LES J. PARKINSON'S

NEWS-REPORTS-ARTICLES

For a change I have been working the young birds and apart from their first race at 120mls I have done well for returns and in good time. With throwing them in to the 120ml stage Mike O’Hare suggested that he and Ron helped out and took them for a few longer training tosses. Mike suggested it and I jumped at the chance. It did show in the first race being 4th & 6th and the following week 2nd and I think 6th but have not seen the result. The third race saw “The Jonah” come round and watch them and we were 7 minutes behind. It was the same when he went to his dad’s who had a couple of races and then when “The Jonah” turned up he was behind. Joking aside in all fairness Craig did say that they came well from 146mls and I suppose they did with all home before going to the club, 18 of the 23 being pretty quick after the first in the clock. This is a real rare occasion for me to be training and especially racing the young birds. I cannot say that I have enjoyed it but it has been good to see how they have worked when so many others have raced them and done well.

A fast young bird

We have 15 later bred young birds that have not made the main team because they have been moved at various ages. It got to the stage where I had to start them off even though there was one that was still squeaking but had cast two nest flights. There were also a couple that were messing about and just hanging around the rooftops. Anyway I decided to give them a toss at a place known locally as Gypsies Corner which is about 1 mile if that. It was only meant to be a toss to wake them up to the idea of being released from the basket and heading home. The 15 were basketed and I duly went to Gypsies Corner, took them out of the back of the car and dropped them on the floor and left them for a few minutes. The next thing that happened was open the basket to see them fly away home. That thought was far from what happened as they walked out of the basket and stood there looking round. Up they went so the basket went in the back of the car and off I went home to see them drop onto the loft. No such luck and within 20mins the phone rang and Jim Bennett from Crewe was reporting a light chequer that had dropped in with his widowhood cocks, which must be one of the quickest reported pigeons of all time. As I stood there looking for the 15 or now 14 to arrive home 3 dropped and another joined them. I thought things are not going right. I stood there thinking that the late breds that were specially bred from selected stock for future use were not going to come home. There was no need to worry because within a couple of hours they were all back in the loft and are all the better for their experience. Thanks to Jimmy Bennett for the quick reporting of this young bird and seeing it back in the loft. This was the first time that I had seen Jim’s lofts and he does have a good set up. I have known for years that Jim is not a big young bird flyer but what he does is breed them for others and they are the ones who do the winning.

Wedding

Congratulations to Mr & Mrs Craig & Stella Wilkinson on their recent marriage. They were racing as Dickens & Wilkinson and now Craig is looking at changing the partnership to The Wilkinson Family. The wedding was a good day out all round and a good start to a new family life for then both and we all wish them well.

Craig & Stella Wilkinson on their wedding day last Saturday

Showman

I saw the article from our friend down under Doug McLary issue 24th August about past showmen. One of those featured the late Freddie Challinor who was towards the end of his career when I started racing in Middlewich. Freddie lived on St Annes Road, Middlewich and was once known to have said “Even if they take two days I have entered them and they can still compete in the race classes”. Freddie was my first introduction to show pigeons and it was a good one because he was a real top man at the job. My second introduction was when I commented to the late Roy Smith about the judges so he suggested that I got one for an upcoming show. I did and learnt a lesson because I asked the excellent racing man Bill White of Eaton to judge a class and he gave 1st & 2nd to Freddie Challinor. After the show I spoke to Bill about picking show pigeons in what is considered a racing class in such local shows. He replied, “I was asked to judge a class of pigeons and given no instructions about show pigeons and they were the best so won the cards” At that time I had a few pigeons from Bill and they were the old Vandevelds and nearly all blue’s. Bill was a real good fancier and one that I visited on many occasions.

Winners

The other week I mentioned bringing pigeons into a new loft and Derek Woodward was one of those fanciers that I mentioned. The week after I wrote that piece Derek was again 1st & 2nd in the Rudheath club the first being a blue hen on 1667ypm out of the Golden Mattens Sissi lines and out of his direct Peter Fox stock. The reason I bring this up is that once again an exchange pigeon with Martin Joy and is a Lucin Greets mealy cock being a brother to the previous weeks Mangotsfield winner. Yes once again exchanges with racing pigeons can work.

