ACROSS THE MIDDLE
by Gordon Braban & John Wilkie
FOLKESTONE NATIONAL - MAY 2012
Welcome, well the season is well on its way. This last week saw the start of the nationals with our first 1 being from Folkstone which is around 285 miles to the middle of the combine. The week leading up to the race had not been that bad as far as the weather goes but the forcast for the Saturday was a north west wind but not very strong. Well that was wrong as normal and the birds went up in a north wind but on the plus side it was going to be dry with sunny spells. This race saw the 4 organisations within the NEHU going up together for one of the biggest liberations in this country. Over the years the NEHU have had over 40,000 birds at Folkestone and this year there were over 35,000+ birds going up at 07-00am to head north for home
Around about the 5 hour mark the phone started to ring and the main question was have you heard anything from the front end. At this time I had heard nothing from anywhere not even from the lads at Mansfeild which is 110 miles in front of us telling me how long it had taken their birds or if they had seen anything going over. Nothing was happening and at around 6 hours the phone started to ring, telling me that the front end ladds had started to time on just before the 6 hours, which made the birds up at our end in around 6hrs 35 mins to be any good. Well some lads got them sharpish in the feds around us but the Houghton fed birds must have stopped off on the way home because the velocities were slower then everybodys elses {I think}, but that's the way it goes. That's enough chit-chat, let's get down to some fed reports.
Section 2 Gateshead fed 1567 birds
The Gray bros {Bob & Mick} timed a yearling blue cock in that took 6hrs 38mins 29 secs and recordS a vel of 1277-76 to take 1st club 1st fed 2nd section 2 and 11th UNC, then they timed a 2 year old check hen 5 mins later that was 4th club 10th fed 13th sec 111th UNC doing 1261-72. B Atkinson & Sarginson were 2nd club 6th fed 9th sec & 69th UNC with a yearling check hen doing 1267-21. Quinn, son, Smith & Noble timed 3 birds in within 5 mins to take 3rd, 6th& 8th club 9th, 17th & 22nd fed 13th & 24th sec and 108th & 156th UNC with the first 2 birdS. The first was their good yearling check wh SS hen that has a few fed turns now then a yearling check hen. Kenny & Jed Hooker were 5th club 13th fed 20th sec and 144th combine.
Dunston h s 338 birds. L, G & W Rose timed the same 3 year old check cock in that won last week from Huntinton; this week it was 2nd fed 3rd sec 22nd UNC and it also wins the fed 2bird club doing 1275-50. Gordon, Gray & Gray {the 3 Gs} were 2nd club 4th fed 6th sec & 44th UNC with a yearling check cock. Phillip Steele & Hubbock took 3rd, 4th, 7th, 8th & 9th club 16th, 18th, 26th, 28th & 30th fed with 5 cocks.
Wrekenton h s 289 birds. Laskey & Robinson made it 4 wins out of 5 this week with a yearling black cock that also won last week. This cock was 3rd fed 4th sec & 32nd combine and they also timed a yearling pied hen in to take 2nd club 20th fed. Elliott & Watson were 3rd club 25th fed with a 2 year old blue cock.
Highfield h s 180 birds. The Hay bros were the winners for the 3rd week running with a 3 year old check hen that was 5th fed 7th sec & 51st combine. Geordie Miller was 2nd club 7th fed 11th sec & 84th combine. The Hay bros were also 3rd club 11th fed 14th sec & 124th combine and F Curry & sons took 4th club 12th fed 16th sec & 133rd combine.
Saltwell h s 120 birds. D Pearson & Bell timed 2 hens in to take 1st & 2nd club 8th & 15th fed. The first was a yearling check hen then a 3 year old check hen. These were 12th & 21st sec & 102nd & 148th combine.
Springwell h s 68 birds. Scott, son & Harty took the top 2 positions in the club. Their first bird was a yearling blue cock that was 14th fed and then a 3 year old check wh cock that took 23rd fed.
Chester le Street fed 420 birds
Birtley h s. Potts & Walker were the winners this week with a yearling mealy hen that was doing 1244-23, McCabe & ptnr were 2nd club 4th fed with a yearling check hen that topped the fed last week and it wins the 4bird club for the 2nd week running and then Morris and son took the next 3 positions in the club with 3 hens that were 6th, 7th & 8th fed. The 3rd bird was 2nd in the 4bird club.
Perkinsville h s. Mr & Mrs Jefferson were the winners with a 2 year old pied hen that was 2nd fed, B Nixon was 2nd club 3d fed with a yearfling blue hen, W Loan was 3rd club 5th fed with a yearling check hen and Gordon & son was 4th club 10th fed with a yearling check cock.
