THE
HENLYS
of
Kingsteignton
by
Les J. Parkinson
I
have been doing quite a lot of research into the Dordin family and as
always l am looking for any opportunity to write about anything to do
with pigeons. The names of Nobby and Michael Henley of Kingsteignton
came up. After having a chat to Nobby the bags were soon packed and
we headed down the M6 and M5 to Torbay on a day that was good to us
with sunshine all the way with the exception of about 1/2 mile as we
hit the Bristol area. We had booked into the Channel View Hotel which
is well known to many fanciers. The evening was quite entertaining with
Nobby Henley turning up with the material that l was after for the Dordins
article which caused quite a bit of interest with fanciers looking forward
to the finished product. That material was put aside and we had quite
a conversation and Nobby certainly had some tales to tell, a point that
was discussed at length was getting the pigeons from across the water
to this part of the Country.
This
was a topic l discussed with Tony Haynes of Blamford a few years ago.
Nobby pointed out the same problems and that it was even at Torbay and
the Weymouth where Tony lives. Tony was telling us about getting the
pigeons from across the channel and particularly Guernsey on this occasion
where they just would not come across. This was echoed in this conversation
that the pigeons come wide out of the area and do more often than not
come back to them going right round the bay. Talking about actually
getting a pigeon to cross the bay I was telling them about John Hodgson
getting his birds to cross the bay up in to Annan and how he eventually
got them to cross the bay. It is only with experience over the water
in a short stretch that will gain the confidence of the pigeons. The
only problem is to tempt them to come across that stretch of water which
is a long way round for Morecambe bay for a training toss of not many
miles. That time on the road paid off for John in the end, if that is
the problem here why they cant get them to cross this bay, if one can
do there must be a way for another.
Next
morning I looked out of the window and the weather was certainly different
than yesterday mist well out to sea and very low cloud with a little
rain we were hoping that it would stop falling for when we go over to
see Nobby. We were told during a conversation that Roy and Audrey Bishop
are only around in their shop known as "The Pigeon Fancier".
This was the ideal opportunity to look up someone that we had not seen
for many years so when they opened up at 10am we went round to see them
for a short stay to see how they are getting on and have a look at the
shop. When I first started writing in the gazette it was for Roy and
Audrey, and they encouraged me, and gave me the opportunity to get about,
and write on individual fanciers. Anyway we had a good chat, and made
a promise that next time we were in the area, we would give them plenty
of notice so that we could call in at their house and see their team
of racers. It was then on to see Nobby & Michael who answered a
few questions for us and how to the point they were.
Nobby
Henley with Les
Q.
When did you first start to race pigeons.
A. (Nobby) I joined the club when l was 6 years old that is 62 yrs ago
and at that time we had a junior section and there were 74 senior members
and 25 junior members. (Michael) l am 3 1/2 yrs younger than Nobby and
l started when the club went into Newton Abbot to the Railway Hotel
to do the basketing. They changed the way they used to basket and that
was in 1947 that is the first year that l was an equal partner. We stayed
like that until 1971 when the decision was made to race our birds separately
which did in fact lead to us as two individual lofts winning more than
we had previously done with our other system. The change really did
make a difference because we were now clocking to two separate lofts
and if one loft didn't win the other would so we were better off.
Q.
What about your lofts.
A. (Nobby) I use creosote and lime only in the lofts and all boxes are
removable but l only use 6 boxes and there are 16 below but I only use
9 of those. I like plenty of ventilation and light in the lofts. (Michael)
I have an L shaped loft some 53ft in length and like Nobby I use lime
and creosote throughout the lofts and we both trap through traps. My
loft is breeze block and reclaimed timber and the pigeons have performed
well to so I am happy. Les. I must admit that the lofts were a pleasure
to be in and Nobby's loft was like a tunnel of fresh air, it drifted
through all ways but the birds were happy. The one thing was that they
did not have to sit in a draft because all the air circulated and the
birds were in their boxes so went across the front of them.
Q.
Did you also go your own way regarding the strains that you raced.
A. From the actual breeding side of it we are still like partners we
still race the same family of pigeon which are the Dordins.
Q.
Are they pure.
