HOUGHTON REGIS NEWS
Jo Cuthbert
New member Aaron Coomber wins in only his second race!
Although I am no longer writing for the Thames Valley federation I have been really touched by all those that have contacted me to tell me that they have enjoyed reading my articles and will miss reading them. I have even heard from fanciers who do not even race in the fed and I want to say thank you to you all for your kind comments!
I really want to pay credit to a couple of new young members at my own club Houghton Regis and to let others know how my members have been doing. I have also had many people saying they want to know how I have been getting on and so this is why I have decided to carry on writing, every now and again, with news of my own club and friends.
Many of you may know that for a long time, Houghton Regis has been seen as a club on its last legs and has been expected to fold or turn south but we have not done either and instead have kept loyal to our North Road fed and the flying members have worked hard to keep the club going. A few in particular have worked tirelessly; making sure the new premises has been ready for racing, waiting for the lorry week in week out when others have been unable to and trying hard to get the club back in a stronger position member wise again. Although our members Dereck Hyde and Chris Cope sadly passed away recently we have been lucky enough to gain three new members this year in Mick Higgs, Matt Thorne and Aaron Coomber. Mick joined from a south road club and has managed to turn and send a few of his old birds north with us, unfortunately he lost a lot of his young birds earlier in the year which has set him back a bit but we look forward to him having better luck in 2015. Matt first had pigeons as a 15 year old lad but found the sport too expensive at the time and has now decided to give it another go. He has designed and had built his own loft and started flying young birds with us. He has been an asset at the club, coming every week in old bird racing, even though he had none of his own to send, mucking in and ‘learning the ropes’. Matt has already managed to score high on the result, even though he had a tough first week with big losses and has continued to send every week, giving his young birds the experience they will need in the future.
Winning member Aaron Coomber
Our other new member, seventeen year old Aaron Coomber has been part of a successful partnership, flying with his Dad Pete in the strong Borehamwood club. Aaron recently moved back to Luton and his Mum has let him set up on his own and what a start he has had! Aaron wasn’t able to race the first couple of races as he needed to sort a clock out but this race just gone, Retford on the 23rd of August he really made sure I needed a box of tissues as he took first and second club with velocities of 1512 and 1508, beating me into third on 1502. Aaron actually had six birds come together, but being on T3, unlike the rest of us on Bricon ETS, he did not clock them all (luckily for us!) . His first bird, a chec white flight cock was gifted to him by friend Pip Gomes and is bred down from his winning Louis Coorman’s lines, this bird trapped first to fly the 98 miles in one hour and fifty five minutes. His second bird is one he bought at the breeder/buyer sale bred by Houghton Regis member Bill Smullen. Aaron pooled this bird, narrowly beating me to the twenty five quid (told you the tissues would come in handy for me!) I really am thrilled for Aaron as in the previous race, also from Retford, he only sent seven and still managed to secure a fifth spot. It is so rare these days to get ‘young blood’ coming into the sport and staying, so credit, congratulations and thanks to our youngest new members at Houghton Regis. Remember Aaron that we are double or quits in our little side bet for Wetherby!
So, how have the other Houghton Regis members and I been doing? Our first race as a club was on the third of August from Newark (83ish miles to most of us) and Pete Briars took top honours this race , the pool money and twelfth fed out of 684 birds on a velocity of 1150. I had a good first race, taking second, third and fifth club with Carl Ellwood squeezing in-between me to take fourth. This was a funny old race for us with returns few and far between on the day. The next week, Newark again and same winner with Pete Briars doing 1319 , this time followed by Bill Smullen in second and third, clocking two together on 1295. Matt Thorne took fourth position and pools. I was way behind this race as my young birds all came back having obviously just followed the batch and not broken away. I had a much better race the next week from Retford on the 15th of August taking first, second and fourth club, the winning velocity being1395. I have to mention that the winner was the big chec cock bred for my by Aaron, so technically he could argue he had two wins in a row. I won the pools this week and treated myself to a celebratory pizza!
New member Matt Thorne helping out at basketing
Our next race is from Wetherby and sees a big jump in mileage from 99 miles to 145, so this may well sort them out a bit. I have been enjoying the five and a bit week school holidays which has seen me travel to Norfolk, Devon, Essex and Legoland as well as my various visits to Surrey, catching up with old friends. Talking of old mates, I recently got back in touch with Dean Garrett who I used to know in my much younger years and I have been asking him for advice with the birds. My mate Bob Oakey has already told me to put my order in for next year of his special Van-Roofers, thank you to Bob and also Brian Massey of Scotland, Aaron, Johnny Randall, Paul Treanor and Keith and Betty Mott for the birds they gifted me this year. I also still keep in touch with Janina on a weekly basis and she tells me that they have just enjoyed a visit from their son and that Alan is making slow recovery from his recent operation which is good to hear. I don’t want to tempt fate but I still have my breeder/buyer bird for the Ripon race on the 5th of September and I would like nothing more than to share it with the Watford Wizard Terry Haley! Terry, if you are reading this, we still have your sealing pliers and they will be safely returned to you at end of racing! I have also decided that I need a bigger loft for next year so have called upon Mr Ellwood to help me with this (well, to make it happen).
One of my days out at Legoland with Carl Ellwood's daughter Kirsty and grandsons Kurtis and Oscar, who are both bird mad.
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