”Sharing a Passion” with Merv and Chris Lewis of Gwersyllt Wrexham
It’s not often you get a chance to meet people in their own “back garden” as it were, and see them in their element and in their element is where this partnership really are. Known, locally at their pigeon club at Llay HS as M & C Lewis this Grandfather and Grandson partnership are renowned locally as the one of the most formidable lofts at both club and federation level. They have a completeness that is second to none with regard to results and have a passion that has instilled a focus on how they breed and in turn on how they perform as fanciers.
Flying in the Llay Homing Society (which is a member of the Wrexham Federation), is one of the best managed and run clubs anywhere in the country, from my own experience when visiting the club the social side of pigeons is important to some members as winning is to others. Well I can tell you from personal experience this is a social club that has events throughout the closed season to keep people together and talking from shows to their very unique and distinctive performance based annual breeder buyer sale.
Residing in what was once the mining village of Gwersyllt (which has become a suburb of Wrexham) the partnership has a unique tie, not only through their blood relationship of grandfather and grandson but also the fact that they are next door neighbours. Thirty year old Chris lives with his partner Siobhan and two children next door to Merv his granddad or TAID as he prefers to call him (which is the local Welsh dialect for granddad) and his grandmother Irene. Merv and Irene have been married for fifty two years this year and have three children, ten grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.
Racing pigeons has been a huge part in Merv’s life, starting the same time as he married some fifty two years ago Merv has had a passion for racing whether it be pigeons dogs, or horses and enjoys most of these but participated in the pigeons and also dabbled some years ago in racing some greyhounds on tracks local to his home, namely Ellesmere Port and St Helens. Chris has also been involved with pigeons for a considerable time of some twenty five years, starting at the tender age of five, Chris recalls his induction into pigeon keeping started with his Taid (Merv) coming home drunk and couldn’t exercise or feed his pigeons so Chris stepped in and has never really looked back.
Early racing years for Merv was comparatively “hit and miss” with results usually ensuring a couple or three wins annually and that would be about where they would be. His first pigeons were from then local fanciers but Merv’s also recalls two of the first pigeons he ever purchased and that was from the then Louis Marsarella which is today known as Louella world. “Two dark cocks” are what I bought Merv recalls “and they cost me fifteen quid a piece” he states. He also recalls some thirty years ago clocking a pied hen from the Chester Two Bird club and thought she had won it? “But she only ended up in fifth position”. The word “only” in the sentence was to be a “tell” of drive that was to come.
Chris and Merv Lewis with the sire of the 72 cock the Star of the loft
At seventy three years of age and with badly failing eye sight Merv would struggle today to keep up with Chris around the loft, but Merv does have an “ace up his sleeve” in Ian Jones a long term friend and companion who helps around the lofts as required through the day whether it be with a scraper or feeding Ian helps as he can and as directed and has been an asset to the partnership. Not really there on race days as Ian prefers to relax in his caravan at weekends but he is there daily through the week and on hand to help when required, he is an unsung hero in this story as all factors help with what has become the norm for this loft with their end results.
Merv Lewis with Ian Jones outside the racing loft
Merv spent his working years on the roads or on ground works as a self-employed ganger man, one look as his hands will tell you his profession which is unusual as most of the men in the locality were to find their local employment in the then mining industry. Chris on the other hand works for the local council and has his sights firmly set on his pigeons and their performances.
The birds that are housed in the lofts today are of the Sontjen Lines and emanate from the local lofts of fellow club fancier Steve Jones. The performances have been somewhat overwhelming to say the least over recent years with some outstanding individual performances. When speaking to local fancier and the Llay HS Club secretary Andrew Lloyd he described this season alone as “phenomenal”.
Merv Lewis sat in his favourite position with club secretary (Mr Saintes himself) Andrew Lloyd and fellow local fancier John Lloyd ex of the recently disbanded Lloyd and Whitely partnership
The old Bird (either end) and Young Bird Racing (centre) lofts of M & C Lewis
This partnership is not as simple as some outsiders looking in might think it’s a small set in comparison to some but large in comparison to others, my description would be one of typical for the size of the area available to the partnership. The two old bird lofts are divided into Merv’s loft and Chris’s loft with the young bird loft in the centre.
