LANCASHIRE NEWS

Hi everyone, welcome to Lancashire Life. Not long to the off now but what a mixture of weather we’ve had in Manchester, sun, rain, sleet and snow last weekend. It was really cold as well and when I woke up on Sunday morning there was thick snow everywhere but thankfully it didn’t last long once the warmth of the suns rays came out. Although the cocks have been out nearly every day it has not been warm enough to train them and I’m hoping it warms up enough before racing starts. It didn’t really affect me anyway as I didn’t venture out of the house until late afternoon to visit Mother in hospital. What a week we’ve had with her but thankfully she is receiving the best care and actually asked the nurses whether they wanted a permanent lodger she liked the ward that much. Eric’s also received news from the hospital (finally), that his surgeon wants to see him on the 31st March having decided he will operate. I did tell him (tongue in cheek) that his timing wasn’t very good as racing starts the week after! Anyway he’s under strict instructions to hurry up and get out of there following his op as I need an observer to tell me when the birds return and to cast his eagle eye over the babies once they’re weaned. One little baby had to be weaned early as his parents decided to abandon him and go and use another nest box, they had been locked up and as soon as I let them out off they went. Anyway this little chap was eating and drinking in the box himself so I decided to move him out as he would have more of a chance with another couple of babies I had weaned that night. After a strange first night for him with the other youngsters, he decided he was hungry enough to raid the food hopper and promptly launched himself in the middle of it squeaking loudly to make sure he was heard. I don’t think he will go far wrong!

Roy Hepworth

It was far too cold on Saturday to let the cocks out with a biting wind but they’ve been doing really well tearing up the skies around home and really getting fit. I arranged to have them injected on Sunday afternoon so on Saturday night they were all locked in their boxes ready to be put in the basket Sunday to make the job easier. Well it would have been easy if Pip the Border Terrier hadn’t decided to stick her nose in the proceedings. Phil Murray one of our club members came round to carry out the injections using an automatic injector gun I had purchased at Blackpool. The only problem was that when he took the seal off the top fell into the bottle so it was back to the ordinary needle. The baskets of cocks were put in the conservatory so they could be injected and the bottle was placed on the cupboard, but nosey Pip decided to investigate, jumped up at the cupboard and knocked the whole bottle all over the floor. After a swift telling off she legged it out of my way only to get another telling off from Eric! However as puppies do, she had completely forgotten about the incident within seconds and promptly decided to inspect the remaining cocks in the baskets. She’s getting really good now and I can even let all the hens and babies out to mess about in the garden without her getting aggravated and chasing them around.

Pip asleep in the bucket

She still tires easily though and on investigation during the week I found her fast asleep in my corn bucket on top of my jacket. Having jumped in there of her own free will, she was well away having a snooze, although she’s still not sure of the collar and lead. I’m trying to find the right kind of harness as I don’t like pulling her by the collar and the one I bought at Crufts doesn’t even fit her now. Her cage is only used at night now as she can be trusted to behave when I’m out and gets on the settee with Eric awaiting my return. The two of them have a life of riley and he even shares his ice cream with her, she’s also quite partial to a mouthful of corn from the bucket and can quite often be found with her front paws and her nose in the bucket!

Well the mole bulbs have been planted on one of the nice days we had last week, there is signs of movement in the lawn but only on the edges so I thought it was high time to get them in ready. Apparently one of the neighbours tells me that there are hundreds of mole hills in the park at the bottom of the road but why do they seem to stop at my garden, next door don’t have any problems on either side. I was sad this week as the young couple next door told me they are splitting up and selling the house so heaven knows what kind of neighbours we will get next. They have always been brilliant with us and have never bothered about the lofts or the pigeons, although we do try to keep both the lofts and the gardens tidy and don’t let the birds sit about on the roof. The only time they go on the roof is after exercise before coming down onto the loft, then it’s straight in. Same with the babies, I try to discourage them from sitting about up there getting into bad habits, but they’ve never complained even when babies misjudge their landing and end up in their garden. I will really miss them and their little boy Sol; I thought he was going to be another pigeon fancier in the making. It’s quite good really because when we had visitors last week they weren’t sure of our house number so asked some of the neighbours down the road if they knew who had pigeons, and they didn’t know so the birds can’t bother anyone really can they?

Frank Wright & Cliff Herring

I attended the presentation of the North West Region Awards last week and as usual it was a very nice evening. Thanks to Brian Tattersall and David and Lesley Higgins for their hard work in organising the event and of course to the ladies who served a lovely buffet, the chocolate cake and cream went down a treat with the diet thrown out of the window! The presentation of prizes was made by the retired Secretary Howard Akerman and again it was nice to see a lot of members from my neck of the woods receiving awards. In the Sprint Category awards were received by Gavin Buckley of Rochdale, E & H Worsley and Smith Brothers. Middle distance awards went to Brian Tattersall, John Skelton and Gerry Clements. Long distance awards were received by Brian Scott, F Singleton & Son and Joe Dorning with R Topliss and F Singleton receiving young bird performance awards. Brian also received the Premier Award and the award for Any Distance was presented to Coutts & Stokes of Stockport Flying Club. Well done to all of those fanciers. A young man named Robert Rothwell proudly accepted the Young Fancier Award for 2007 together with the Anglo German Friendship Trophy. For his services to his Club and Federation, John Winder was the proud recipient of his award together with a Certificate of Merit for his services to the pigeon community. A beautiful cup was presented to Brian Scott, the Howard Akerman Trophy for the highest placed North West Region member in the longest race of the NFC which was Tarbes. This cup was purchased in recognition of Howard’s services to the Region during his time as North West Region Secretary. Congratulations to everyone who received awards for some fantastic performances yet again in the North West Region.

The original lofts raced to by Louis Massarella

The phone in auction for the Make A Wish Charity Appeal got off to a slow start last weekend but picked up as time went on. Quite a number of people rang up to see how the bids were going and hopefully by the time this edition is printed it will have been on the Pigeon Chat Forum for a few days so I should have some nice healthy bids coming in. There’s still time to place your bids on line with some fantastic birds on offer and of course there are the three signed boxing gloves from Ricky Hatton, Jamie Moore and Amir Khan, special thanks go to Mike Moore for obtaining these for me. If you can’t get on line you can ring me next Sunday night and I will let you know how the bids are going, the closing date will be Tuesday 1st April, 2008 and the web site address is www.pigeon-chat.com Thanks again to Steve Richards of the British Homing World who donated a half page advert towards the appeal, the only expenses to be taken out of funds raised will be the remainder of the advert cost, no commission will be paid to the auction site for running the online auction so thanks to Andy Galley for his donation of the use of the Pigeon Chat site. If you don’t wish to bid for a pigeon or the boxing gloves you are quite welcome to make a donation instead, full details of the birds on offer are in last week’s edition of the BHW.

Farnworth & Dist. Homing Society/Ken & Mary Green – The Club will start their old bird race programme in the Red Rose Fed by flying from Stafford. Basketing is on Friday 4th April from 5.30 pm. After clocks there will be a club meeting and all members requested to attend.

Rawson Mid Week Flying Club will start their old bird race programme on Wednesday 9th April flying from Wollaston. Basketing is on Tuesday 8th April from 6pm to 7.30pm. A meeting will take place on Friday the 4th April after Farnworth & DHS meeting, so don’t all go rushing off. All the best for the coming season.

Denton Homing Society will be holding a Gold Ring race on the 10th September, 2008 from Portland. Open to anybody flying 190 miles and over, the rings are £5 each with a maximum of 15 rings per loft. The race is on a Wednesday and the birds to arrive in the Denton area at approximately 5pm. Last years race was won by A & S Hughes who picked up £1,700, not bad racing against just 230 birds. To obtain an entry form please ring Alan Partridge on 0161-336-7755 or contact any member of Denton HS.

Failsworth Flying Club – The date for the Breeder Buyer has now been amended to Thursday 3rd April, 2008 as the club will be marking for their first race with North Cheshire Fed on the Friday. Viewing from 7-8pm and the sale starting at 8.15pm, full advert will be in the BHW nearer the time. There will be free food on offer and cheap beer with the chance to win a prize or two in the raffle. Birds can be marked at your own club or at Failsworth Flying Club, so make sure you enter or buy a bird and have a chance of some good prize money. If you would like to donate a youngster contact me on the number at the end of the column.

North Cheshire Fed - Phoenix will be holding their Fed Breeder/Buyer sale on the 30th March, 2008. Please make a note in your diaries. The next Fed meeting will be held on Monday 31st March, 2008 commencing at 8pm.

Todmorden Homing Society will be holding a Breeder/Buyer sale on Sunday 30th March, 2008 at the Social Club, Halifax Road. Penning 12 noon until 1pm and the race will be on the 13th September, 2008 with the Lancashire Combine from Lessay. If you would like any further information contact Kevin Thorp on 01706-816633.

Forthcoming Events/News

Oldham Federation – Please note that the next Oldham Federation Meeting will be held on Monday 7th April, 2008 at the March Hare in Ashton, and not the second Monday in the month as is the usual practice.

Training – Bob Casey will be commencing training on Monday 31st March, 2008 from Cricket Corn Shop 9.15am-10am, Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. Also picking up at the Pyramid, Stockport at 10.15am then on to Congleton and Talke Pits. For further information please contact Bob on 0161-336-4365.

Graham Ward will also be commencing training as from Monday 10th March, 2008 from Middleton DHS headquarters at the Junction Inn, Middleton. Graham will be there from 8.45am-9.45am Monday to Thursday and will be going to Alderley Edge and then on to Congleton. If you are working you can drop the birds off at Graham’s by prior arrangement, please ring him on 0161-653-0613.

As usual, news, views and anything else to me, Jeanette Taylor, 20 Warwick Road, Failsworth, Manchester M35 0QQ. Thanks to everyone for the photographs you have been sending in, keep them coming. Don’t forget to let me have details of your winners, prizes and presentations and when racing comes around, your results etc. Thank you for your continued support. My email address is jeanette@oasislofts.freeserve.co.uk or phone/fax to 0161-684-8889. If you rang me recently and left a message, my apologies but I accidentally wiped the messages off, sorry.

24/3/08