ACROSS THE MIDDLE
by Gordon Braban & John Wilkie
RIVENHALL - JUNE 2012
This week saw the Up North Combine down at Rivenhall, which is about 229 miles to my loft. The birds went away as normal but that was about the only normal thing about this week's race. The other organisations were around about the same distance with the Durham Combine down at Billericay and the West Durham Amal at Maidstone for another inland national. Well, what went wrong? It was the usual thing, phone back or an up date later on. The weather at the time first thing was rubbish, which had been forcasted basically all week long but there was a glimmer of hope for a chance of a race. Like I said in my last report, I was not going to send as I was keeping them all for the Clermont race, not because I don't have sprinters but I like to fly the channel programme with a good team of birds and also I had seen the weather forecast and I thought it was going to be rubbish. I played it safe by my account of the race the birds got, which will all be revealed in the report as it goes on. The Durham Combine were liberated at 12-30 in to a light East wind, then the Up North Combine liberated all 6 sections together at 13-00, then the West Durham went at 13-30 and a hard race was on the cards. How right that was. Well here goes for the section 2 report as i have it.
Section 2 Gateshead fed 1249 birds.
Mount Pleasant h s 94 birds. This week's winner is McNichol & Coulter who timed a yearling blue hen in on 4 hrs 08 mins and 59 secs to record a vel of 1648-74 and claim their first club and fed win of the season. This partenership also timed another young blue cock in some 10 mins later to get 2nd club and 18th fed doing 1590-50. Ray Howourth jnr was 3rd club 23rd fed with a yearling check hen doing 1582-03.
Dunston h s 167 birds. Gordon, Gray & Gray {the 3Gs} notched up their 3rd win of the season this week with a young check cock that was timed in on 4hrs 11mins 42secs and doing 1638-81 and they also timed another 3 birds in 6mins later to take 3rd, 4th & 5th club 10th, 11th & 13th fed and all 3 were yearling cocks. Steele & Hubbock took 2nd club 8th fed with a young blue cock doing 1610-78. Neil {the salad dodger} Peart was 6th club 22nd fed with a young blue cock doing 1582-79 and Morpeth & Scott took 7th & 8th club with 2 young blue cocks.
Saltwel h s 131 birds. D Pearson & Bell were 1st & 2nd club. First was a young check hen that now has 2 wins to its name to take 3rd fed on 1627-40, then a young check cock some 9 mins later.
Wrekenton hs 290 birds. Laskey & Robinson got another win under their belts. This week it was a young blue cock that took 4hrs 10mins 39secs diong 1620-088, then 40secs later it was a young check hen, then 45 secs later another check hen, to take 1st, 3rd & 4th club and 4th, 6th & 7th fed. Elliott & Watson were 2nd club, 5th fed withh a young blue cock. Bowmam, Scott & Kelly had the next 2 birds in the club and were 17th & 19th fed doing 1591-42 & 1588-73.
High Feild h s 199 birds. A Wilcox jnr was the winner this week with a yearling pied cock doing 1608-78 to end up 9th fed and was the only Highfeild bird on the fed sheet.
R Moulding was the only bird on the fed sheet from the Springwell club flying against 75 birds and ended up 12th fed doing 1601-47 with a young blue hen that wins the fed 2bird club.
Bensham h s 298 birds. The Gray bros Bob & Mick just came out on top this week after a close finish just pipping Kenny & Ged Hooker by a gnat's whisker with a young blue cock that was doing 1593-26 to be 14th fed. Then it was the Hookers with a yearling blue hen that was bred by Hollywood Lofts Kev Parsons. This hen is bred through his Verheyen blood crossed with the Hofkens down from Hollywood Keegan hen {a litttle bit more about these birds later on}. She was doing 1592-72 and was 15th fed and just behind them were Quinn, son, Smith & Noble with a check cock that was doing 1591-96.
A funny sort of a race. Although the velocities were good and fast, the gaps in the birds tells you that it was a bad sort of a race, 78 yards splitting the top 30 birds.
Chester le Street fed 360 birds.
