm. Kevin has done well with Johns late bred birds, one of them was 8th fed for Kev from Clermont. Second club second fed went to Walker & Greenlay on 1650ypm these lads had yet another good day as they were also 4th 5th 6th 7th in both club and fed these ranging from 1643ypm down to 1638ypm plus they had another two 11th & 18th fed. Third club 3rd fed went to Ray Surtees on 1649ypm. Rays having a good run at the minute with a 1st 2nd and now 3rd fed in three weeks with more to come. Other Boldon lofts on the fed sheet are McKenna Bros at 14th 17th & 20th the first of these being there very good blue hen, also Billy Gates & Sons at 19th fed. Jarrow Alexandra had Glen Scurfield & Son in pole to be 1st club 9th fed, 1633ypm this being their fifth 1st club to date. K & T Seales were 2nd & 3rd Jarrow 15th 16th fed. At Heworth HS it was John Gofton getting his first win of the season this one doing 1630ypm for 10th fed. Danny Munro was 2nd club 12th fed on 1628ypm just in front of Owens & Barnes 3rd club 13th fed on 1627ypm.
Now for the big one, Bourges. The fed had 15 lofts send 53 birds. I say the big one not for the members sending or the amount of birds, but for the pure stress it can cause. Liberated on Saturday at 5-30am after a one day hold over, word started to come through that there were pigeons into the bottom end of the NEHU so a good prospect that a good number of day birds might be on the cards. Yes there were a few but not for the Mid Tyne and many other feds as well. In fact is was not until the third day that the one and only Mid Tyne pigeon was recorded, this to the in form loft I mentioned earlier, Ray Surtees of Boldon. Ray’s pigeon has been to Bourges three times now. In 2009 it was 135th UNC. In 2010 Ray did not think he was quite right to go to Bourges so sent him to Andrezel where he was 16th fed, then in 2011 back to Bourges and this time 3rd club 3rd fed 215th UNC. Now 1st club 1st fed, 412ypm and the way things are looking should once again make the UNC Open result. Ray says this will probably be his last go now.
Section 3 Houghton fed 767 birds
Washington Celtic h s. T Craggs, son & g/son flew a good race from Melton Mowbray when he got 3 birds nearly together. The first 2 birds, 2 yearling hens went over the pad at the same time and the 3rd pigeon just 6 secs later to claim 1st 2nd & 3rd club, fed & section and record vels of 1656-08 x 2 & 1655-05, taking 2hrs 41mins 5secs x 2 & 11secs. Dyson & Nichols took 4th club 5th fed with a yearling blue cock. Mr&Mrs McMann timed a young check cock in to take 5th club 7th fed doing 1643-72.
Shiney Row h s. Laidler & Simpson took the top spot once again in the club timing a yong blue hen in that took 2hrs, 39mins 52secs and was doing 1652-31 to take 4th fed. M/M Tucker Wells were 2nd club 24th fed with a 2 year old check hen.
North Biddick h s. Alan Pallas was the winner this week with with a 3 year old check cock to take 6th fed. The Fort bros were 2nd club 11th fed with a blue cock that was doing 1625-19. Ian McKinnon was 3rd club 14th fed.
Penshaw h s. Stevie Wilson, son & dtr took the top 3 positions in the club that were on the fed sheet. First was a 2 year old check wh cock that took 2hrs 42mins 5secs. The next bird was a yearling check cock 30 secs later and the 3rd bird was a yearling blue cock a min later.
Gardeners h s. Gorddon Tyzack was the winner this week with a yearling check hen that was 15th fed and Braban & son took 2nd & 3rd club with 2 yearling Busscheart hens. Jackson & son were the winners at the Dubmire club and took 28th fed.
Section 4 Sunderland Prem Fed.
Just before I do the Prem Fed result I have had a few lads complaining to me about the write up that I do for the Prem fed about the lack of information that I put into my article. Well all Ican say is that I am sorry but you will have to get on to Mr Mason the fed secretary and tell him to change the overall sheet and put the colours, year and sex of the bird in the correct spaces (I think Ican tell you what the answer will be}. Well here goes with a late result from a couple of weeks ago.
Peterborough 10th June 780 birds lib 06-55.
