NEWS FROM SCOTLAND

Reports by Joe Murphy

My young bird exchange within my sporting challenge has been well received with 40 fanciers taking up the challenge. The latest to send to join was Mick McGuire who wrote; ‘Hi Joe, please find enclosed £25 entry fee into your young bird exchange. I’m a member of the Dumbarton & District club and a member of the SNFC having some success in the past few years in this great club of ours. Winning 7th section F Newbury in 2004 sadly I lost this hen the following year; 1st section F 1st west section Newbury in 2006 with my good chequer cock Dambuster. I missed out in 2007 as my entry Dambuster went down on his last warm up race two weeks prior to Newbury. On the day of basketing for the Newbury national I went to the loft in the afternoon to take my entries to the race marking when my mate John Anderson who is 78 years of age arrived (he takes me in his car as I do not drive) I must say Joe without John’s help I could not manage to keep and race my pigeons. Anyway John said to me ‘there’s a bird on your board’, when I looked up there was Dambuster, how he made it home Joe only God knows as he was badly tore on the back and under the wing covered in dry blood, he also had wing and tail feathers missing. He was left to recover for the rest of 2007 and I sent him back to the SNFC Newbury race in 2008 were he won 25th section F. I then sent him to Eastbourne with the SNFC and he won 19th section F. In 2008 young bird national race from Leicester I won 1st & 2nd section F; and I can assure you Joe I will exchange a very well bred youngster with whomever I’m drawn against. I hope your young bird exchange is a success as this is something different within the sport and a credit to you for all your hard work, yours in sport Mick McGuire’. My thanks to Mick and as you will see he has some quality pigeons about him at the moment. Another letter this time by email from Graham Mitchell of Patna in Ayrshire who wrote ‘Dear Joe, I would be obliged if you would enter me in your 2009 young bird exchange. I have enclosed the cheque £25 entrance fee. Keep up the good work and well done in again being appointed the press officer for the SNFC, you should never have lost the position in the first place, yours Graham’. My thanks to Graham for joining the young bird exchange and his kind words regarding the press officers job, may I at this time also thank the many others who wrote emails or phoned regarding this appointment. It is good so have so many fanciers support me after all that I have been through.

If anyone else wishes to join the young bird exchange then you will have to notify me over the week end as I intend to make the draw on the 1st of April. This will then allow each of the fanciers taking part time to contact each other and make arrangements for the youngsters to be exchanged. This year I had an increase in fanciers wishing to join and I’m happy to announce we have fanciers taking part; from Fraserburgh in the North to Manchester in the south. As I have previously stated the youngsters exchanged between the above named fanciers will be judged at the end of the year and the best accomplished youngster judged on PERFORMANCE/S ONLY will be our outright winner. The reasons for this new innovation were another way of promoting the sport and at the same time introduce fanciers to each other in the hope that a friendship can flourish between these fanciers. The winners of the breeder and racer each received the annual engraved Winners trophy to keep for a year, as well as a beautiful engraved trophy to as a keep sake; they also receive a small memento and a diploma in recognition for winning this young bird exchange as well as a bottle of Malt Whisky for the winning breeder and racer. A contribution prize of £100 to each of the breeder and racer winners will also be awarded in this exchange. The breeder and race winners along with all the above fanciers who are taking part will be invited to our presentation night on Friday night the 6th November 2009 at the Hillcroft Hotel Whitburn West Lothian. I hope as many of these contestants as possible will join us at our award ceremony going by last years introduction the young bird exchange this was a resounding success and going by this years increase in entries this looks as if it will continue as an added feature of the sporting challenge schedule. If your interested then don’t delay I require all applications in for Wednesday 1st April 2009.