Birtley h s. Morris & son got there 4th fed win of the season this week when they timed in a young check cock that took hrs 9mins + to cover the 227 miles doing a vel of 1599-34. Next in the club was Irving & son some 9 mins later with a 2 year old check cock that also wins the 4 bird club doing 1569-2, then only seconds later McCabe & ptns timed a yearling mealy cock in to take 3rd club 6th fed. Potts & Walker took 4th club 9th fed with a young check hen doing 1556-53 then McCabe & ptns timed a check hen in to get 5th club 10th fed some 12 mins after the fed topper and on a 200+ mile race that should not be the case.
Perkinsville h s. W Loan nearly went down the card this week but didn't {unlucky} when he timed 3 yearling in with in 5 mins to take 1st, 3rd & 4th club and 2nd, 4th & 7th fed. First was a check hen doing 1589-89 then 2 young cocks that were 1576-177 then 1563-19. Mr & Mrs McGow were the spoilers with a yearling check cock that took 3rd fed on 1587-04. T Atkinson took 5th club 8th fed with a blue cock.
Birtley 4 bird club. Morris & son were 2nd with a 4 year old pied cock that has a good few turns in the 4bird club now then T B Wilkinson took 3rd club also with a 4 year old and Eltringham& Hall were 4th. Sorry about the section result lads but I have not received a sheet for Newcastle West fed, but i did hear that Decca Lamb did not top the fed this week??
Section 3 Houghton fed 889 birds.
Dubmire h s. Hughie & Colin Jackson went down the card once again in the club this week when they timed 4 birds in 9 mins, with 3 yearling cocks and a 2 year old check hen. The first bird was a slatey cock that took a straight 4 hours and 8 secs to cover the 224 mile and was doing a vel of 1647-17, next was a young check cock 6 mins later that was 6th fed then an old hen a min later 8th fed and then another yearling cock that was 14th fed. Emery & McLean took 5th club 25th fed with a young check cock.
Celtic h s. Mr & Mrs McMann were the winners this week with a yearling blue wh hen which was doing 1623-51 to take 2nd fed. Craggs, son & g/son took the next 2 positions in the club with 2 yearling blue hens that ended up 3rd & 5th fed. Thompson & Laidler timed in a young check cock and a young check hen to take 4th & 6th club and 9th & 15th fed. Mr&Mrs Hindhaugh & Donaldson were 5th club 12th fed. Billy Smith timed a 3 year old check hen in that was away at Lillers the week before to take 7th club 16th fed.
North Biddick h s was won by Alan Pallas when he timed in a 3 year old check hen to take 4th fed doing 1613-05. Clennel bros & Curry took the next 2 turns in the club as were 13th & 18th fed.
Laidler & Simpson took the top 2 positions in the club again this week in Shiney Row and were 7th & 30th fed 11 mins apart, and Gordon Tyzack was the winner at the Gardeners club and was 24th fed.
Mid Tyne Federation, Rivenhall.
What a race this one turned out to be. Liberated in an easterly wind at 13-00hrs an ETA of about 4 ¾ to 5-00 hrs was predicted for the 230 plus mile trip, but how wrong we were. It soon came onto the grapevine that the bottom end birds were doing close to 60mph so help must have been to hand. What we did not know however was what a stinker it was going to be returns wise. Now onto the result.
Only 38 federation lofts sent a total of 633 birds. Boldon Colliery HS saw 16 lofts send 356 birds of this total. Taking top spot in both club and federation and ending his novice status in the bargain is Billy Miller with a yearling hen recording a velocity of 1657.5ypm. Some of you may remember that at the beginning of last year some morons set fire to Billy’s sitting caravan and this in turn spread to his young bird loft and killed all of his young bird team. As is the norm in these circumstances fellow fanciers pulled together to get him a new team of young birds. His winner though is one he bred himself as he also had some of his stock pigeons sitting at the time. So congratulations to you Billy, you not only were 1st club 1st fed but you also managed 1st section from 1,522 birds, Billy had another to be 9th club 11th fed on 1603.6ypm In second club and fed are Graham, Gilchrist & Brennan on 1653ypm again with a yearling, this one actually was 1st section from the first young bird race last season. Third club 3rd fed to McKenna Bros once again with their good hen “The Duchess” this time doing 1636ypm, this her fifth top six finish so far this season. At 4th 8th 14th club 4th 10th 16th fed was Kevin McFarlane these doing 1619ypm1603ypm and 1590ypm. Kevin has been out of the sport for about ten years and what makes this result even better is that these are all last year’s late bred pigeons. In fact the first timed has still not fully grown his last flight having recently cast his last nest flight. Other Boldon lofts to show in the result were Walker & Greenlay 5th 10th 11th 13th & 17th club 6th 12th 13th 15th 20th fed the first one on 1616ypm and the last on 1577ypm. Billy Gates 6th & 16th club 7th & 19th fed Miller Bros & Kyle 7th & 15th club 9th 18th fed also Hilton Bros at 12th club 14th fed. At Heworth HS Danny Munro came out on top for 1st club 5th fed this one doing 1617ypm with W & L Curry in at 2nd club 17th fed on 1586ypm, Jarrow Alex had Jimmy & Paul, Fenwick Bros, at 1st club 8th fed this on 1610ypm and at Hebburn East End it was Ian Nelson who was 1st club.
Section 4. Sunderland Prem Fed 1265 birds.
Deptford h s 67 birds. Joe Adams & Sons were the club and fed winner this week flying 227 miles and doing a vel of 1662-83 and he also wins the fed noms. Tommy Ayscough took 2nd club 10th fed doing 1633-08.
Oddfellows h s 343 birds. T Armstrong & son took the red card this week for their first win of the season just 1 yard behind the fed winner and taking 2nd fed noms. S Potts & sons were 2nd & 3rd club 11th & 18th fed doing 1628-88 with the first bird and this bird wins the Ford 2bird club. The next bird was doing 1623-01 and the Duffy bros took 4th & 5th club 19th & 20th fed.
Plains Farm h s 271 birds. Wormleighton & Swinney made it another 1st and 2nd club this week doing 1654-15 and 1649-01 to also be 3rd & 5th fed and taking 3rd fed noms, Thompson & Kell were 3rd & 4th club 9th & 12th fed with Dawson & Frost being 5th club 13th fed.
Sportsmans & Comrades 264 birds. F McCluskey got his first win of the season this week and was doing 1652-81 to be 4th fed {must have been a dodgie race}. H Potts & sons were 2nd club 6th fed, and Reggie Royal & son was the winner at the Westside 6 bird club.
North East Fed 725 birds.
Seaham h s 255 birds. Colin Chapman & sons got his 4th fed win this week when he timed a 3 year old blue cock in that was doing 1639-29 and that's it 2nd fed win of the season, then he timed another 4 birds in within 4 mins to take 3rd, 5th, 6th & 7th club and 3rd, 5th, 6th& 10th fed, all blue cocks. Richardson, son & Young bros were 2nd & 4th club 2nd and 4th fed with 2 blue hens just a few yards behind the fed winner.
Wearside h s 177 birds. Tipling bros & son were the winners with a yearling check cock that was 7th fed doing 1623-01, then Thompson & Mordicai were 2nd club 8th fed with a young blue wh hen, Tipling & Robson were 3rd club 14th fed and Tippling, bros & son took 4th club 15th fed. Dixon & sons were 5th club 17th fed with a young blue cock.
Dawdon h s 132 birds. Stewart & Consitt were the winners timing a young check hen in to take 9th fed. The Oates bros were 2nd club 18th fed and AKDM Alderson took 3rd club 19th fed witha 2 year old blue cock.
Archbold, Wilson & Richietook top spot at the Murton club flying against 185 birds with J Watson in 2nd place.
It took nearly 80 yards to fill this fed sheet., Well on the whole it was a good velocity day, one of the fastest we have had this year, but the returns have been terrible for such a short race and most people have not had many return during the week, so where have all the birds gone? I did hear that the West Durham Amal were to hold a special meeting about their race and to see just how many of the birds are still missing. In my opinion the convoyer's job is a thankless one. Over the whole season these man are put incharge of taking our birds away to a race point and then they have to look after them. Nobody says well done when these people get a cracking race with good velocities and good returns, but as soon as there is a bad race with losses most people are after blood. It's a thankless job and if there is anybody out there that thinks they can do a better job, then put your name forward. I don't know the convoyer from the West Durham but best of luck with the coming races.