NEWS FROM DOWN UNDER
by Doug McClary
September 2013
What’s happening?
The answer is ‘not a lot’ in this the quiet time of the year. The birds are paired and mostly down on eggs, though there are many clear ones. I am intending to breed fewer birds this year as I would like to reduce my work and involvement. We are into spring and just when it looked as though it was warming up, we are back into cold conditions. Yet, up in Sydney, they have been enjoying a winter more like summer and Fred Frendo tells me that his birds are breeding well in the warmth. I am staying indoors today to get this edition completed and winging its way to Welshpool.
Tony Baugh- coming back?
I mentioned a letter I had received from Tony in my last article There are some points I would like to mention but one concerned a remark he made which might provide hope that he will return to keeping show racers. His storage shed collapsed owing to the heavy snowfall. The shed contained much of his pigeon material which is now being stored in his empty pigeon loft. He said, ‘No room for pigeons yet’. Here’s hoping that the word yet, signifies some intention to once again be a top competitor. For many years the H & A Baugh team graced the show halls with considerable success. Tony mentioned his judging at Blackpool where his winning cock, a blue was pushed very hard by Colin Carter’s chequer. Clint Swinbourne was the successful winner and clearly had his birds in top form, winning four classes at the show a good performance. Tony said that the lighting was much improved for the judging. He was sorry for Colin Bullard who had two birds qualified for the Supreme Champion class but owing to the snow, was unable to travel to the show. This must have been a great disappointment, for Colin works very hard with his birds and deserves success.My photo is one of Colin and his family taken at the 2002 Blackpool show.
The Bullards
Sadly the Welsh fanciers still fail to support their Royal Welsh show with its extensive classification, good permanent building, good judges and lots of specials and trophies on offer. Tony feels disappointment at their lack of support seeing that he makes three visits to Builth Wells every year to attend meetings on show preparations. It looks as though economies will have to be made including on the number of judges employed. Tony mentioned judging at the Cheshire County show where all his winners were reds something that he could not remember happening before. John Wheatcroft’s team found his approval winning four classes, best and best opposite sex. Bill carney took two classes and is making good at the showing after so many years in racing. It’s a long time since Bill and I met.
Roland attracts the birds
Time here when Roland and Julie Thresher stayed was shorter than we would have liked but we did so much as we could pack in. We spent a day in the Dandenong ranges including a visit to a picnic area where the parrots are so tame that they have become a tourist attraction. My photo proves that he is still attractive to birds. Typically of the Memory Man was that most evenings he spent going through my scrap books and enjoying the numerous pigeon photos I have saved over the years. As a pigeon-mad individual, I felt that he enjoyed this aspect as much as anything.
Roland & Julie with the parrots
French One-loft race
Reading Terry Peart’s account of the one-loft race from the home in Hernicort,France of John and Lou McGee, I felt that I was there as it all seemed so real. It is good to see social enjoyment going hand in hand with pigeon racing, something those of us in showing could learn from. Congratulations to the winners. It was good noting Steve Dunn’s photo though I might warn him that drinking Stella from a bottle might lead to hair loss, and talking of that, I can remember when Terry Peart had more on top!
Flying birds
I was recently invited to give a presentation to the Peninsula Flying Club nearby and what a sociable bunch they were. Plenty of good pigeon talk, some judging and an excellent meal provided by Bob Ducic and his wife. It was a good way to spend a Sunday. The theme of those present was the unwelcome attention of hawks and falcons so there is no change from the experiences of racing lofts. Sunday last saw Geoff Nelson and I off into Melbourne for their monthly show and meeting. The show racers were judged by Dr Tim Owen, racing fancier and show exhibitor of fancy breeds and he awarded best to my young blue hen which then went on to be overall best, earning two nice whisky tumblers on the way. Not that I have anything to go I them, having inadvertently dropped a bottle of malt Lagavulin when returning from the bottle shop. I was not happy at such a loss and with a porch smelling like a distillery.
Name from the past
It was a pleasant surprise to receive a letter from Douglas Barnes of Crossgates, Fife who did so well at British shows in 1973 to 1975. It was the photo of Bill Meader which spurred his letter, recalling a visit he made to Bill and Iris at their Leytonstone home where he stayed for a few days. The visit also included loft visits to Tommy Jones and Stan Merry. It would be fair to say that Doug’s success came from the Bill Meader stud and he recalled great memories when he bought birds from Bill including ‘My Fair Lady’ which won the Jan Boix Trophy at the Old Comrades. The Meader pigeons won out of turn and Douglas entered 26birds at Edinburgh and won tickets with all of them and later won the points at the Old Comrades in 1975. Some of the most successful lofts in Scotland were formed by birds from Dougie including Malcolm Frame and Jim Fitzpatrick. He mentioned a pigeon known as the ‘Holmes Cock’ which when paired to ‘My Fair Lady’ bred fantastic pigeons. Douglas is of the opinion that Bill Meader was one of the best showmen that has ever been. While staying with Bill, he was told just to sit in the loft and watch the birds and he was allowed to select one YB. This was a mealy at 23-25 days and it turned out to be Champion Supremo. Good to hear from you Dougie and to know that you still keep in touch with showing matters.
Our beach
High winds for several days coming into the beach from the north stripped just about every grain of sand from our main beach and thereby lowered the level to allow the waves in to attack the beach huts. At least a dozen of the colourful huts were completely lost and swept away leaving a scene of devastation. Only a few days before Roland and Julie Thresher had walked its complete length on sand and would now hardly recognise it as rock strewn stretch of coast. We are told that this has happened before and that the sand will return when the next high winds from the opposite direction blow. We hope so.
Wild Card
Perhaps I am getting softer in my regard for my pigeons in old age but I recently lost one of my top breeders, a pastel red chequer cock known as ‘Wild Card’. He has never been shown and was brought with me on the basis of his breeding potential as he obviously carried dilute. Over the years, apart from one year, he has been paired to mealy hen 2002 bred called ‘Carol’ and together they have bred a succession of top quality pigeons. Carol holds the lines of ‘Bubbles’ a top quality cream bar hen which I believe was bred by the late John Lock. Roland Thresher handled them both when here but the old red went downhill quite quickly and lost his quality of life, so I took him along to Dr Coln Walker to quietly put him down. I felt sad at losing the old lad, a part of my life and loft for these ten years and I feel his absence considerably.
Departed friends
I am grateful to Roger and Maureen Cutforth for informing me of the death of Mike Harris of Plymouth. Mike was one of those keen fanciers who took his hobby/sport very seriously and enjoyed the company of fellow fanciers. Showmen in the south west will remember Mike as a good judge of show racers and who was in demand for judging duties. When returning to Exeter from duties in Plymouth I could always spot Mike’s loft high on the bank above the A.38 at Hardwick. How good to know that his service was attended by so many fanciers including Roger who arranged a liberation of pigeons for the sad occasion. To Sylvia, we send our best wishes.
More from the past
Tony Baugh enclosed several cuttings from his magazines which brought memories. The year was 1983, the year that John Robilliard won best in show with Rocquaine Supreme from the Breeders’ class, judged by Major Claude Hill. The same pigeon had won best at the Comrades two years previously as a young bird. Of note in the 1983 Comrades was that John also won the Breeders pairs for racing class, a unique double. It was the time of Bill Meader who enjoyed a good day at the show, as did Keith Foley who won best young bird with a most attractive blue. A copy of The Show Scene revealed that David Shuttleworth had married and that Melvyn Horn had won BIS and BOS at the Oulton Broad show under the judging of Billy Vann. I had been to the NEHU show accompanied by Peter Kelsey where we enjoyed an excellent pigeon occasion. Also there was a cartoon drawn by one of my colleagues at Exmouth police station which showed the station adapted for pigeons and with lots flying above the building. I had just moved there from Barnstaple and my pigeon fancying was well known.
Fanciers I have known
This month I turn to Les Bird of Cumbria. Les and I had been friends, sharing both the racing and showing sides of the sport. He did all that he could to encourage his daughter Julia with pigeons and with life in general. It was a great shock when he passed on at such an early age. We met up regularly at the shows and on National race days spent a lot of time on the phone when I could report an arrival and provide a weather update. Les was a good stockman who loved his livestock and his country way of life. He spoke his mind and did not suffer fools lightly as a typcal north countryman. I came to respect him greatly and found enjoyment and also instruction in knowing him. I had met up with him at Blackpool prior to his death and was aware that he was not well, suffering from lack of breath, but of course had no idea that his end was so near. The sport lost a good man when Les departed. He was my sort of man and I just hope that we were good for each other. My photo of Les is a typical one, showing him as a happy man in showing surroundings.
Les Bird
In conclusion
For some reason this edition has been a difficult one to produce despite having a few subjects for comment. Sometimes things go well and other times it takes an effort. It helps when I have material to use and letters from Dougie Barnes and Tony Baugh have helped in this respect. I am always pleased to hear from anyone on any pigeon subject and as always I am at 3 Kunyung Road, Mount Eliza, Victoria 3930, Australia and on email at
Kemyel Lofts of British Show Racers
douglas-mcclary.blogspot.com.au
