The Joe Murphy Column
What can we say about the weather we are having in the UK at the moment it is terrible with rain storms that you have not seen for ages, and believe me when they come on you do not wish to be caught in them or you are soaked right to the skin. Up here in Scotland we have had clubs racing on Tuesdays and Thursdays as the weather at the weekend is no use for pigeon racing. It is just as well fanciers now have the ETS as the birds can be timed in while the fancier does not loose time off work. The days of taking time off work to time in pigeons is long gone plus the fact that the majority of fanciers nowadays are retired from work. However, there are people like our Kevin who cannot just take a day off work when it suits him. He informed me last night that his federation (Angus) are race marking today Wednesday 14th August for a race tomorrow which will be his first young bird race of the season so will let you know how he gets on.
I have been working on my articles for the 2020 yearbook and on Monday visited Andy Miller of Edinburgh who won the Gold Cup this year. I decided to take the train to Edinburgh as Margaret was not happy with me driving on my own to the city, unfortunately due to the bad weather we are having they had signal problems at the Forth Bridge and the train only stopped at Inverkeithing and Waverly stations. When I got off at the last stop, I had phoned Andy to say where he could meet me, but I forgot that the Edinburgh Festival was on and the city was moving with visitors from all over the world. I bet they cannot believe the storms we have been experiencing here but they all seemed happy to visit our capital city. Andy took me to his home, and I spent a lovely couple of hours seeing his birds and obtaining details for the Yearbook which I hope to send away within the next few days.
Race Results
Angus Federation
Result of the federation race from Lauder held on Thursday 8th August with the 684 birds liberated at 8-00an into a light west wind. A new name to me (Joe M) topping the federation is A Golicki of Forfar club who also wins 5th 14th & 15th positions well done!!! Greig & Leggett of Forfar are 2nd with Eric Galloway in 3rd 7th & 8th places with J & D Harvey also from Forfar in 6th & 8th places. Macaulay Ferguson & Curran are 4th with D & D Hay of Gourdon winning 10th place. J Fraser of Forfar is 11th with Ian Scott in 13th place D Smith is 16th & 17th with Kenny Droog & son in 18th sport just ahead of Les McKay of Arbroath club and his club mates Chic and Ann Carrie take the last position in the top 20 in the federation.
The East section is won by D & D Hay of Gourdon with another bird in 8th place; Les McKay of Arbroath club is 2nd with Chic & Ann Carrie wining 3rd 4th & 10th section Charlie & Glen Cameron of Arbroath club are 5th 6th & 10th section with G Campbell of Montrose club winning 7th & 9th east section.
Club winners are as follows; Forfar 552 birds winner A Golicki; Gourdon 22 birds winner D & D Hay; Arbroath 72 birds winner Les McKay; Montrose 38 birds winner G Campbell.
Arbroath Racing Pigeon Club
From the Lauder race 4 members sent 74 birds liberated into a light south west wind. 1st, 7th & 9th club is Les McKay with Chic and Ann Carrie in 2nd 3th 8th & 10th club Charlie & Glen Cameron are 4th 5th & 6th club.
Ayrshire Federation
News from Archie McIntyre the race secretary of Ayrshire Fed, who writes ‘Please find attached report leading the way into the federation this week taking 1st fed on 1052.5 is Malcolm McLarty of the Dalmellington Pigeon Club. Malcolm is flying a distance of 63 miles and timed his blue bar inbred to a chequer cock belonging to Rod Wilson who was a previous Ayrshire Fed member before moving down south to Somerset. 2nd federation on 1040-3 is G Samson of the Whitletts & District club; unfortunately, I do not have any information on this pigeon. 3rd fed is the new kids on the block; Nicol Bros of Ardeer HS. The Nicol name is well known in the pigeon sport and this partnership is two of the son’s namely John & Barry now venturing out on their own from the family partnership of J & J & C Nicol. John & Barry are just starting on their own this year and were fortunate enough to be gifted some youngsters from several lofts including J L Dumigan aka ‘Supercool’ of Kilmaurs who bred their 1st club 1st North section 3rd federation winner. The boys also win the federation breeder/buyer with a bird bred by big Gavin Urquhart and the Ardeer breeder/buyer with one from the partnership of J Howie & Son so a good outcome considering the type of race it was.
I would like to take this opportunity from Ayrshire federation to thank the many members in and around the country especially the lads in the Cumbria and Dumfries & Galloway areas who have gone out of there way not only after this disastrous race but on many other occasion, rounding our pigeons up and bringing them up to Gretna & Dumfries where they are held, fed and watered awaiting collection by Eben Stewart of Mauchline who tirelessly goes up and down this road in his own time and expense sometimes twice a week to collect them for the membership.