Brian Caley was the winner at the Marquis of Granby with a 2 year old check cock that was also 3rd in the 4bird club.
Newcastle West Fed. 1st D Lamb. This blue hen was also 1st section 2 and a very impressive 2nd UNC doing 1288-62. 2nd fed Burns bros with a 2 year old that was 5th sec 43rd combine. 3rd fed D Lamb also 8th sec, 62nd combine. 4th fed K Cave which was 10th sec 78th UNC. 5th fed 15th sec 130th UNC was B & J Potts.
Mid Tyne Federation
For this the first U. N.C. National of the season 40 member lofts sent 853 birds. Boldon’s share of this total being 484 birds from 19 lofts. The same three lofts that have been doing most of the damage so far this season did it again. Coming out on top were the Graham, Gilchrist & Brennan partnership chalking up their third win, to be 1st club 1st fed on 1283.302ypm. On the velocities I have seen to date this one will probably finish up about 5th Open from 25,000 plus birds. The loft also had another four on the fed sheet at 5th 11th 12th & 17th on 1271ypm, 1263.3ypm, 1263.2 ypm & 1256ypm. Their first two, both yearling hens, were bred by that top South Shields partnership of Soderlund & Maddison. Next in for 2nd & 9th club 2nd & 10th fed, 1280ypm & 1263.7ypm are the McKenna Bros, their first timer being their very good hen “The Duchess” and what a hen this is, a 2009 bred pigeon she has to date 5x1st club & 4x1st fed prior to this year, and now this year she has 3 positions in the top six in both club & fed. I’m sure her next win won't be far away. Next came what has to be the form loft in the whole of the U.N.C. although G.G.B. have one more win than it. The loft and team of pigeons in question is that of Walker & Greenlay. This week they were 3rd 4th 6th 7th 8th 12th 13th 14th 15th 17th club for the fed turns read almost the same. Their fist timer recorded 1278ypm and the last of these at 19th fed doing 1251ypm. The only other Boldon pigeon on the fed sheet was for Ray Surtees at 18th club 20th fed, keep it up Ray, some one has got to push these top lads as they will get carried away. I’ve said it before, Boldon is one of the hardest clubs to win and it will be interesting to see just haw many of the above pigeons make the open result.
At Jarrow the two Glens, Scurfield & Son did it again to be 1st club 9th fed doing 1267ypm, this is their 3rd win to date. In at 2nd club 18th fed on 1254ypm is Davy Wilson following up from his win last week, not bad a 1st & 2nd in his only two races flown.
At Heworth H.S. and Hebburn East End it was as you were with Billy Lynn winning Heworth & Ian Nelson the Victor at Hebburn.
Section 3 Houghton fed 1227 birds
Washington celtic hs. Dyson & Nichols timed a 2 year old blue cock that took 6hrs 40mins 23secs over the 285 miles doing a vel of 1253-75 to take 1st club and fed, then they timed a dark cock 3 mins later to be 5th club 8th fed, then a 3 year old check cock that was 7th club 11th fed. Craggs, son & g/son were 2nd club 4th fed with a 2 year old blue wh hen. Tommy Smith & Longstaff was 3rd & 4th club 6th & 7th fed with a 2year old cock and a yearling hen nearly 1 min apart. Heron & sons won 6th & 10th club 10th & 14th fed with a 2year old check cock and a yearling blue hen.
Dubmire h s. Hughie & Colin Jackson were the winners for the 5th week running and this week they timed a yearling check cock that was doing 1253-25; they also took the next few positions in the club and they made the fed sheet as well.
Shiney Row hs. Laidler & Simpson were the winners for the 5th week running with a 2 year old blue hen that was 3rd fed doing 1248-94 and Mr& Mrs Wells took 2nd club 5th fed with a 2 year old check wh cock and Laidler &Simpson were 3rd, 4th & 5th club.
North Biddick h s was won by the Fort bros with a 2 year old blue cock that was 9th fed. Clennel bros & Curry were 2nd club 21st fed. Stevie Wilson, son & dtr were the winners at Penshaw hs and 16th fed and the Gardeners hs was won by Trev Westoe with Braban & son in 2nd place.