Chris Lewis with his “72” Cock triple AMAL winner
Special Pigeons. The “72” cock is a 2008 bred (sontjen) pigeon which holds a very special place at this loft purely because in three weeks racing in 2009 this particular cock gained the following: Lessay 2. 1st Club, 1st Fed, 1st AMAL. Fougeres 1. 1st Club, 1st fed, 1st AMAL. Fougeres2. 1st Club, 1st Fed, 1st AMAL. In 2010 the same cock gained Carentan 1. 1st Club, 1st Fed, 1st AMAL. He beat his father in this race who was to gain 2nd Club, 2nd Fed, 2nd AMAL. And then the 72 cock was sent to Messac where he was 1st Club, 2nd Fed, 3rd AMAL. Some pigeon who not only topped the AMAL four times but in his first win he topped the AMAL from Lessay by 25 minutes. The last race this cock was sent to he returned one hour after they had clocked with feathers missing, it was then that enough was enough and he was retired to stock where again he has excelled.
The “72” cock
The “72” cock was to breed the “73” hen a 2010 pigeon that would prove to be another special pigeon who topped the Wrexham federation three times, and has topped the AMAL once. In 2011 this hen also managed to take 1st Club, 2nd Fed, 6th AMAL, Messac and also winning the Clubs bird of the year award. Her tally to date is 5 x 1st federation along with 1st Wrexham two bird club 2011 and 2nd Wrexham two bird club 2014. She was raced in 2015 taking a second club position.
The sire of the “72” cock and grandfather of the loft
Having listed some individual results of just a couple of pigeons this loft has numerous accolades, within the last eight years they have been top prize winner in their club six times and runner up twice to the great Fred Tilston & Sons. They have managed to win the Llay performance breeder buyer no less than five times winning it again in 2014 taking first and second when the pigeons being judged and assessed by Gerry Clements of Manchester gained 1st Club Monmouth winning by 30minutes, 1st Club, 1st Fed Hereford and 1st Club Yeovil. The two pigeons in question were bred by DL &E jones and known as the “7000” and Owen and Hogarth with the pigeon known as “0677”.
Within the last six years the results have moved on a touch flying in one regular club and a couple of two bird clubs they have managed to secure fifty four club wins which is astounding when you think the calibre of the opposition they face weekly.
When you sit with these fanciers and ask questions the first impression with Merv is a serious plain mannered person who I’m sure at one stage during his life could bend nails with the palms of his hands. These days he sits at his bench which is only ten feet from his back door, his sight failing there is not he able to do these days with regard to physically help although he did managed a wry smile when I asked what he could see? “I can see a pigeon drop over these trees” he states, but other than that I sit here and relax let the lad do his thing. If rolling fags and smoking same were a sport Merv would be gold medal contender, John Lloyd says they have been thinking for ages to come up with a name for Merv at the club well I would suggest “smoking” or “rolling” should be in the title somewhere.
As for the thirty year old young man who has a keen ness about him that really does shine through when you speak of pigeons, jovial and polite he does possess a driven side which is prevalent he also speaks with a huge amount of common sense with regard to his pigeons. I asked him if he has to buy pigeons where does he go, we like the breeder buyers as people try and win those and put good pigeons in. But for me it’s the one loft race sales they only enter good pigeons and its only goodens that’s left when they are sold, I will buy them as yearlings break them and race them, I do lose a couple breaking them but those who stay will be tidy.
Asking Chris about his methods. He describes his methods as “simple” but they are truly effective he talks with forcefulness that makes you take note. “The only additive we use is Ad herb” we don’t treat for anything unless it is required, we inoculate for paramyxio. We race our darkened youngsters naturally and our old birds on the roundabout system. Our old birds will get five to ten tosses prior to racing and then nothing just exercise around the loft about forty minutes twice a day, race on Saturday and rest and bath on Sunday.
When inland racing they are fed half ounce in the morning and one ounce in the evening, when we hit the channel we increase the corn to one ounce morning and night. SIMPLE but EFFECTIVE.
I asked Merv prior to leaving what is his best memory, “easy he says waiting for that 72 cock to drop from the channel never failed bar his last ever race”. For Chris again it was the 72 cock but his was the winning of the race, especially topping the AMAL three weeks running, don’t know if it has been done before but we are still trying to beat that. We aim to beat that every year. I asked Chris before I left what motivates him “that’s easy” he says “winning motivates me” we also race each other in the old bird season so it is really great fun to race each other my loft over Taid’s loft.
Talking to both Merv and Chris it is blatantly obvious that there is a synergy between the pair, Merv will openly tell you “Chris is responsible for what we do”, a fitting tribute and accolade from one’s granddad or in Merv’s case one’s Taid.
Letting Chris have the last word I asked him about what he thought he had to do next with regard his pigeons or where he saw the future for him and his Taid with regard to their racing? An honest answer was the reply ”to be brave” was his response. “National racing has to be the goal but you have to send your best, I wish I was or can be brave enough to try” I am sure that in the near future we will see this partnership grace the West Section of the MNFC or indeed section “L” of the National Flying Club with the continued success that they find so easy to come by.
