NEWS FROM SCOTLAND
Reports by Joe Murphy
The Joe Murphy Column
There is not much happening within the pigeon sport just now and to make matters worse the weather has been ‘horrendous’ in fact even the birds don’t like sitting out in the aviary it is so bad. One morning this week I went out to clean the loft and it was still a little dark, I lock the hens in the aviary as I scrape out. When all of a sudden I heard one almighty clatter and the hens were going mad so I hurried out expecting to see a cat or dog at the front of the aviary. There was nothing about the ground then as I looked at the birds I saw them looking upward and low and behold sitting on the top edge of the aviary was a sparrow hawk. As I moved forward it flew away and I went back in and let the hens back into the section and not one of them went back out into the aviary for at least 5 hours. This is the first time I have had one of these ‘murderer’s’ on my loft I have seen them on the odd occasion going by with a blackbird in its claws. I’m glad to say that the birds are now back to normal and I’m glad I don’t let my stock birds out for a fly because it was certain death for at least one of them.
Photograph
The Legend Owen Kirwin holding I Had a Dream
Also this past week my good friend Guy Reed of Isle of Wight and I have been ‘face timing’ each other and we spoke about the spare birds I had advertised in the BHW. As I still have some left Guy wondered if I had any photographs of these and he suggested I send him down a couple to have a look at. I was quite surprised when he sent them back after he had done some work on them (he has ‘Photoshop’ on his computer) and I have to admit he did a first class job. So much so that Margaret is going to get me an updated ‘Photoshop 14’ for my Christmas. So this will help keep me occupied during the cold winter days. I will add a couple of pictures that Guy changed to show readers.
SHU Show
This weekend is the Scottish Homing Union Show to be held in Lawrie & Symington Market, Lanark (ML11 9AX) Penning starts from 08.00am with the show opening at 10.00am and judging commencing at 10.15, fanciers can view the judging in the main hall. There is also food all day in the restaurant and there is a café and licensed bar. There will be a talk on pigeon nutrition and health for those who are interested and there will also be various trade stands including Coxydene, JB Swainstons, DSL Scotland Ltd, if you bring your pigeon/s Jim Hannah will take professional photographs of your pigeons. David Coward Talbot will be there with items from Belgica de Weerdt also the Racing Pigeon; Kevin Winters will also be attending. The British Fanciers Medical Research Team will be taking blood samples. The SNFC will have a stand and accept your fees for the 2016 season. The Crafty Fifer will be there with his loft accessories as will Blue-sky Products; Teurelings; C & J Poultry Supplies. There will also be a sale of birds for the SHU and their annual trophies will be presented at the show. You can buy your ETS rings and Christmas cards etc. from SHU Stand. Entry is £2 to the show with a chance of winning the Lucky programme number for chance to win one of 4 hampers. There will also be a grand SHU raffle draw and a Pigeon raffle. So a day out not to be missed, I’m hoping that after the trophies have been presented I will be given a list of winners for publication in my column. I hope to see as many of my old friends as possible at the show.
Good SNFC Birds
This week we start of with an exception pigeon raced by Mr & Mrs Gus & Pam Power of Gretna their blue bar hen ‘Jorgie Girl’ SU10 S 596 is a 4 times national winner. In 2013 she won 132nd open Newbury (no section prize) flying 260 miles, she was then sent to the Gold Cup race from Alencon and won 2nd section A 35th open flying 473 miles. She returned to the Gold Cup race in 2014 and again won 2nd section A but this time was 2nd open Alencon. This year 2015 she was again set up for the Alencon race and this time she excelled and won 1st section A 1st open winning SNFC Silver Award Winner 2015.
Our next pigeon is a blue bar cock SU11DF 2023 bred by Willie Donachie of Dundee and raced by Gilmour Brothers of Leven and appropriately named ‘Willie’. This cock won 19th section C 69th open Alencon 552 miles in 2013 he was then sent back to Clermont and won 38th section C 86th open flying 524 miles. He did not go over the channel in 2014 as Ian Gilmour did not think he was in the same condition as the year previous. He was then set up sitting on a 4 day old youngster for Alencon in 2015 and won 19th section C 119th open to win his SNFC Silver Award Winner
Ian Gilmour
Our 3rd pigeon this week is raced by John Duthie of Dundee with his chequer white flight cock SU11DF 815 who as a 2 year old in 2013 won 101st section C 300th open from Maidstone a distance of 393 miles, the following year he won 31st section C 146th open Buckingham a distance of 321 miles he was then sent back to Maidstone and won 61st section C 257th open. This year he was entered from the first inland national from Billericay and won 25th section C 85th open flying 366 miles and he then went to Portsmouth a distance of 398 miles and won 6th section C 43rd open to win his SNFC Meritorious Inland Bronze Award for winning 5 times from inland national races.
Well done to the above 4 fanciers on achieving these prestigious awards with their excellent pigeons.
Joe’s Joke
After being airborne approximately 30 minutes on an outbound Aer Lingus flight from Dublin to Boston, the lead flight attendant nervously made the following painful announcement in her lovely Irish brogue:
"Ladies and gentlemen, I'm so very sorry, but it appears that there has been a terrible mix-up. I don't know how this has happened, but we have 103 passengers on board, and..., unfortunately, we received only 40 dinner meals from our catering service. I truly apologize for this mistake and inconvenience."
When passengers' muttering had died down, she continued..., "Anyone who is kind enough to give up their meal so that someone else can eat will receive free, unlimited drinks for the duration of our flight."
Her next announcement came about 2 hours later... "If anyone would like to change their mind, we still have 40 dinners available?"
Please continue to keep the news flowing;
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Mystical Rose Cottage 2 Flutorum Avenue Thornton by Kirkcaldy KY1 4BD
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© Compiled by Joe Murphy
