Greater Distance Single Bird N.F.C.
News Update May 2010
by Gareth Watkins
The Trophy Table
This club has been functioning for quite some time now and has amongst its membership some of the finest exponents of long distance pigeon racing in the UK. The roll of honour of past winners from Barcelona include J & R Wills & Family in 2001 and 2005; Jordan Brothers in 2002 and 2004; J. Nicholson & son in 2003 and 2008; Alistair Muir in 2006; Paul Stone in 2007 and Wales’ own long distance aces Vince and Dave Padfield in 2009.
The Dax race has been won by J Nicholson & Son, Crowley & Green, Paul Amor and Wearn Bros. These races taking place between 2002 and 2005 respectively.
The Palamos race at close on 700 miles for most members’ birds has seen virtually the same names appearing in the winners’ enclosure. The 2001 Palamos race saw the Padfields, Vince and Dave winning outright whilst in 2002 the husband and wife combo of Mr & Mrs Fry of Didcot clocked to lead the field. The 2003 season saw a magnificent performance put up by the winning pigeon, a Van Wanroy, flying right up into Yorkshire at 815 miles, this game bird raced by long distance enthusiasts Mr & Mrs Paul Woolliss of Grimsby. The 2004 and 2005 races were won by the same fanciers – none other than the Kent partnership of J. Nicholson & son who are rarely far from the top of any long distance race result. In 2006 the Palamos race was substituted with Bordeaux and the winner proved to be Mr F.J. Quinn of Devizes. Palamos was back on the programme in 2007 and the winner proved to be Mark Gilbert of Windsor adding yet another winners’ rosette to his trophy cabinet. Paul Stone was the winner of the 2008 Palamos event no doubt with one of his terrifically consistent team of Southwells.
Dave Padfield of the Padfield Family of Cwmtillery, winners of the club's Barcelona race in 2009
The Pau / Tarbes race is one of the most keenly contested events in the calendar and between the years 2001 – 2009 this race has been won in succession by the following top class distance fanciers:- Paul Stone [yet again!] in the substitute San Sebastian race; Mick Spencer of Gisburn on the Lancs/Yorks border and past winner of 1st Open NFC Nantes; Crowley & Green in the substitute Saintes race; Jimmy Roy of Margate; Wearn Bros of Ramsdean. [Norman Southwell’s old stomping ground]; Ron Ball of Northchurch; F. Hinchcliffe & Sons right up there in the Peak District at Glossop in Derbyshire; Lloyd & Kelly [NFC Tarbes]and past NFC Pau winners; Paul Amor of Woking [BICC Tarbes]; Bartlett & Jones of Southampton [NFC Tarbes] and last but certainly not least J. Nicholson & Son from Tarbes with the BICC.
Eamonn Kelly of the Lloyd & Kelly partnership, the Tarbes winners in 2008
The Perpignan race was included in the programme in the years 2003 and 2009 and the winners were respectively J. Nicholson & Son and Mr & Mrs Rhodes of Aylesham. The 2004 and 2005 seasons saw races from San Sebastian included in the programme and the 2004 race was won by Cardiff’s own expat , for many years removed to sunnier climes in Southampton, none other than Anthony Cowan. Len Painter, a long time stalwart of the NFC and terrific long distance fancier gained top place in 2005 to add to his already long list of top prizes in NFC Pau races.
The club can also boast a total of nearly thirty outstanding quality trophies. A number of these are aimed at encouraging participation by fanciers in Wales. I include a photograph of some of the magnificent array of trophies so that fanciers who may be interested in joining this illustrious club can see what they can aspire to win.
The 2010 race programme includes the following races:-
BICC Pau [18th June].
BICC / BBC Barcelona [2nd July].
BICC / NFC Tarbes [10th July].
BICC Perpignan [31st July].
Fanciers interested in joining the club and competing against the afore mentioned long distance aces can contact the secretary Rose Wills at 41 Woodland Road, Selsey, West Sussex. PO 20 0AL[tel 01243 / 605440] {e mail