Club/Fed News

For the Poynton RBLHS second young bird race 11members sent 211 birds to Hullavington. Ernie Sellars was 1st and 3rd Club vels 1529.2/1526ypm. Ernie’s first bird is out of Les Parkinson X Hibbert Bros Rotherham stock whilst his other is out of a bird from club mate Ken Johnson. Frank Barker was narrowly beaten into 2nd place vel 1529.0ypm with one out of a bird from  Pete Stanway. Richard Given was 4th vel 1519 with one out of his Cash Machine X Chris Knowles stock. The next race was from Frome where 10 members sent 162 birds. Pete Stanway had a clean sweep taking the first four positions vels 1695/1694/1693/1692ypm Club and 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th Fed 91/1902 birds. Pete’s first two birds were brothers out of his good mealy cock that won 2 X 1st Fed. His 3rd bird is his Breeder buyer pigeon from Armitt Bros Buxton whilst his final bird is out of Mark Cauldwell RPRA winning stock. The Minshull Midweek Race from Worcester saw 6 send 130 birds. The top two positions go to Jason Lambert with a blue cock and a chequer hen recording vels of 1492.92/1492.05ypm. Keith Herbert is never far from the winning positions and in this race is 3rd with a blue hen on 1491 ahead of Kenny Burke and silent partner Gary Hodkinson who saw a blue hen through the ETS to clockup 1489ypm. In the Lostock H.S. Race from Wincanton 7 members sent 118 birds that were headed home by a blue cock to the lofts of Robert Kent who was also 4th with a blue hen their vels being 1396/1331ypm. 2nd & 3rd go to Keith Herbert with a blue pied cock and blue pied hen recording vels of 1384/1337ypm. We now move on to the Acton Bridge club when the red card in this Swainswick race went to A & D Gobin. The winning bird this week for Anthony was out of  Mike Spencer x Impett stock this chequer w/f cock was sent on Chipping Eggs and recording a vel of 1522ypm. Mr & Mrs Howman took the next two positions on 1516/1515ypm. 4th 5th & 6th all go to Rob Bebbington on 1513/1512/1483ypm. The club then moved on to Wincanton when Mr & Mrs John Howman had a near landslide collecting 1st 2nd 3rd 4th & 6th on 1363/1335/1335/1334/1320ypm. First past the post this week for John is a red chequer cock sent on Johns territorial system and bred down through a "Dirty Den” hen when paired to a red cock down through Bob Lewis's old Kirkpatrick stock. The nest-mate to this one won for the second week in a row for Ant & Bryan Williams in South Wales. Recently was a sad time for Acton Bridge when Much loved member Danny Wells passed away RIP Danny and our heartfelt Condolences to wife Judith and Family. In 5th position and stopping the clean sweep are Fletcher & Gobin on 1327ypm. The Moulton FC were at Wincanton when 5 sent 70 birds that saw Rob Barnett finish 1st & 3th on 1307/1294ypm with two blue cocks. 2nd & 4th go to Mr & Mrs Roy Croxton on 1295/1287ypm after seeing home a chequer pied cock and blue pied hen. The South West Cheshire Fed race from Swainswick saw 55 members send 861 birds that were liberated at 12 noon in a south west wind. Greenbank winners Tommy Hulme & Son top the fed this week while the Middlewich 5B winner Alan Woodcock is 2nd followed by fellow club members Ken & Stan Bosson. Mick Stockton is 4th & 6th with John Peever being 5th. Crewe West End winners Mick & Wendy Mellor are 7th fed with other positions going to Carl Rowledge 8th, Mr & Mrs Keith Lovatt 9th and D Oliver 10th. Two club winners missing out on the top ten in the fed this week and they are A Williams at Hankelow and G&K&C Hitchen in the Wettenhall 10B. Mangotsfield was the race point for the Sandbach members when the red card went to Wayne & Roy Beverley with a blue De Kuyper cock and they were also 4th with a blue hen from the same family recording vels of 1355/1305ypm. 2nd & 3rd go to Eric Taylor who it looks like has found another family to compete with his McDonald/Verheye lines that have produced so many winners. First in the clock for Eric is a blue Van De Rhee hen followed by a chequer cock from his well established family of McDonald/Verheyes. Still with the Sandbach club we move on to the Swainswick race where 1st & 3rd go to Mick Stockton on 1699/1697.9ypm.They are two from the Van De Meure lines being a chequer hen that was sent sitting and a chequer cock. 2nd & 4th go to Eric Taylor with two Van De Rhee’s clocking up 1696.9/1693ypm these being a mealy cock and blue hen. The last race from the club to cover this week was from Wincanton when once again Mick Stockton collected the red card on 1444ypm after seeing a Van De Meure chequer hen drop through the door. The next three positions all go to Eric Taylor on 1442/1441/1438ypm. The first two in the clock are from the Van De Rhee lines and are a blue hen sent sitting and a blue cock while the third is a blue Verheye/Mcdonald cock. Royal Wires PO John Lawson has been handing his news to the local trainers but they failed to deliver on a weekly basis so we have a few to bring us up to date. We start with the Mangotsfield race when the birds were liberated with the Mid Cheshire fed at 9am into a south east wind. Geoff Hanagan finished 1st & 4th club on 1438/1419ypm with the winner being a chequer hen bred from direct Walter Docx birds which John Kirk purchased a few years ago and they have bred some outstanding winners for John and a lot of other fanciers. Tommy Davies is 2nd club with a blue cock on 1433ypm, Tom is having a good season at the Wires club. Don Risley is 3rd with a blue hen bred by Don from his De-Zwart stock birds. The next race for the club was at Bath when they were liberated at 11.30am into a south west wind. Geoff Hanagan who is having a good season with his young birds collects 1st & 4th with his club winner being a chequer hen bred by John Hill from his good channel hen cross Peter Foy Marcellis. Alan Wadsworth having his first young bird race this season is 2nd & 3rd club. Alan’s birds were bred by John Lawson from his Syndicate Lofts stock. The second prize winner is a Vandenabeele/Wal Zoontjen while the next in the clock is a Wal Zoontjen/Vechter Bontje/Geri Hen lines. In the Cheltenham race for the Wires members 109 birds were liberated when 1st & 2nd club went to Geoff Hanagan with his winner being a blue hen on 1826.16ypm. This youngster is bred from a cock off the late Jack Wrigley stock that was 2nd at Niort this season the dam being bred by Geoff’s mate in the north east Keith Perkins. The 2nd club bird is a chequer hen on 1826 and bred from a cock off Noon & Callan while the dam is a Walter Docx from John Kirk stock. 3rd club is Tommy Davies with a blue cock from the Janssen/Busschaert lines leaving 4th to club PO John Lawson on 1764ypm. The last race and bringing us up to date with the club is the race from Wincanton who were marked a day later due to a bad weather forecast. The top three positions went to the in-form loft of Geoff Hanagan with his winner being a blue cock bred from a Noon & Callan cock crossed with a Walter Docx hen bred from John Kirk stock the 3rd club winner is also the same way bred. 2nd club was a blue w/f Walter Docx hen bred from John Kirk stock. Now we move on to the second of PO John Lawson’s clubs and that is the Kingsway with the first race to cover was from Cheltenham John Burnett is 1st club followed by Steve Cooke 2nd and Bill Mather 3rd. Then in the Mangotsfield race the winners were Mr & Mrs Jim Jones whose winner is a Mr & Mrs A Duggins Janssen hen. The next three positions all went to Bill Mather with his team of Janssen’s. The next race was from Swainswick when once again Mr & Mrs Jim Jones took the red card appropriately with a red hen racing to the perch. And yet again the next two positions go to Bill Mather with his winning Janssen team. Bringing us up to date with the club we now look at the race from Wincanton that saw another good race for Mr & Mrs Jim Jones taking 1st 2nd & 3rd. the winner being a blue chequer w/f cock from the Mr & Mrs Duggins stock. 2nd is a blue cock out of the Kirk/Duggins cross while 3rd goes to a Mr & Mrs Duggins chequer hen that topped the Mid Cheshire fed at Mangotsfield a few weeks earlier. The Bath race for the Mid Cheshire fed saw 69 members send 1125 birds that were liberated at 11.30am in a south west wind. Top spot this week goes to Crewe Premier winner John Peever followed by Wrinehill winners Mr & Mrs Chris Platt. Making it three different club winners taking the top three positions in the fed is Sandbach winner Mick Stockton who had a good race also collecting 5th 9th & 10th. Eric Taylor continues a good young bird season collecting 4th 6th 7th while Wayne & Roy Beverley are 8th. Rudheath winner Derek Woodward is 11th & 12th ahead of Kingsway winners Mr & Mrs Jim Jones 13th 16th & 20th fed. Keith Herbert is 14th, Bill Mather 15th, Mellor Bros 17th Frank Speed 18th and Royal Wires winner Geoff Hanagan 19th.  There were five club winners who missed out on the top twenty in the fed this week and they are Acton Bridge winner’s A 7 D Gobin. Middlewich FC Mike O’Hare & Ron Woodward. Moulton’s Harry Vernon. Weaverham where Artur Stanway topped the list and Winsford winners Hitchen & Horsfeild. 

Les J.Parkinson. Elimar, 11 Rushton Drive, Middlewich, Cheshire, CW10 ONJ. Tel/Fax; 01606 836036. Mobile 07871 701585 elimar908@btinternet.com web-site www.elimarpigeons.com