Malcolm McLarty
John Nicol
North Section sent 635 birds: 1st Nicol Brothers of Ardeer HS velocity 1008. 2nd J Howie & Son of Ardeer HS 1007, 3rd J & S O’Hare also Ardeer HS 1005: Central Section sent 385 birds: 1st J Connelly of Irvine NTHS 982. 2nd Eddie Diamond also of Irvine NTHS 967 and 3rd are C & C & K McKerrow of Kilmarnock Invitation on 953:
South Section sent 553 birds: 1st M McLarty of Dalmellington PC 1052. 2nd G Samson of Whitletts & District on 1040 and 3rd Dunlop & Aitken of Mauchline & Dist on 1003;
Other Club winners not mentioned above are as follows; D Craddock of Dalry HS 988. J MacKenzie of Cumnock & District on 963; J Mathieson of Annbank & District on 881 and Ian Noble of Crosshouse HS on 877; J & R Bryson of Darvel HS on 685 and Ian Crossan of Kilwinning HS on 672:
No racing this weekend Joe due to the poor weather, so finally caught up with the remainder of my race reports. Please find attached report from Ayrshire from our Carnwath 2 young bird race held on the 3rd of August. I have also attached 2 photo's Joe one picture containing Hugh Wallace 1st & 2nd federation winning pigeons and the other photo of Andy Barbour winner of 3rd federation. Ayrshire Federation’s 3rd young bird race saw us going back to Carnwath. The federation was due to go to Appleby on the 27th August but due the disastrous race from Stobs Camp on the 21st the top table decided to cancel Appleby to give the birds a chance to recover. The feeling from the membership was they did not want to go back to Stobs Camp or Appleby so the clubs were asked to give feedback to the top table where they would like to see the remainder of the races from.
The feedback suggested we carry on with our Carnwath race on the 3rd August followed by 2 from Arniston then 2 from Dunbar. Since agreeing this would be our remaining programme, Arniston race point has become unavailable due to council road works for the foreseeable future so the top table have moved we race from 2 Cockenzie and then 2 Dunbar’s. Jim had the Carnwath convoy of 1,522 birds up and away at 8-45 with no wind at the race point which is between 28 miles to 49 miles to the top end of the federation. What a difference between this race and the last week’s as the birds made short work of it with the 1st of the birds arriving in just over the half hour mark and most clubs reporting nearly full returns from most members.
Leading the way into the federation this week taking 1st and 2nd federation on 1580.8 and 1578.3 and only sending the two pigeons is Hugh Wallace of Darvel HS. Hugh was flying a distance of 28 miles and timed his 2 pigeons in 3 seconds, a great performance. Hugh was telling me he started the season with 14 young birds, after the disastrous Stobs Camp race, he was left with three, one of them was badly hawked so he only had 2 for racing. The 2 remaining birds paired together and returned from the race together. The 1st fed winner is a chequer hen and is a pure Etienne Meirlaen and is a half-sister to his 2018 Ypres west section winner. The 2nd fed is a blue cock his sire is a Frans Zwols cock of 3 Musketeers and Game Boy Junior lines. While the dam is a blue purchased at Willie Millen’s dispersal sale and has won 1st prizes up to 2,300 birds in Lanarkshire Federation. The 3rd fed bird won with a velocity of 1510.9 to Andy Barbour of West Kilbride. Andy’s timer was natural young bird, a gift pigeon from Archie McIntyre of Largs. The sire is a Ko-Nips/Jan Aarden bred by the late Bob McDonald of Fraserburgh and was gifted to Archie from David Craddock of Largs. The dam is of the Herbot bloodlines and is bred down from pigeons obtained from Rex Doe’s winning bloodlines via his good friend, Derek McCullen of Kilmaurs.
Hugh Wallace 1st & 2nd federation winning pigeons
Andy Barbour
North Section sent 752 birds, with 1st Andy Barbour of Dalry HS 1510.9, 2nd Derek Kane of Ardeer HS 1469.8. 3rd place is R & G McCallum of Dalry HS 1469.3.
Central Section sent 215 birds; 1st and 2nd H Wallace of Darvel HS 1580.8 and 1578.3. 3rd is H Pollock of Irvine NTHS 1510.4.
South Section sent 555 birds; 1st and 2nd W Lawrence of Whitletts & District on 1322.1 and 1307.3. 3rd K Harris of Annbank & District on 1285.1.
