Keith Mott writes...

Convoying with the London & South East Classic Club

It looks like I’m back on the road again this coming season and I can’t wait! I think it’s now common knowledge amongst the Classic fraternity that I’ve returned to my old job as chief  convoyer of the L.& S.E.C.C. for the 2007 season. I had six very enjoyable years as Convoyer for the L.& S.E.C.C. and I must say, with some help from our race adviser and weather man, Steve Appleby; we had a very good record, producing some great Classic racing for the members.

I first started when Doug Went and I convoyed the first Classic of the 1997 season from Alencon, which had a record entry at that time of nearly 2,400 birds. With adverse weather in the English Channel the birds were held over, being liberated at 11.00hrs in a south west wind on the Sunday morning. Although the Channel was foggy on our home crossing, the birds had a clear run earlier in the day and everyone enjoyed a good race with excellent returns. Doug Went was one of the greats of convoying racing pigeons, with many years experience on the South and North roads and I must say, working with him for 18 months taught me a lot about being on the road with the pigeons. I took over as chief convoyer for young birds in 1998 and I think the best liberation site we visited was Bordeaux. It is very spacious and has full facilities for the pigeons and convoyers. This site is the main lorry driver’s stopover car park in Bordeaux and has a truckers hotel and petrol station, so it’s easy to water the birds and for the convoyers to get a meal and shower. This site is very near to a river and, like Pau, is prone to early morning mist. There were reports that the site was getting overcrowded as it is the main trucker stop, but on the four occasions I have been there, there were only ourselves and the British Barcelona Club on site. We always went to Bordeaux in July, which is usually the start of the holiday season in France and lorries are not allowed on the road at weekends, so might be the reason why the car park was nearly empty when we were there. When we went to Bordeaux in the 2002 season we were attacked by Spanish gipsies, but nevertheless I think this is one the best sites that we visited. Bordeaux on the west coast of  France, is a good 450 miles fly for the fanciers in the south east corner of England.

I love convoying the pigeons through France to places like Bordeaux and Pau, but it is very hard work, and is a young man’s game! When I packed it in a few seasons ago, I thought at 52 years of age I was getting to old for the pressure and sleeping rough in lorries, but when you look at most of the National and Classic convoyers today, most of them are older than me. Look at my ol’ mate, Phil Fishlock of Briton Ferry in Wales, he is still convoying the C.S.C.F.C. and he is in his late 70’s. Phil is just lifting the phone and dialling my number, with steam coming out of his ears! I’m only joking mate! Phil is one of the best convoyers I ever met on the road and I think I’m right in stating, he is about the same age as me. I intend to make things very comfortable in the transporter and I’m pleased to report that my son-in-law, Spencer Noble, will be my assistant convoyer for the 2007 season. Spencer is a very keen 32 years old and like my self is looking forward to producing some excellent racing for the Classic members this season. I’m well aquatinted with the new the new L. &S.E.C.C. transporter, as it was purchased off Catterells at the beginning of last season and is the 7.5 lorry that Gary Haslem and I used when I was previously convoyer for the Classic. I’m looking forward to working with Peter Coles, our hard working secretary, and my ol’ mucker, Steve Appleby, this coming season, as they are two of the best at their pigeon job in the sport today. When you are in France with the pigeons it’s nice to know you have a good team behind you at the home end!

We kick off the 2007 Classic season on 19th May when we go to Alencon (220 miles), which is site that I have visited several time before. This liberation site is a massive car park and I must say, you couldn’t get a better place for liberating pigeons. The only thing that I didn’t like about the Alencon site was there was no water on site to top up the transporter tanks in the case of a holdover and there were no facilities for the convoying crews. I preferred Le Ferte Bernard for the 220 miles stage race, but this site is off the R.P.R.A. list of liberation site at the moment, I believe, but not for long I hope! I really rate this liberation site and was the London & South East Classic Club committee member who proposed that the Classic went there. Back in the summer of 2000 I was asked to be assistant convoyer to Peter Wilcox for the Alliance of Specialist Club’s Millennium Le Ferte Bernard race and was very impressed with the site. Both, Peter and I thought this site was the one of the best that we have visited in France, with a brilliant area for liberating and full facilities for watering the birds and for the convoying crew. There was a water problem on the site the last time we visited, but was soon sorted out by Monsieur Pierre Boutall, who was the site agent.

We will be travelling to Tours for the second Classic race on 2nd June. The London & South East Classic Club came out of Nantes and flew the Yearling Derby from Tours for the first time in the 2000 season. The Nantes site now also off the R.P.R.A. list and that was a good site. It was a big grassed area, adjoining the Nantes horse racing course and had full facilities for the pigeons and convoyers, but had big problems with the gipsies. I liked the site at  Nantes, but going by reports, there was a big gipsy problem there, with them stealing pigeons out of the visiting transporters. The old liberation area at the Tours park complex was brilliant, with full facilities for the convoying crews and watering for the pigeons. The original liberation site at Tours looked like a massive military parade ground, with no obstructions, but when we arrived there the first time, we were turned away. The manager of the site spoke good English and told me that the area normally used for pigeon liberations was being used for a special exhibition and the liberations were to take place at the back of the parks site, between the lakes. I was not happy with the new arrangement as the birds seemed frightened on liberation, having been forced to fly straight out over the vast area of water, having been liberated on the road between the two lakes. On other visits we turned the transporter across the road and the birds seemed much happier flying up the road on liberation. The site is in the middle of nowhere and, in the case of a holdover; there is no facilities for watering the birds or for the convoyers. The new arrangement, with the liberations on the road between the lakes, is now permanent. Tours is a lot more central in France than Nantes, which is on the west coast and the London fanciers fly 280 miles out of Tours. In the 2000 season we witnessed a brilliant spectacle, when the Dutch Southern Combine liberated 30,000 birds at Tours whilst we were there.

The longest old bird race is from Pau on 22nd June and I must say I’m really looking forward to that race! The only downer for me is I won’t be at home to clock in, but I’m very lucky with my wife and pigeon partner, Betty. She is brilliant with the birds when I’m away and I’m sure she won’t fall asleep while waiting for the Pau pigeons. The 2002 season saw me visit Pau with the L.& S.E.C.C. pigeons for the fifth time and I think its common knowledge that I don’t like the site. The car park site, in my opinion, is far too small and it is sited next to playing fields which have large light staunching, with thick wires strewn between them. On my first visit to Pau, I pointed out how bad the site was and was told that I could liberate on the playing field, which I did in the 2000 season, but this was far from perfect, with birds flying near the staunching and wires. Big liberations, including the National Flying Club liberated on the playing field and not in the car park area. This site must rate as one of the most important liberation sites on the Continent as many National and International races are liberated there. I don’t know how they liberate more than a thousand pigeons in comfort, as the site is far too small and has all those obstacles. In every other aspect, the site is first class, with full watering for the birds and facilities for the convoyer, although in recent season there has been a few problems with gipsies. About 300 yards down the road there is a massive car park, which serves the local sports stadium and this would be a brilliant new liberation site. I’m always complaining about the site at Pau, but to be perfectly honest, I don’t think there is any thing else at that distance in the South of France. I must also add that in my time as a convoyer, I’ve never seen a perfect pigeon transporter or been to a perfect liberation site. We don’t live a perfect world and we can always find something to criticize! London fanciers fly about 560 miles from Pau and I will be also convoying the C.S.C.F.C. and W.N.F.C. birds that weekend. The Bergerac race on 13th July will be transported on the C.S.C.F.C. lorry and my ol’ mate, Phil Fishlock, will be taking the birds for that 450 miles event. Phil has been to Bergerac several times and tells me it is a brilliant liberation site.  

The two 2007 young bird classics will be flown from Guernsey on 25th August and 8th September, and I’m really looking forward to meeting up with all my ol’ friends on the island again, including Albert Harley and Mat Bentley. Many Federations and Classics race their young birds from Guernsey each season and, in my opinion, this race is a great education for the birds in later life for channel racing. The only draw back with going to Guernsey is it’s very expensive on the Ferries and much cheaper to take the birds in to France. I went to Guernsey eleven times with the Classic youngsters and it’s not the easiest place to race from as mist and rain can cover the island in just a few minutes, with no warning, but on a good day it is second to none for racing young birds across the channel. The liberation site is a big sports field and has full facilities for watering the pigeons and convoyers. On race days the site has a good atmosphere, as the local fanciers come to watch the liberations and many yarns are exchanged. The site agent is my good mate, Albert Harley, and he is always ready to oblige and help in any way he can. Once again, I think this is one of the best sites we went to, as it is spacious and the birds can clear easily. The London lads fly 170 miles out of this Channel Isles race point.

That’s it for this week! I would like to finish by wishing all the members of the London & South East Classic Club all the very best of luck for the 2007 racing season. I can be contacted on telephone number: 01372 463480. See yer!

TEXT & PHOTOS BY KEITH MOTT. 

20/4/07