A. No there is no such a thing, how can you keep interbreeding for 30
yrs, you would end up with deformed pigeons that are not going to perform.
They will lose their shape and not conform to the standard that we expect
of our birds. Pigeons are the same as people you have to be careful
with breeding, they can be pure, what you would do is to bring in pigeons
of the same family but different lines. You could bring some in from
say Australia but still a Dordin then cross in into your existing family.
You can do this but to say you can keep the family pure its just not
on but if they are a Dordin cross they are still a Dordin (Michael)
Yes but as Nobby has always said Dordin himself brought the crosses
into his family they then became his name in the same way that all Belgians
do it. Almost in the same way as George Busschaert he would go to a
sale and buy 20 pigeons and as soon as he had paid for them they were
Busschaert's regardless of who bred them. I went to several sales that
he attended and when he was in p/ship with Gil Duncan it was the best
of the Busschaert's. In his partnership with Gil they raced over here
but them George moved back to a new Million Pound loft in Belgium and
failed to make his presence felt but he was disadvantaged. He didn't
last long out there. They were then sold and Tony Cowan helped the Busschaert
sale in fact he had previously owned those birds. Going back to the
original question, yes l have tried the Stichlebauts and as l have said
before l soon wiped then out they just wont fly the water. To the pigeon
fancier they would be the ideal racing pigeon but didn't have the constitution
to fly that water.
Q.
How do you both find racing living so close to the channel.
A. Short distance channel racing is no problem to Guernsey. One year
l had 18 youngsters from the 13 pairs none from the Dordins because
the cock was over in Holland we sent to Guernsey with the Dover &
Cornwall Continental race only 21 birds home in race time 15 of which
were mine. Everybody said well that is it the Stichlebauts are the family
of birds to have but send them across the water to France forget it.
It wasn't that they came home late they just never came home they have
never returned l have bred off them pigeons for 6 seasons 5 yrs for
13 pairs of birds l have never had one pigeon left in the loft they
were not up to it at all.
Q.
Why do you think that is when the family has such a good name in the
longer races into say Holland.
A. Because they are pigeons that are raced on land. They go on about
pigeons and generalise about pigeons, talk about the Dordins, our management
is nil, a chap of your height (Les) wouldn't be able to get into my
loft for the pigeon muck as it would be near the top. That is no joke
the JCB came once a year to clean the loft and yet my birds would go
to the show and win best in show and best opposite sex rosette's galore.
The loft is only cleaned out once or twice a year it was cleaned out
for your visit Les and l got 20 bags from there you will see them when
you when you go to the loft. (Les). We saw the bags and the pigeons
who looked as healthy and good as any fancier could wish, they obviously
like the natural feeling around them. Let's face it they do not get
cleaned out in the wild everyday. A local wagon will take them when
he comes this week so in that case its down to the pigeons not down
to the management. It's like widowhood l would not even consider the
system and yes we both fly natural. Widowhood is not a sport, what happens
now is you have got the build up of the sprint culture races 50-60 miles
races. Then people making there name out of selling pigeons make a commercial
thing of it when selling pigeons on the strength that they may have
won 20 or so 1sts. Then some are duplicated 2 or 3 times so the standard
of pigeons in many lofts has just gone down and down. These Dordins
will win land or channel, oh yes we first raced them on the north road
because l had been on to the Nat flying club but we didn't have marking
stations my birds had to go to Reading. I was working away l would have
to drive home Wednesday basket birds then drive back to Reading drop
off my clock at the clock station. l used Cabrlly to have my clock set
a 400 mile round trip because we didn't have a central club in our area
and l was very keen. l think it should be written into the laws that
RPRA fanciers should be committed to the sport and fed to progress to
fly international races. Far too many fanciers restrict themselves to
club race's, that is ruining the sport because they are sending 50 birds
up the road 80 miles timing in the first 10 and the up and coming fanciers
are getting disheartened so they pack up.
I
had previously heard a comment so I had to ask the following question
because this relates to a lot of fanciers around the Country.
Q.
How do you rate your pigeons.
