NEWS FROM SCOTLAND
Reports by Joe Murphy
A few weeks ago I received an email from ‘Homer’ the Irish scribe asking if I could help a lady out who lived in Fife in Scotland. I then contacted this lady who was named Rona Sheppard and she informed me that her mum who now lives in Rosyth (near the Forth Bridge) and who left Leven about 50 years ago wished some advice or help. Rona informed me that her mother also named Rona (Mrs Fraser) had a trophy that her father Robert Duncanson had won when racing his pigeons in the Leven club in the 1930s and she wanted to donate it to someone or to some organisation that would appreciate this trophy. Rona had managed to trace Ronnie Stevenson the present day secretary of Leven pigeon club and both Rona and her mother visited Ron and his wife Jessie at their home in Leven. Once they started chatting they discovered they had a lot in common as Mrs Fraser knew quite a few of Ronnie’s relations and the four of them spent a happy hour in each other’s company. Ronnie told them that the Leven club would deem it a great honour to accept the trophy and Mrs Fraser then donated the trophy to the pigeon club.
Bob Duncanson
History
Now for some history on this trophy that was presented to Bob Duncanson by the Scottish National Flying Club as a memento on him winning 1st open SNFC Rennes in 1931. Mrs Fraser remembers her father having the Gold Cup which he kept for a year before handing it back to the club. She also told me that she remembers lots of people from all over Scotland coming to see the Gold Cup and of course the winning bird that Bob called ‘Faithful’. Mrs Fraser thinks her dad got the silver trophy to keep as a souvenir for winning the race and she is correct. This lovely silver trophy is engraved as follows: SNFC presented by His Majesty The King: won by R Duncanson: Rennes race 1931. Mrs Fraser also found some national certificates that her dad won from 1929, 1930 and of course the one from 1931 showing the placing of the bird, time recorded and winning velocity and it is amazing that Mrs Fraser still has these after all this time. (See copy of National winner’s diploma).
Bob outside his loft
Information Found
I have taken the information on these diplomas to emphasize the quality of fancier Bob Duncanson was. In 1929 flying in the SNFC race from Rennes the convoy of 4054 birds were released on the 12th of July at 06.00am and Bob timed in a blue pied hen rung NURP 25 BE 6585 the following day at 11-38-37 to win 118th open winning the monetary total of 1 pound 9 shillings and 6 pence. His winner recorded a velocity of 728 for the distance of 562 miles 789 yards. While studying these diplomas it was interesting to note the signatures of the president and secretary who at that time where two of the most famous men in the history of the Scottish National Flying Club. Namely Dr William Anderson from Armadale who was the president of the club from 1914 until 1948 and the secretary Mr Tom Dickson from Edinburgh who held this post from 1911 till 1913 (then gave it up during the 1st World War with W Anderson of Galston taking on the job as acting secretary during this time) Tom Dickson again took up the reins of the club in 1919 until 1938 (again giving it up due to the 2nd World War 1939-1945 and R Gray of Rutherglen took on the job as acting secretary during this time) Tom finally regained his post as secretary in 1946 up until 1950 which was an outstanding contribution to the Scottish National Flying Club.
In 1930 Bob Duncanson timed in 2 pigeons on the SNFC open Rennes result the convoy of 4451 birds were liberated at 05-40am on 11th July and Bob timed in a blue chequer hen rung SURP 25 F 6279 ‘Faithful’ the following day at 12-02-09 for a velocity of 706 and she won 46th open winning a financial prize of 8 pounds 4 shillings and 6 pence. Bob’s 2nd pigeon in this race was a red hen rung SURP 26 F 5658 and she was timed at 15-38-43 hours on the second day to win 174th open winning 6 pounds 4 shillings and 6 pence for her efforts.
Then we come to the pinnacle of Bob’s racing career when on the 11th of July 1931 Bob timed his blue chequer hen SURP 25 F 6279 ‘Faithful’ to win His Majesty The King’s Cup also the Gold Cup for 1st SNFC Rennes. The convoy of 4749 were liberated at 05-50am on 10th July and Bob timed at 07-55-07 the following morning to record a velocity of 1171 yards per minute and won the fantastic amount of £149 and 5 shillings (This was more than 6 months wages for him and a fortune in those days - a bit like winning the Lottery at the present time). Bob worked as the winding engineer at the Wellesley Pit in lower Methil and as he worked shifts he obtained some help from a young man called Charlie Simpson who did not keep pigeons but helped Bob out. In 1932 Charlie asked Bob if he was sending ‘Faithful’ back to Rennes and Bob said ‘No she has done her bit’. But as the race grew closer young Charlie kept saying how well she looked and she could do it again. Bob relented and sent her to the race and was never to see his champion pigeon again. He never blamed young Charlie as it was his pigeon and his decision but he was bitterly disappointed to loose ‘Faithful’. I visited Rona and Mrs Fraser and she told me that she remembers going with her parents to Kennoway and the surrounding area to visit pigeon fanciers but cannot remember their names. She also informed me that Bob was killed in 1935 in an accident at the pit and he never had a lot of time to enjoy his national win.
The cup presented to Leven HS
Photographs
Mrs Fraser (see photo) has given me a few photos of her father Bob including one of young Charlie and Bob outside the loft. I have also taken a picture of the trophy donated to Leven pigeon club and Ronnie is going to propose to the members of the club this trophy should be flown in 2014 for the SNFC Gold Cup race going to the club member with the 1st bird home in this race. I was telling Mrs Fraser and Rona it was quite amazing we should meet like this as when my wife Margaret and I raced pigeons in Kennoway club we won the R Duncanson trophy which I think was donated by Bob after he won the Rennes race. The members of Leven Homing Society wish to THANK Rona and Mrs Fraser for their kindness in presenting this trophy to the club.
Faithful - 1st Rennes 1931
Mrs Fraser
Charlie Simpson and Bob Duncanson
Coo-caine
Noticed in one of the Sunday papers a story on racing pigeons which I found interesting and thought that fanciers may do so as well. It stated that in the country where pigeon racing is big business, the only thing sky high was the price paid for prime specimens. Now, however it’s emerged that cheating Belgian bird fanciers have been attempting to give their top stars a helping hand by dosing them with a stunning cocktail of illegal substances. Cocaine was just one of the drugs found to have been pumped into trained ‘home’ birds, alongside Mobistix a pain killer for humans. The scandal has rocked the sport and only came to light following blood tests conducted in South Africa. It is thought that the birds were doped in a bid to give them an extra boost of speed and stamina. Belgians take the sport so seriously that it has regularly been a hit by thefts and racketeering but the drug findings have shocked the governing body the Pigeon Fancier’s Association. The doped competitors may still be winging their way to lucrative success though as the samples were submitted anonymously, preventing any disciplinary action being taken. However new doping rules could be introduced in time for the start of the 2014 racing season. There’s been controversy in the past though, following revelations that as many as 60% of racing pigeons fail to make it home. Some fall victim to exhaustion, predators or power cables but despite their reputation for their sense of direction many simply get lost. The first thing that struck me when reading this report was how anyone could get a blood sample from a bird that was located in another fancier’s loft without the owner knowing. So the anonymous sample had to come from this person’s pigeon or they added blood with the drugs into the pigeon blood sample. There is something not right about this story!!!
Good Pigeons
Mr & Mrs Jimmy Graham (Clint Park of BHW Fame) of Ecclefechan chequer cock SU 09 S 5327 has won 5 times in the SNFC. He was 319th open Marlborough flying 259 miles 1196 yards in 2011 with a velocity of 961.06. Then in the same year he won 7th section A 101st open Clermont a distance of 462 miles 299 yards recording a velocity of 1185.34. In 2012 he won 101st open Alencon a distance of 480 miles 389 yards and a velocity of 1052.35. This year he won 15th section A 172nd open Maidstone a distance of 310 miles 1392 yards and a velocity of 1081.44. He was then doubled back into the Ancenis race and won 2nd section A 8th open flying 540 miles 130 yards and recorded a velocity of 753.38. A good pigeon who wins a Silver Award in the SNFC.
The second pigeon is also a south section pigeon to the partnership of Mr & Mrs G. & J Power (2 places with Allan in the partnership). Their blue bar cock rung SU 07 S 3661 also wins a Silver Award in the SNFC. His positions are as follows: 2010 - 5th section A 13th open Clermont a distance of 453 miles 1543 yards recording a velocity of 1063.2. The following year he again competed from Clermont and won 14th section A with a velocity of 1119.16, then this year he also went to Ancenis and won 10th section A 29th open flying 533 miles 1528 yards for a velocity of 404.22
Well done to both partnerships on achieving their award at the SNFC dinner.
Arson Attack
I read in today’s newspaper about two fanciers who have been left gutted after arsonists killed 80 of their birds. The vandals used bolt cutters to gain access to pals Alan Torrance and John Mann’s fenced pigeon lofts in Hamilton in Lanarkshire. They broke into 4 huts making off with grass cutters, a lawnmower and other tools but before torching one of the huts; the strong wind fanned the flames which quickly spread to the second hut. There were about 40 pigeons in each loft which were destroyed in the fire. Alan, 45 years old, said ‘It is pure evil what they did, they knew there were pigeons inside the huts and John is gutted like me’. Police have appealed for any witnesses to get in touch. This is terrible and so tragic for these men and if there is anyway I can help out then please get in touch my number is at the bottom of the column.
Joe’s Joke
A little girl asks her mum, 'Mum, can I take the dog for a walk around the block?'
Her mum replies 'No, because she is on heat.' 'What does that mean?' asked the child.
'Go and ask your father. I think he's in the garage.' The little girl goes out to the garage and says, 'Dad, can I take Lulu for a walk around the block? I asked Mum, but she said the dog was on the heat, and to come ask you.' He took a rag, soaked it in petrol, and scrubbed the dog's backside with it to disguise the scent, and said 'Ok, you can go now, but keep Lulu on the leash and only go one time around the block.' The little girl left and returned a few minutes later with no dog on the leash... Surprised, Dad asked, 'Where's Lulu?' The little girl said, 'She ran out of petrol about halfway round the block, so another dog is pushing her home.'
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 to my NEW EMAIL ADDRESS at:
