HULL AND DISTRICT SOUTH ROAD FEDERATION NEWS & NOTES
Write up from Sleaford.

Well what a weekend, Saturday morning was very cloudy and overcast with showers in places, the race controller made what I think was a very wise decision to bring the birds back from Chelmsford to Sleaford, which is around 50 miles for most of the Hull fanciers. After giving the birds time to settle down once arriving at Sleaford, it was 1.45 by the time the strings were cut and the birds got on their way home in an easterly wind, the race was a lot harder then we all expected and after an hour there was still no birds back and when they did finally start to come there was big gaps in between and by late afternoon it looked like there could be a lot of empty perches that night but fortunately the birds carried on coming into the late afternoon and early evening, so I am pleased to say that I think the majority had good returns, but I can't say that for the rest of the country who had shocking returns, we would all love to know what happened that day, but I don't think we will ever know the reason. It is devastating for the fanciers loosing so many birds and we can't blame them, there was a lot of good birds missing including federations winners and combine winners. let’s help our fellow fanciers out, if we get any strays in our lofts please ring the owner and do what we can to help reunite them, or if a non fancier in your area has a bird in help by going to collect it, let’s all do what we can to help the sport we all love. Anyway back to our race, the top 10 is as follows: 1st G.Howman Walton Priory FC 1128, 2nd A&L Jones Hessle FC 1113, 3rd R.Smith Walton Priory FC 1110, 4th P&C Carmichael Hessle FC 1091, 5th B.W.Lawson Beverley South Road FC 1080, 6th J.Eastburn Ravenser FC 1079, 7th R.Barker Hessle FC 1076, 8th S&A Stephenson Buckingham FC 1076, 9th P.Murphy Ravenser FC 1068, 10th D.Chaffer Hessle FC 1062. Walton Priory FC: Taking 1st club and 1st fed this week was Graham Howman with a three year old DeKlak x Pauw Janssen cock bird well done Graham, Bob Smith took 2nd club and 3rd fed with a four year old Mandelartz cock that won Huntingdon this year, taking 3rd club was Graham Block clocking on 1023 with a three year old blue Busschaert cock and Bob Smith also took 4th club on 996 with a pure Busschaert cock who is still doing the job at five years old, well done to all. Hessle FC: 9 members sent 185 birds. Having another fantastic week was Alan Jones taking 1st club and 2nd fed with a three year old chequer hen, 2nd club & 4th fed went to the husband and wife partnership of Pete & Carol Carmichael with a two year old blue cock, 3rd club and 7th fed went to Roy Barker with a two year old dark pied cock and 4th club and 10th fed went to Dave Chaffer with a two year old dark chequer hen, sorry that's all the details I have for Hessle this week, but well done a great result in Hessle this week. Beverley South Road FC: 16 members sent 193 birds. 1st club & 5th fed went to Brian Lawson, another one of Brian's "old stagers" no details on this bird but it will of been well tested over the years, well done Brian keep up the great flying, 2nd club went to Steve Waslin on 1044, Steve getting the better of his dad this week with a two year old DeKlak hen, it’s not won before but showed its metal on this tougher day, well done Steve, 3rd & 4th club went to Nigel Perry clocking on 1038.8 & 1038.3, Nigel's first bird was a two year old Willy Jacobs cock, it was bred from a pair that Nigel's wife bought him a couple of years ago, it hasn't won before (although his brother has) but it actually came second to Nigel's next bird but managed to cross the pad just in front of it, the bird that timed in second was a three year old cock bred from Mick Mallinson's good red cock crossed with Nigel's Blackpool hen (another treat from the misses) well done Nigel keep up the good work race controlling and hopefully he red card will come next week