Tribute to Dan Young of Kingston.
I was very sad to hear that our good friend, Dan Young, had passed away on 11th November at the age of 97. I went out with my wife, Betty, last Thursday and while going about our business, I posted my usual 100 Christmas cards, one of which was for two of the nicest people I’ve ever met in the pigeon racing world, Dan and Jo Young. On our return home, I found the postman had delivered my pigeon papers and I saw Reggie Whenman’s Obituary informing us that Dan had passed away. I hadn’t seen Dan for a great number of years, but we still exchanged our Christmas cards every year! When my brother, Phil, and I raced our pigeons together in my parent’s garden in Durlston Road in the 1970’s, Dan’s loft was closest to us, just a few hundred yards across Latchmere Rec in Cranleigh Gardens and we used to visit his loft quite regularly. Dan was a ‘great’ pigeon man, in the truest sense of the word and loved the sport and his pigeons. His garden was beautiful display of colour and he had two really smart lofts, one of which was a converted garage. Dan won his fair share of pigeon races on the natural system in the very strong Kingston and Surbiton clubs through his many years in the sport, but above, he loved his birds, which had right up to the end. I have included a picture of Dan and Jo, and one of their wonderful lofts and garden, both taken in 1989. The sport of pigeon racing has lost another of its great fanciers. RIP. Our condolences to Jo and the family at this very sad time.
Keith Mott (November 2017).
