LES J. PARKINSON'S
NEWS-REPORTS-ARTICLES
Mid Cheshire Fed, South West Cheshire Fed, Winsford HS, Crewe West End and the Middlewich 2B 2013 Joint Prize Presentation
A few years ago several of the local clubs started to get together to hold joint presentations and with there being a few there is always a good attendance and that was the case on the latest gathering. It was a good idea to move to the Conservative club in Winsford where those who do the organising are well supported but unfortunately this time with Elizabeth having a new knee we were unable to attend so thanks to Craig who stepped in and took the photos. When they first got these organisations together members were thinking that it would be a long drawn out evening but the leaders of each one concerned skipped through their winners and then they moved on so not as bad as first thought. The turnout is stable with 139 there to enjoy the evening with guests Tommy Gerrard, Diane Bonney and Keith Hiddin. The only downside during the evening was late on when South West secretary Albert Austin collapsed. We all know he likes to be the centre of attention and I think he should let someone else take a turn! On the bright side 24hrs later he was back in good spirits. Albert puts his all into the clubs and is always willing to do more than his share but personally I think he tries to do too much and with his health should slow down and let others take a leading role. Health is more important Albert.
I did mention the several clubs and they are Mid Cheshire Fed, South West Cheshire Fed, Winsford HS, Crewe West End and the Middlewich 2B. There was also a good raffle that raised £302.50 that goes to McMillan Nurses well done to all for that. Margaret O’Grady would like to thank all those members and their families who supported the raffle for the worthy cause.
We shall start with the Mid Cheshire Fed winners and they are Graham Davies £264, Channel 1 - Falaise Mid Cheshire AV Trophy, Mr & Mrs G Matthews £239, Grand Average Mrs L Brown Trophy, Channel - Average Mid Cheshire Fed Trophy, Jones Bros £217, Young Bird - Average J Ashley Trophy, Channel 3 - Messac J Marsden Trophy, David & Craig Wilkinson £205, Mick Stockton £127, Steve Parkinson £122, Runner Up - Grand Average S. Spooner Trophy, O.B.Inland - Average TSB Trophy, Runner Up - Channel Average Rubber & Allied Trophy, Channel 4 - Niort C Catterall Trophy, Charlie Peel £115, Mellor Bros £115, John Peever £100, Channel 2 - Fougeres J Bennion Trophy, Ian Cooper £100, Pete Berry £97, Eric Taylor £90, Runner up - O.B. Inland Average Mel Bratt Trophy, John Allbutt £55, Bob Bagnall £50 and G&K&C Hitchen £40. These are the winners that all picked up £30 each John Hill, Dave Jenks, Frank Speed and Mr & Mrs J Burnett. Mr & Mrs J Bennett £24, Tommy Hulme & Son £22. The following winners all collected £20 each, Hitchen Horsefield, Lockwood Curbishley, Jason Lambert, Mr & Mrs John Howman, Joe Glover, Peter & Mike Child and Dave Dickenson & Son, Runner Up- Y.B. Average N Hughes Trophy. The winners taking £15 were Malcolm Hewitt, Paul Harrison, S L Harrison, Mr & Mrs Dudley Niblett and Mike O'Hare & Ron Woodward. Mr & Mrs Jones £12 and the winners taking £10 were Tony Lacking, Keith Herbert, M Williams, Dave Beeston & Son, Mr & Mrs Roy Croxton, Derek Woodward, Rob Bebbington and A Williams. Total paid out by the Mid Cheshire is £2,409 broken down to channel races get £2,024, 1st Fed £130, YB Races £255. We now move on to the federation breeder/buyer that saw the Northwich Mayor clock the winning bird so it will be the racer followed by breeder and how much they have to spend on new stock, 1st B & G Mainwaring/O'Hare Woodward £400. 2nd Steve Parkinson/Mr & Mrs Jimmy Bennett £300. 3rd Keith Herbert was both racer and breeder so picked that one out £200 as did Ian Cooper being 4th again as both racer and breeder collecting £100 making a total of £1000. The officials have done another good job for the fed and no doubt will be looking to improve on it in the 2014 season which will be here before you know it. First of all there are a few meetings going on so we will soon know that plans for our next racing season. Even so no matter what the officials do, it will not always suit everyone but as long as they are going in the right direction that is all we can ask, obviously how they get there is another matter as with all organisations. With regards to the members and the winners, there are some real good fanciers in the fed and the competition is good and quite easily be strengthened.
The Winsford HS who are a part of the Mid Cheshire Fed have had a good season in the local feds had a real good young bird season with their members being the winners and runners up in the y/b ave and their members collected a few cards along the way in both feds. They are a strong club with about 25 members maintaining a good send each week and have good people in key positions to keep the club stable. This was an even season for the top four on the prize list because they each had 4 firsts each. However one of the lofts if not the loft to beat each year are at the top once again and they win wherever they go, Jones Bros have a real good system that keeps them amongst the winners year after year. 1st Jones Bros who won 4 x 1st 9x2nd 8x3rd 7x4th 7x5th 9x6th and also collect the following trophies being r/u Old Bird Ave, OB Channel Ave, Young Bird Ave, Combine Ave and winning a total of £207.60. 2nd Mr & Mrs A Austin, 4x1st 3x2nd, 2x3rd, 3x4th, 4x5th, 6x6th plus the OB Bird Ave winning a total of £98.80. 3rd Hitchen & Horsefield, 4x1st, 3x2nd, 2x3rd, 3x4th, OB Points winning a total of £93.80. 4th Dave Dickenson & Son, 4x1st R/U Young Bird Average, 1x2nd, 2x4th, 1x5th, winning a total of £65.90. 5th G K & C Hitchin, 1x1st, 2x2nd, 4x3rd, 2x4th winning a total of £61. 6th Lionel & John Goostrey, 1x1st, 2x2nd, 1x3rd winning a total of £36.80. Other members to share in the winnings were Mr & Mrs Mike O'Grady who finish in front of their big mate and competitors Mel Bratt, Roy Spann, A Jones & Son, A Leech and Toby Lever.