Lothian Charity Show

Received a letter from Clark Smith; secretary of the above charity who informed me that the Lothian Charity Show committee held their presentation party on Friday 13th March in Fauldhouse. President Robert Cormack presented a cheque for £2000 to the St John’s Baby Unit; Sister Lynn Rose and Nurses Jeanette Walker and Clare Locke accepted the cheque on the unit’s behalf. They were overwhelmed with the amount when they were told that the Lothian Charity show committee have now donated £52.800 to date which is a fantastic achievement. Robert and I would like to thank the committee; ladies who prepare and serve the meals; fanciers who help with setting up and taking down the show pens on the day; and most importantly the fanciers who donate pigeons to the auction sale and last but not least those who attend the show and purchase these wonderful birds on offer, my thanks once again Joe yours in sport Clark Smith’. Our congratulations to the Lothian Charity show committee who work very hard to achieve their goal of supporting St John’s Hospital, the amount donated over the years is unbelievable and a credit to everyone well done one and all.

One Loft Race Updates

North Coast Classic

Its all systems go on the North Coast of Northern Ireland, and entries are arriving steadily for Ireland’s Premier one loft race for 2009. The loft is now complete and birds from all over Britain, the Republic of Ireland and Europe have been arriving over the past week. Loft manager, Sean Diamond, one of Northern Irelands 'Top Flight' fanciers is busy caring for the new arrivals, and entries could not be in better hands. There are still plenty ofperches left, thanks to the spacious accommodation and excellent design of the loft, and I would recommend you take a look at the race web-site on www.Pigeonportal.com for a full report on this professional event.

North Coast Classic Loft

Entry forms can be 'down-loaded' directly from the web-site and your entries collected and delivered directly to the loft by John Millar, who is an experienced fancierand will take good care of your entries. Sean’s partner and Head Administrator Trevor Steele is doing a great job of keeping Members up to date with all details of the events. Everything for Members is being cared for; from administration to organising a visit to the North Coast should you require assistance in finding accommodation. The attention to detail and the consideration of the Members total enjoyment of competing in a one loft event has been given a great deal of thought, and I can safely say, your entries, and yourselves, could not be in better hands. I thoroughly recommend you take a look at their set up on the web sites.

New Arrivals in the NC Classic

Barcelona Challenge

Proudly present an on-line auction of young birds bred from the entries into the Barcelona Challenge One Loft race held in France. This first on-line sale in 2009 of young birds is from the experienced 2yr old team that are destined for the Barcelona International this coming season. This is your chance to buy young birds before this excellent team prove their quality at the highest level and become in demand. They are a fantastic team of pigeons that have been worked well for the job in hand by UK National FC winner John McGee. All birds are now listed on www.elimarpigeons.com where you can place your bids or phone Les J Parkinson on 01606836036 who will place bids on your behalf.

Kingslea One Loft Race

Received this email from Marlene McKay wife of Ian she wrote; ‘Thought you might be interested in what we have been up to!! Once you are on the Kingslea One Loft Race site. http://www.kingslea1loftrace.co.uk/click on the "Twitter" on the left and that takes you into Ian's forum where he explains it all. Please also have a look at everything on the site as well. Suffice to say that every "One Loft Race" is done for profit and ours is not!! We have been to South Africa, Las Vegas and Grand Canaria and lost £10, 000 twice as they have not paid out. This will never happen with ours as it is a totally different concept and very transparent in that all monies will be paid out.

Also to promote the sport especially to youngsters; Ian was asked to talk to schools at the Zoology building in Aberdeen and the children were fascinated to learn about these beautiful birds. They have now been gifted birds in the race and have sent us poems to show how delighted they are! Ian has bred all the pigeons and they will all race to his loft. The interest has been so great that we have 3 syndicates.....same birds......same prizes. One syndicate is for charities close to pigeon fanciers' hearts......cancer groups etc. Each of these wonderful fanciers paid £60 to enter a bird for their chosen charity. Saturday and Sunday (14 & 15 March 2009) is where Ian has gone on to an ambitious project tohave 40 schools in the 2010 "Kingslea One Loft Race"and has been gifted first class birds to raise money inthis auction all the best yours Marlene.