A. (Michael) When l won the y/b Nat one of our club members who has
now passed away said to Nobby he had seen a batch of 400 going over
dropping out everywhere. (Nobby) Well where they went I have no idea
they must have disappeared because Michael was miles in front. The next
bird to Michael's was 15 mins behind and that was in Bristol there were
no pigeons about. (Michael) Like Nobby's bird when he was 8th open in
the Nat the next to him was 200 miles east the bird was completely on
his own. David May pointed out that what made this that bit more special
was the fact that this was the fancied pigeon, the one that was pooled
and won £2005. l have got two performances of my loft when l raced
in the Wales and West y/b race Nantes 250mls to us called the Cabanna
Sponsored by a drinks firm. l sent 2 birds it was a West gale so l thought
they would disappear and l would never see them again. I stood in front
of the bungalow and 2 birds came over the roof and one hit the first
sputnik in the y/b section and caught himself on the corner and ended
up in the old bird section he was blown over. One was a Blue and one
was a Cheq and l had sent these colours, then suddenly realised that
the Cheq was my pigeon. In the end l got the bird in and timed it Brian
Shepperd in Wiltshire had 8 in the first 12 and one bloke in Bristol
and l was beaten by 1yd a min and l won the T V Video and all pools
£250. (Les) They are obviously very good pigeons. We have always
been pleased with the pigeons and it is reflected in the fanciers who
have had them from us over the years.
Q.
I hear you like to give pigeons to Charity, do you get any feedback
from these sales.
A. l have 30 rings per year and our club are always wanting babies for
the club sales and over the years they have made plenty of money. In
1976 l took two youngsters to a sale that Jimmy Saville organised for
the spina biffida and on the Sunday morning l got in the car and travelled
up to Rugby with these two youngsters. There was some good Dordins put
in the sale but ours made £350 each which was £100 more
than other Dordins in the sale from top lofts. If you track down the
line of these birds you will find that they are the best Dordin you
could every have had. Going back to the question, yes we have always
supported charities because it is good for the sport.
Q.
How many birds do you keep.
A. (Nobby) I keep 12 racers 4 pairs in the stock loft and I generally
pair up on the 10th March, l have 2 sections cocks in one hens in another
and three sections empty. I have 3 sections at the top and 2 sections
at the bottom, stock birds are in the far end of the section and up
until this the last couple of years they all went out. I had the Australian
pigeons 12 months ago and normally all pigeons fly out l take no prisoners.
Now I didn't let these birds out it would have been suicidal. Besides
the 3prs of Australian Dordins, there was a son and daughter of the
1st National cock that fly out. They are all in the y.b section now
but when I pair up they will be removed to the centre section where
they will go to nest. I have 12 boxes but only use 6 and when the y/bs
are ready they go in the other side where there are plenty of perches
I hardly have any pigeons in the loft compared to the space which they
have.
Q.
Do you do much training.
A. I only train down to the beach Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday evening
two and a half miles by road where I stand on the wall, they fly over
the river and straight into the loft then to the y/b National. The birds
have never had top management, my birds are picked up not for the race
but just to train. When they went over to France my 5 birds were back
20 mins before my neighbours who is a keen fancier and my birds were
just training not racing in the race.
Q.
With being so close to the coast do you race North or South.
A. We used to race North Road but in 1981 joined the National FC so
I switched them around keeping some of the them which had been on the
North road constantly, the old ones 2 - 3 - 4 year olds because they
could not do anything it was a nondescript.
Q.
Do you use any medication.
A. None at all selection of the strong is the only way that's how we
were brought up checking the birds 4 to 6 to 8 weeks if no good then
they had to go its the only way. All the medication that was available
then was pigeon tonic and not all this medication that is on this market
today. (Michael) If you look in Nobby's loft there is a 3rd open Nat
winner about 9 years old happy to be in the aviary, she went a bit off
colour but has been in the aviary ever since. I could have dosed here
up with all sorts but didn't I just put in the aviary. I used to give
then Johnson's tonic but not anymore they are vaccinated only and then
I stick to the old system of common water and use grit. As I pointed
out earlier on people have become slaves to their birds and l agree
with them that the success they get is for 365 days of the year. Now
if l was to work with them for 365 days l would want more than a 60
to 80 mile race you need to get some satisfaction out of the racing
and you cannot get it from those type of races. You get fanciers winning
20 club races per year but they don't send in the National they say
that they are not interested in the money. All the supplements you give
to the pigeons is like seeing a lady without her make up first thing
in the morning. By giving your birds these supplements it only flatters
to deceive, as long as the bird can perform naturally in other peoples
loft then you don't need any supplements.