Now we move on to the South West Cheshire Fed who also participated in this event. The SWCF are already looking at next year by making a good move by putting the channel race programme back one week, two would have been better, even so a good move. This fed gives the local members who wish to have two races on any weekend and even though the birdage is much less there are some very good members who can hold their own wherever they race their pigeons. Those good fliers don’t come much better than the M & W Mellor partnership where they have a good team with one of the best pigeon fanciers I know and he is Wilf Hart. I first came into contact with the Hart family many years ago when I visited Mr & Mrs Hart in Crewe. What did stand out was that Mrs Hart was a pigeon fancier who you knew instantly that she was keen on the pigeons and was well educated in the hobby of racing pigeons. I also knew Stuart Hart who was also very knowledgeable when it came to racing pigeons all three are no longer with us. However brother and son Wilf is still racing pigeons as the silent man with Mick & Wendy Mellor who are well known in pigeon racing circles. Yes Wilf is a class act when it comes to pigeon racing but we must also remember that Mick’s father and Wendy’s late husband was an excellent fancier and a well respected man in the Crewe area as was seen at his funeral. Anyway the M & W Mellor partnership are the team to beat in this fed, I have wondered how well they would go on if the two feds raced together, it would certainly make good competition. This year they won 3x1sts 7x2nds 6x3rds 1x4th 3x5ths 3x6ths the OB, YB and Combined averages. Six of the top nine winners in the fed over the season come from the Crewe West End by far the biggest club in the fed. The fed channel average went to Rob Bennett who also picked up 2x1sts 2x2nds 5x4ths 1x5th 1x6th. Bob Humphries picked up 3x1sts 3x3rds 4x4ths. Mr & Mrs Geoff Mathews also race their pigeons in Crewe and won 2x1sts 1x3rd 1 x 4th 2x5ths 3x6ths. Joe Glover 1st 3rd 4th 5th. Mr & Mrs Keith Lovatt 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 2x6ths. Other card winners are Mr & Mrs Albert Austin (8). Mr & Mrs Richard Young (7). Mr & Mrs Jennings (6). Steve Parkinson (6). Other card winners in the fed are, Jones Bros, O’Hare & Woodward, Hitchen & Horsfield, Mel Bratt, Alan Groom, John Allbutt, Mark & Heather Smith, Richard Ormandy, John Peever, Dickens & Wilkinson, S & T Soper, Graham Davies and Carl Rowledge, Received no prize lists from the other clubs who were at the presentation but should they send anything after I send these notes off then they will be added to a future article. I have tried to include everyone who received a presentation photo and there are quite a few.
Dianne Bonney with Albert Austin
Bob Humphries
John Allbutt
Keith Lovatt
Ron Woodward
Graham Davies
Steve Parkinson
Mrs Young with Albert Austin
Jeannette Allbutt
Keith Hiddin and Bill Glynn
David Wilkinson
Joe Glover
Mark Smith
Mel Bratt
Robert Carson
John Peaver
Keith Lovatt and Bob Humphries
Keith Hiddin and Albert Austin
Margaret O'Grady
Mr & Mrs Keith Lovatt
Mrs Herbert
Pip Soper and daughter
Stella Wilkinson
Tommy Gerrard and Ray Lambert
Albert Austin
Andy Noon
Chris Herbert
Dave Dickenson
Eric Taylor
George Mainwairing
Ian Cooper
John Allbutt
John Peever
Tommy Gerrard and Jones Bros
Joyce Latham
Keith Hitchen
Lionel Goostrey
Malcolm Hewitt
Mick O'Grady
Mike Hitchen
Mike O'Hare
Mr and Mrs Matthews
Mrs Austin
Mrs Jones
Phil Buckton
Richard Ormondy
Steve Parkinson
Toby Leaver
Tony Kirton
Mel Bratt with Master Leech
Dave Beeston
Wilf Hart, Keith Lovatt, Mick Mellor and family
Middlewich Show
The local clubs have not had their series of shows this year but they are having a one off show with proceeds to be flown for in a race during the 2014 race season. The club has decided on a race that is open to any member of the Mid Cheshire or South West Cheshire feds. There are two classes for any age cock and any age hen with a special for the best young bird. The best about this show race is you can enter more into the show itself but you can only enter two birds into the race and they are the only two that you can race in the longest OB land race with the South West Cheshire Fed. Also an easy access of entry is you can send with any member club in the SWCF so you don’t have to travel far. You can get full details if you pop down to the show to be held on the 8th December at the Boars Head Hotel Middlewich with an entry fee of £2 per bird with penning 12 to 12.30pm. Further details will be available at the show but in the meantime if you want to know anymore you can call Mike & Rita O’Hare on 01606834316..
Les J Parkinson. 11 Rushton Drive, Middlewich, Cheshire, CW10 0NJ, Tel: +44 (0)1606 836036. Mob: +44 (0)7871 701585. E-mail:
