BICC DINNER & PRIZE PRESENTATION
February 2011
by Pam Gladwin
The BICC dinner and presentation took place once again at the Queens Hotel Bournemouth on Saturday 19th February. We travelled down to Bournemouth on the Friday morning, having left home at 8am; we then drove to Burnham to pick up Meg Murray. Then it was off to Bournemouth, with a stop on the way for a quick lunch and to stretch our legs. We were soon back on the road and arrived at the Hotel just after 1pm. As our rooms were not ready, we made our way to the bar. Shortly after that we were joined by Jimmy and Jean Peters. They had come on the same route as us and had also had a good run down. When you use the M25, you can never predict how long it will take.
The fine array of trophies
The bar soon began to fill up with pigeon flyers and a few drinks were brought and consumed and, before we realized it, the time had flown past and we had not been to our room. The three of us had arranged to go out to dinner with Jimmy Jean Peters and Russell Claire Bradford to a Chinese restaurant that they had been to before. We had a good evening with them and the food was excellent, then it was back to the bar for a few more drinks before bed.
After a very good breakfast, the next morning Meg and I went into town to do some shopping while John went to the BICC Committee meeting, which was held in the hotel. The last two years that I have been Press Officer for the BICC, the same evening that I take the photos of the winners I have gone upstairs to our room straight after taking the photos and printed them of and framed them and given them out to the race winners. We intended to do the same this year. I had brought a new Lexmark printer, which weighs some 80 pounds, so that we could get them printed of quickly. John had managed to carry it to the lift and then into our room, he then set it up ready for the evening and it was at this point that I discovered that I had left the lead that connects the camera to the computer at home. So no photos on the night. I will be sending them to the Race Winners, but because of the glass, they will not be framed. I put it down to old age.
We all had a great evening the food was excellent once again and we had good company on our table. Meg’s family, John and his wife Alison, and Gary and his wife Kathy had come along to see their Mum collect her Brian Long Cup for winning the fifth race, Falaise Old Hens, and we also had on the table Pat Newell and partner Will; she is Dutch and a very charming lady.
The winner of the first race from Falaise 1st Open and 1st section E is a young man, Adam Turrell from Maidstone. He won the Brian Long Cup with a Staf Van Reet from the Tony Marden lines, a two-year-old blue pied cock. His proud Grandad was there to see him collect his trophy.
The second race was won by Robert and Russell Clarke from Fareham 1st open 1st section Alencon, with a two year old blue cock bred from two pure Soontjens;, they won the Brian Long Cup and the Mark Kidby Memorial Trophy.
Third race was from Saran and the winner Mike Mitchell took home so many cups this year that he will have to spend a great deal of time with the polish. He won the Brian Long Cup. The winning pigeon is known to them as The Dutch Hen. Whilst on a trip to Holland in 2005 with three other Kent fanciers, Mike met Peter de Zeeuw, who asked what he had won with pigeons. When he said that he was a novice, Peter took him to his loft and made a gift of three young birds, two hens and one cock. Two have been lost racing, and The Dutch hen is the survivor. Mike, not content with winning a National, moved onto the Internationals, Narbonne International, winning the F Roberts Trophy 1st Open. His single entry to this race was a blue 2007 hen bred from a pair of Fear Bros pigeons. Mike also won: Pau International 2nd Bird winning the BICC Rose Bowl. Perpignan International two-bird average winning the A T Deacon Trophy. Perpignan International 2nd & 3rd Open winning the K Couch Trophy. Highest points all international Races winning the S G Biss cup. Best Averages Pau & Tarbes winning the Wright Cup. Seven Trophies in total. Well done Mike.
G M Preece & Son from Dover - 1st open Perpignan. Geoff and son Clayton have only been racing pigeons for two years so what a fantastic achievement to have won Perpignan. They have won the F A Brammer Trophy and the J & R Wills Cup for best average Pau and Perpignan.
1st open Poitiers. D Heywood & Son from Laindon. Winning the Brian Long Cup. Dave and Gary have won five Nationals in the last eight years. Plus being in the top six more times than I can recall. Their winning pigeon is a Hartog x Veheye from John Gerard lines. They also won the B Corbin Cup for the Longest National race.
1st & 2nd open Old Hens Falaise Meg Murray from Burnham on Crouch. Winning the Brian Long Cup. Her first bird is a lovely 2-year-old blue hen whose sire was a Van der Rhee crossed with one of Meg's old Kavanagh Busschaert hens.
J Davis from Walthamstow. 1st Y/B Falaise winning the Violet Wills Cup with a Louella Staf Van Reet cheq hen. It was a darkness youngster sent unpaired.
Mr Mrs H D Lee from Reading won the Keith Davis Memorial Cup for the first young bird into Berks.
M Gilbert from Winkfield won 1st Open Pau International winning the F Brooks Cup. The pigeon is a 5 year old widowhood cock called Southfield Darkie; he has been a good bird in the past winning the BBC Messac National last year.
A J Hadlow from Whitstable won 1st Barcelona International winning the G Hunt & Son Cup. His winning bird is a five-year-old Cattrysse blue hen. He also won the Channel Queen Trophy for the highest position of a hen in the International races. Arthur is 77yrs old and has been married for 54 yrs to his wife Doreen. He has two children; his son was a partner at one time until he joined the Royal Marines. Arthur has five grandchildren and four great grandchildren. He has been racing pigeons since 1966, but has been a pigeon fancier from childhood.
F Knowles & Son from Wingham. 2nd bird from Barcelona. Winning the Frans Van Den Heuval Cup and the Europa Trophy best average all international races and two bird average Narbonne. BICC Cup.
D Bullen & Son from New Addington. Winning the Mr Mrs Bunney Cup for 1st Central Section Barcelona.
SR & WH Knox from Tyler Hill. Winning the Bewes Trophy for Best Average Pau and Barcelona.
A G Muir from Abinger Hammer 1st Open Tarbes International with a two-year-old Blue Chequer cock from his own family. He won the BIOC Cup and the K Bakes Cup for 1st Central section and the Brian Long Memorial Cup Highest International Position in all International races.
Truelove Family from Canterbury won the P Rigiani Memorial Cup for Tarbes International 2nd Bird.
John Tyerman then presented flowers to the President's wife, the Chairman’s wife and myself. They were lovely flowers and most unexpected. There were many more fanciers that came up to pick up cards that they had won, including Carol and Terry Gardner from Portskewett in Wales. Almost every race they are there on the sheet. I always look forward to seeing their name come up because they are such lovely people and we always have a good chat. For some reason there address on the BICC list is Caldicot but they tell me now that they do not live there, but at Portskewett. They had to write the name down for me because I would not have had a clue how to spell it. Now that I know, next year we will get it right. They picked up four trophies for 1st West section.
Dancing went on until the early hours of the morning but I had to sit it out as I am still using one crutch. Next year's presentation is being held a week earlier so it will be the 12th February. Put it on your calendar now. It is a great weekend and you do not have to win anything to come along and enjoy yourselves.
The BICC will be having its own website very soon. We will keep you updated on that, and of course you would still be able to get all the news from the usual places. There is still time to join the BICC for this year, and next year it might be you collecting your trophy.
Pam Gladwin. Tel 01702542019 or email pamelagladwin@yahoo.co.uk