Other Club winners not mentioned above: A Wilson of Crosshouse HS on 1410.4; Benson & Cairney of Kilwinning HS on 1395.1; J & A Bunce of Kilmarnock Invitation on 1366.6; S Boyce of Dalmellington PC on 1073.9: J MacKenzie of Cumnock & District on 1060.2:
Thanks once again Joe for all your support Archie;
Central Federation
News from Bernie Britton who writes ‘Hi Joe, Broxburn & Uphall pigeon result for 8thAugust from Otterburn with the convoy liberated at 09-00am in a light west wind. Winning 1st club 5th federation is Gordon Mackenzie with a darkness blue cock his sire was bred by his good friend’s George, Willie & Paul Macaloney and is dam is a Gabby’s from the stock loft. In 2nd club 6th federation is Gordon Mackenzie again with darkness blue pied cock a Herman Ceuster. In 3rd club 9th federation John McNeill with a blue bar cocks on darkness. Sire & Dam Stefaan Lambrecht from Mr Ian Stafford of the UNC and were bought at the Blackpool show. John was also 16th federation with Sid Steven & Davie Gullane in 17th fed position. Davie Gullane also does the stray centre and does a good job. Well done to Mark Doran on winning the federation; thanks once again Joe yours Bernie’.
East of Scotland Federation
News from Tom McEwen; who informs us that the federation cancelled their young bird race at the weekend; and basketed the birds on Monday 12th August for a race the following day Tuesday from Ridsdale with a 10-30am liberation into a west wind. Topping the federation is John Bird of Prestonpans with Tam Hunnam of Port Seton having a nice double for 2nd & 3rd places. Tom and his son Scott McEwen from Elphinstone are 4th fed with Jim McNeill of Tranent in 5th place. Rab Waddell also of Tranent is 6th open with Ian (Spider) Rowley of Gladsmuir in 7th open Keith Howie of Prestonpans competes a nice treble winning 8th 9th & 10th open.
Prestonpans HS
Taking the top spot is John Bird with a Vandenabeele blue hem purchased direct from Woodside Lofts. Tam Hunnan takes the next two places with his first bird a hen containing Braspenning bloodlines and the 3rd club winner is a cock being a Braspenning cross.
NEW LOTHIAN RPC
News from Andy Miller with the result of the Ridsdale (2) young bird race flown on Tuesday 13th August 2019 with 59 lofts sending 2286 birds liberated at 10-30am Stewart Gilchrist of Edinburgh Premier is 1st 2nd 3th 4th 5th 6th 8th 9th 10th K Dick of the same club is 7th with J McIvor of Danderhall club in 11th 12th 13th 14th 15th 16th 17th 18th & 20th with S Lapinski of Woodburn winning 19th open. The Federation breeder AND buyer winner is Stewart Gilchrist with a velocity of 1226 and receives the sum of £220-00.
Joe’s Joke
A Poem from Pauline Rickson who has not been too well of late having one or two hospital appointments and we hope she is feeling a bit better and now on the road to recovery. Pauline’s poem is as follows;
‘The Good Old Days’
We met and married a long time ago, we worked long hours, and wages were low. No TV’s just radio’s- times were hard. Some washed from water pumps (in the back yard). No wallpapered walls-No carpeted floors. Our doors always open, (no need to lock doors) our kids spent most of their days in the park. Our rule as to make sure they were home before dark. No Vandals No Muggings (we owned little to rob) we felt rich if we owned just a coup of bob. Paper boys would deliver (and sing). A night at the ‘flicks’ was out weekly fling We ALL had our share of trouble and strife. That was the pattern of most people’s LIFE.
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I can relate to quite a bit of the above, I remember my dad & mum having a TV and all the neighbours coming into the house to watch ‘The Lone Ranger & Tonto’ We did spend our 7 weeks school holidays playing football every day and we did have to be in before dark. My brother Gerry and I had a roll round (delivering rolls at peoples door) we started at 5am, then we did a milk round at 6am, and then delivered newspapers at into people’s doors at 7am. Got home has something to eat and we were off to school in the 8-30am bus. We were paid 50 pence a week for each of the jobs which we gave to my mum. Who saved some of it up for us, but the rest went on buying school clothes or food? My dad kept a few pigeons, and these were fed on barley or wheat from the local farmer; and as Pauline said, ‘It was the same pattern for most people.’ Joe Murphy.
Please continue to keep the news flowing; to Joe Murphy Mystical Rose Cottage 2 Flutorum Avenue Thornton by Kirkcaldy KY1 4BD or phone 01592 770331 or Email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. REMEMBER THE J IN THE MIDDLE or you can also view online editions on: www.elimarpigeons.com www.fancierchat.co.uk www.pigeon-chat.co.uk - www.Pigeonbasics.com - Pigeon Racing the Basics! - thecanadianpigeoninternational.com www.internationalracingpigeon.com or
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© Compiled by Joe Murphy