Q.
What about your management.
A. What management, our management is not up to scratch at all, you
could call it none management and if we were running a factory we would
probably be bankrupt by now. How about management of pigeons well it
should be a pleasure not a chore the least time you can be with them
the better the more natural they can be the better. I don't spend anymore
than 10min a day with my pigeon's change the water when the drinkers
are empty. Both our lofts are cleaned out maybe once a year green algae
on the side l have one feeder in the stock bird section and the y/b
are fed on the floor. I thought I have lost one of my best hens to the
hawk then when l looked again she had gone and laid eggs behind the
pigeon muck underneath the bottom of the box. She had 2 babies and l
thought she was missing she was well out of the way and the pigeon muck
was half way up the boxes where she had gone. When David Bayman came
to take photos of the National winner he was on the top perches that
was 2" thick, I had to scrap it before the photo could be taken.
( Nobby is 68 and Michael 64). Everything is made easy and the birds
are exercised around home with and with pigeons fanciers lung we should
have been dead years ago even the birds should be in a heap. But it
is not like that at all everything we have done is natural, we have
done it all very naturally, we have never had any other system so that
must be taken in to account when you are talking to motivation for birds.
Q.
What makes a Champion pigeon or pigeon man.
A. Every year there are new National champions created overseas if you
talk to my mate Dave May he will tell you he went to the continent in
1966 on a trip to one of those loft visiting organised trips. He was
in one of those big hotels when his father in law was taken ill so he
didn't want to leave his wife on her own. So the rest of the party went
off on their journey to visit the lofts and he stayed in the hotel with
his wife. The waiter in the hotel said "You have not gone on the
trip" he said "No as my wife's father has been taken ill and
l would not leave here all day". The waiter said "My mate
who lives down the road is a pigeon man why don't you pop down and have
a word with him". So the wife said "Yes go down and have a
hour or so". So down he went and came out with 6 of his chaps young
ones and 2 years later he won the Nat and International. I knew I had
some good stuff here because one of the pigeons was sire to one of the
International pigeons and also the sire of the youngster we have here.
A few years later he went back over to visit him and Bob stayed in the
same hotel we called in to see him and to tell him how well the birds
are doing. When he let me in through the front door we went through
to the back garden where l expected to see a 12ft loft. To my amazement
there stood a 2 story loft made out of reclaimed material, tiled roof
the lot as if it had been there for 100 years. He was taken on one side
and asked who built this, he said "Well if you win the National
over here this is what happens". By this time he had 100 or so
pigeons in the loft, how he produced that many birds in that time l
don't know. He was asked "Are you selling the birds" he replied
"Yes l am selling them to Taiwan for a lot of money". What
I am getting at is if you had not seen the loft he had before the 2
story one you would think the new reclaimed loft had been standing between
60 and 80 years it was brilliant.. The ironic part of this is years
ago all we did was give birds away and l mean give them or loan them
out knowing you will never see them again, that is not the case today
because there is too much money involved. The happy friendly atmosphere
has gone and how nice it would be to see it return.
I
must say it was a pleasure to see and visit these lofts because both
Nobby and Michael have an open view and are happy just to race their
own pigeons. However Nobby does have strong views and is a firm believer
in the National FC where they can compete against the best in the Country,
that is why Nobby is a member the NFC committee.
There
were a lot of areas covered during our conversation that I have on tape,
they are the stories that Elizabeth and myself hear on many occasion's
but generally leave out of the articles for one reason or another. I
was talking to an elderly member of the sport a few years ago who had
similar views and I asked if could use them and he replied. "Those
views are for you to learn from in your position as a writer for the
sport, what you must do most of all is keep control of your articles
because if you do not then they will not be worth reading". These
views came home to me after a couple of things that have cropped up
over this article. Life is a learning process and some will never learn,
Nobby & Michael have and used it well. A great visit to two very
knowledgeable fanciers in the sport who have seen and done a lot and
we look forward to seeing them again in the near future.