Section 4, Sunderland Dist Fed 813 birds
Cornhill hs 251 birds. Jimmy & John Powell, last year's Bourges combine winners, came out on top form again this week by timing ayearling check cock in that took 6 hrs 30mins to cover the 283+ miles doing a vel of 1279-47 to top the fed and end up 3rd sec 4 and 8th UNC; they also timed another check cock in 3 mins later to be 3rd club 4th fed 24th sec and 59th combine. The Woodruoffe bros were 2nd & 4th club 2nd & 6th fed 7th & 34th sec and 21st & 91st combine firstly with a 2 year old dark hen that takes 2nd NECC, then he timed a 3 year old blue cock that was 3rd club 10th fed 122nd combine. R&A Evans, Dixon &Gibbon were 2nd club 5th fed 86th combine with a 2 year old check hen, then nearly 4 mins later timing a 2 year old blue cock to do 1275-51 & 1263-54. B Ridley was 5th club, 7th fed 114th combine with a 2 year old blue cock.
High Southwick hs 280 birds. Ray Atkinson & McDonald got his first win of the season with a 2 year old mealy cock that took 6hrs 35mins 37secs and doing 1269-59 to be 3rd fed 19th sec 53rd combine. Young &Thoms took the next 3positions in the club with 2 hens & a cock to take 10th, 12th & 13th fed, the first 1 being 179thh combine.
Town End Farm 109 birds. T & A Kibble were the winners with a 2 year old mealy cock that was 9th fed 160th combine and Geordie Kelly was 2nd club 17th fed with a yearling blue cock.
Sunderland Prem Fed 1650 birds.
Pains Farm h s 305 birds. Wormleighton & Swinney flew a good race this week in both club & fed. They were 1st, 2nd, 4th, 6th & 7th club 1st, 3rd, 7th, 11th & 14th fed. The first bird was a yearling that was 5th sec and 15th combine doing 1276-89; it also wins the fed noms. The next bird was also a yearling that was 37th combine and 3rd fed noms and the other 3 birds also made the combine sheet inside the top 200. Hammond,Webster &Webster were 3rd & 5th club 6th & 10th fed. The first pigeon was a 2 year old that wins the Ford 2bird club and 9th in the NECC, and their 2nd bird was a yearling that was 80th combine.
Sportsman & Comrades 519 birds. Murphy & Arye took the top 2 positions in the club this week for their 3rd win of the season. Their first bird was just decimals behind the fed winner doing 1276-27 and ended up 19th combine it was also 2nd fed noms. Their 2nd bird was a 2 year old that was 47th combine doing 1270-38. J &S Barnes were 3rd club 8th fed 76th combine with a yearling and wind 2nd in the Ford 2 bird club. H Potts & sons were 4th club 9th fed & 79th combine.
Castletown hs 172 birds. Watson,bros & son took the red card this week with a yearling that was 5th fed & 56th combine. Summers, bros & Rose were 2nd club 19th fed.
Oddfellows h s 334 birds. Greenhow, bros, Walton & Dove were 1st & 3rd club 12th & 20th fed. Their first bird was doing 1263-62 then the next bird was doing 1252-95, and Brown, bros & McKinnie were 2nd club 18th fed.
BOTH SIDES OF THE WEAR SECTION 4
1st Naylor, son & Richardson/Murton {1st NEC fed}. 3rd UNC. 1285-12.
2nd Moore & Gleghorn/Whiteleas {1st SS fed} 1283-04. 7th UNC.
3rd J Powell& Son {1st Sun Dist fed} 1279-47. 8th UNC.
4th Soderlund & Maddison {2nd SS fed} 1276-90. 14th UNC.
5th Wormleighton & Swinney {1st Sun Prem fed} 1276-89. 15th UNC.
6th Murphy & Arye {2nd Sun Prem fed} 19th UNC.
7th Woodroffe bros {2nd Sun Dist fed} 1275-51. 21st UNC.
8th Naylor son & Richardson {2nd NEC fed} 1275-01. 23rd UNC.
9th Soderlund & Maddison {3rd SSfed} 1274-87. 25th UNC.
10th Taylor & Ali [3rd SS fed} 1274-65. 26th UNC.
Well that's just about it from me this week. The next race will be from Melton Mowbray. The weather for the weekend is forcasted to be crap, so on the Friday the 7 delegates that decide whether we go or not decided to put back 24hrs, then it was the same on the Saturday put back again {I decided to shut the doors up for that week as the next race will be from Lillers} so word came round on the Sunday morning that the birds would go away for a race. Well it was basket 2 hrs earlier on the afternoon. There were not that many birds away for the club and fed race as quite a few people had kept theeir channel birds off, so the birds went away and it was the same old story on the Monday morning - phone back and phone back - until 14-00hrs when they decided to hold over. Tuesday morning was not much better but that's another story for the next write up. Just 1 last thing before I go, to the lads in the Newcastle west fed, make sure your clocks are spot on if you are watching {Decca}. If you have any news or results send them to me so I can print them {NW, NEC, SS}. Drop me a line on 0191 4177745 or 07526267979. That's all folks. GORDON.