Sportsman & Comrades 185 birds. H Potts & sons were the clear winners in the fed this week by some 22 yards on 1517-02 and by some 26 yards in the club. The pigeon wins the fed noms. Next was Hindmarsh & Butler who were doing 1491-00 who ended up 7th fed then Tyler, Bros, Pearson & son took the next 2 positions in the club with only seconds splitting them to end up 10th & 11th fed.
Plains Farm h s 222 birds. Kenny Redman was the club winner for his 1st win of the season and he ends up 2nd fed and 2nd fed noms doing 1495-72. Thompson & Kell took 2nd club 5th fed on 1493-72. Dawson & Frost were 3rd club 6th fed just a yard behind them.
Castletown h s 88 birds. Chipp & Kibble took 1st & 2nd club 3rd & 4th fed and 1st & 2nd in the Ford 2bird club both birds doing 1495. Watson, bros & son were 3rd club 17th fed doing 1481-98. Oddfellows h s was won by W Cummings who ended up 8th fed doing 1485-54 who beat 140 birds. M Franklin& son was 2nd club 12th fed.
Peterborough 23rd June 1049 birds.
This week's fed winner comes from Plains Farm when 270 birds went away. The wind was from the west south west so a fast day was on the cards. Dawson & Frost were the winners in a close race with only a couple of yards splitting the top 4 positions. Their winning vel was 1545-36 they also timed anothrer pigeon in seconds later to take 3rd club 4th fed. In 2nd & 4th spot were Wormleighton & Swinney with only 1 yard splitting there first 2 pigeons on 1544 & 1543. Thompson & Kell took 5th club 7th fed.
Oddfellows h s 247 birds. W Cummings had a good day taking the top 3 turnns in the club this week. Their first pigeon was 2nd fed just behind the fed winner doing 1544-38 and their next 2 birds were 15th & 19th fed doing 1524 & 1522.
Sportsmans & Comrades 2655 birds. The Dunn bros took the top spot making it their 2nd win of the season. Their bird was doing 1542-21 and ended up 6th fed. Murphy & Ayre took 2nd club 18th fed.
Castletown h s. Watson, bros & son were the winners this week with a bird that was bred through a blue cock that they got from Braban & son. This cock has now bred a boat load of winners for these lads. Their winning vel was 1533-98. Proctor bros were 2nd club 13th fed.
Joe Adams & sons were the winners down at the Depford club and Tommy Carr & son won the Westside 6 bird club.
Melton Mowbray 23rd June lib 07-35 west south west wind 1214 birds.
Oddfellowsh s 291 birds. On a close race closer than last weeks the winners were D Corner & son to take 1st club and fed with a vel of 1669-68 and also win the fed noms. The Duffy bros were 2nd club, fed and fed noms doing 1669-45. T Fergusson took 3rd club 10th fed and this bird takes 2nd in the Ford 2bird club doing 1662-69. Welsh & Rowe just pipped W Cummings into 4th position by a gnat's whisker to end up 13th fed and W Cummings was at 14th fed both doing 1661.
Plains Farm h s 296 birds. Thompson & Kell got their 2nd club win of the season this week doing 1665-06. Kenny Redman took 2nd club 4th fed with a vel of 1663-62. There were 4 pigeons on the same yard with it being a fast race. Wormleighton & Swinney were just behind doing 1663-29 and then another 1 a couple of secs later to get 5th club 9th fed. Dawson & Frost took 4th club 8th fed on 1662-43.
The Sportsmans & Comrades was won by our combine President Mr McCluskey. This bird also wins the Fords 2bird club just ahead of Joe & Stephen Barnes who were 2nd club 5th fed also on 1663-25. The Dunn bros took 3rd club 15th fed doing 1660.
Rush & ptns took the red card at the Castletown club with 140 away and this the start of a double win weekend {but Iwill tell that story later on } and I Savage was the winner at the Westside 6bird club.
Well, it's taken some time to catch up with the results that I have been given. I am jst waiting for a combine result from Bourges to finish off the weekend of the 23rd of June. There are some good tales to write about from the Bourges race but that will be next time and if I get my finger out I will probably get the Folkstone national race done as well. So don't forget get the results to me but for now THAT'S ALL FOLKS.