While on about the north lads I have filled in the application form, risk assessments, safety plan and copy of insurance cover into the Fife Council Parks Department. They require all this information to allow the Aberdeen Federation to liberate their birds from Recreation Park in Thornton. I was a little disappointed to discovered (through my enquiry phone calls) that the North of Scotland are no longer going to liberate birds in Thornton and are going to Cupar instead. If it is the main car park as used previously then believe me Cupar car park is not a suitable liberation site with cars coming and going from early morning; and if the weather is bad and they don’t get the birds away until lunch time then they will have problems as the car park is full by this time. There is also the added threat of 2 peregrine hawks that nest at the old Sugar Beet Factory less than a mile from the proposed liberation site. I wish them well and hope they have good racing from Cupar during the 2009 season.

Eagle Owl CD

Received the following email after a request for the Eagle Owl CD; ‘Hi Joe, Bob here from Eire I received the Eagle Owl CD yesterday and thanks a million; I had my birds out all day today with the CD playing with no affect to the birds. However I didnotice that within 10 minutes of playing it, that all the crows and magpies disappearedfrom around the fieldsthat surround my house. A member in our club lives right besides a quarry with 2 hawks nesting in it and every time he lets his birds out one disappears so I’m going to loan the CD to him and I will keep you informed of the outcome thanks again Joe will talk soon, yours in sport Bob Choppin’ my thanks to Bob and lets hope it helps out his club mate as well, surprised to hear that all the crows and magpies moved on, I have never received feedback like that before.

This week’s photographs

The two pigeons are from the loft of Dave Hamilton of Kennoway who is in my sporting challenge this year. I had to go to a farm outside the village for some wheat and barley and dropped in to take pictures of Dave’s entries in the challenge. While in the loft he pointed out his good hen Hazel who has won 5 times in the SNFC, she was going for a Gold Award last year but did not make the Gold Cup result so missed out, however she is a class hen as you will see from her performances; 40th section C 133rd open Falaise; 46th section C 122nd open Falaise; 49th section C 186th open Falaise;  8th section C 21st open Alencon and 49th section C 269th open Newbury. The red hen is a yearling who won 2nd club 9th federation 14th section C 41st open SNFC Eastbourne in 2008. The other photos are of the North Coast Classic loft and some of the new entries in the aviary.

Dave Hamilton's Red Hen

Hazel

 

 

This week’s Joke

 Barrack Obama is visiting an Edinburgh hospital. He enters a ward full of
patients with no obvious sign of injury or illness and greets one.
The patient replies:
Fair fa your honest sonsie face,
Great chieftain o the puddin race,
Aboon them a ye take yer place,
Painch, tripe or thairm,
As langs my airm.

Obama is confused, so he just grins and moves on to the next patient.
The patient responds:
Some hae meat an canna eat,
And some wad eat that want it,
But we hae meat an we can eat,
So let the Lord be thankit.

Even more confused, and his grin now rictus-like, the President moves on > to
the next patient, who immediately begins to chant:

Wee sleekit, cowerin, timorous beasty,
O the panic in thy breasty,
Thou needna start awa sae hastie,
Wi bickering brattle

Now seriously troubled, Obama turns to the accompanying doctor and asks, > 'Is
this a psychiatric ward?' 'No,' replies the doctor,

Wait for it !!!

'This is the seriousBurns unit.'

Please continue to keep the news flowing to Joe Murphy Mystical Rose Cottage 2 Flutorum Avenue Thornton by Kirkcaldy KY1 4BD or phone 01592 770331 after 7pm week days or my NEW email address is joejmurphy@blueyonder.co.uk  Or log onto www.elimarpigeons.com  www.pigeonglobe.co.uk or www.Pigeonportal.com http://www.cyberpigeon.co.uk/  and the newest pigeon forum in the United Kingdom www.pigeonbasics.net who wish my weekly contribution for my up to date portfolio on pigeon topics from Scotland.