Keith Mott

Writes about winning fanciers past and present

‘ON THE ROAD’ WITH KEITH MOTT.

Cyril & Joan Medway of Southampton.

A few weeks ago I featured the great Cyril Medway in my current ‘Champions of Yester Year’ series, which I based on a visit to his Southampton loft with my late friend, Eric Cannon, in 1977. In my 35 years as a pigeon scribe I have visited the very best lofts in the U.K., but that visit to Cyril’s loft has always been one of my favourites. He is brilliant long distance fancier! Soon after the article was published I received the letter below and two photographs from Tony Jurd, who has since told me on the telephone that Cyril and Joan have since moved house, but have still got the same loft that we visited in 1977. A little loft with a life time of big performances!

Dear Keith

As promised please find the attached photos that I took last summer at Cyril & Joan Medway after they took 3rd Section 8th Open in the 2005 B.B.C. Bordeaux race. Cyril is now 83 years young and Joan is 80 years young. As you can see from the photo's they have not changed much since your visit to them with Eric Cannon in 1977.

These days they do not drive any more and rely on good Sholing Club members to help with training and taking the birds to the club for which they are very grateful. After seeing your article about them in your ‘Champions of Yester Year’ article I thought you would like these pictures for your library.

If ever you come to a B.B.C. marking at Salisbury, Ingrid and myself are always marking with Brian Sheppard, just ask Jimmy Hooper to point us out.

Best regards - Tony & Ingrid Jurd

‘Lion Brewery’ at Ash.

I recently attended the National Flying Club ‘Lion Brewery’ marking station at Ash and I must say, securing this venue for a marking station this season is the best thing the N.F.C. has done for it’s Surrey members in years. For years we have had to travel long distances to get our birds marked for the Nationals and now we have it on our own doorstep! The ‘Lion Brewery’ pub is sited in the sleepy little Surrey village of Ash, near Aldershot, and is one of the major pigeon venues in the south of England. The pigeon fancier publican, Mike Armitage, has been at the ‘Lion Brewery’ for 26 years and he has the whole marking operation running super smooth, with up to five ringing tables on the go. The birds are marked in the back function room, with the sealed baskets being stored in an open sided Marcie, while waiting for the N.F.C. transporter to pick them up. While getting my bird marked for the St. Malo National, I notice that Mike’s partner, Lyndsey Shrubb, and her mother, Judith, were working hard on the marking tables and we were very impressed by their quick turnover, with jus short time to get a drink in the pub, before going home. The British International Championship Club mark their birds at the ‘Lion Brewery’, which is also the home of a very strong mid-week club.

The highlight of my couple of hours in Ash, was meeting up with my ol’ friend, Mick Worsfold of Bisley, who I hadn’t seen for a several years and he informed me he was taking early retirement from his job in the Post Office in August. Our Mick has always been a good worker fore the sport and told me, that with the extra bit of spare time on his hands he has taken on the Secretary job of the ‘Lion Brewery’ mid-week club. When I asked my ol’ mucker about the N.F.C. marking station he said, ‘It has been set up to accommodate and make life a bit easier fore Surrey and London members in Section E. Mike Armitage is the I/C and he has assembled a good team of markers to make sure things go quick and smoothly. When you hand over your race sheet at Lyndsey’s desk, she gives you a que number, so you can leave your birds and go and have a meal or drink in the pub. When the birds are marked she calls out your number, so you can pick up your empty basket and go home. Several of the marking team date back to the old Reading Cattle Marking days, but there’s none of the old Reading queues at the ‘Lion Brewery’. Most of the Marking committee are members of the mid-week club and some are non fanciers, including Paul and Judith Shrubb’.

The ‘Lion Brewery’ mid-week club has over 30 members and the club radius is 28 miles of the pub in Ash. The subscriptions are just £28 per year and all the races, including some from Guernsey, are convoyed by the East Grinstead Continental Club. The 2006 old bird race winners were: Lyndhurst (99 birds), Mick & Pauline Worsfold: Poole (127 birds), Mick & Pauline Worsfold: Salisbury (202 birds), D. White: Blandford (351 birds), Mick & Pauline Worsfold: Yeovil (214 birds), Brian & Angela Goodwin: Exeter (127 birds), Mike Armitage: Seaton (91 birds), Mike Armitage. The Old Bird Average was won by Mike Armitage, with George Watts runner up. Normally the club hold several Guernsey races, which are excellent training for the channel event, but these had to shelved in the 2006 season because of the ‘bird flu’ problem. So, please support the National Flying Club marking station at the ‘Lion Brewery’ Ash, it’s the best thing that has happen for the Surrey members in many years!

That’s your ‘ON THE ROAD’ for this week! Any comments please phone me on: 01372 463480. See yer!

TEXT & PHOTOS BY KEITH MOTT.