The Joe Murphy Column
We will never forget our 51st Wedding Anniversary that’s for sure as Joe took a stroke and was in the Victoria hospital over the weekend as luck would have it they let him out on our anniversary so we had some time together with the family. He has been to Queen Margaret Hospital in Dunfermline and had scans and tests done with Occupational Therapists coming into the house to see him. He has improved in the past few days as he can move his right arm but is still having problems with his leg. So he is on 2 crutches to assist his mobility and the physiotherapists are optimistic he will soon get the feelings back in his right leg. We would like to thank all the people who have phoned or sent cards this is very much appreciated. Needless to say I am now his loft manager as well as a ‘scribe’??
Small World
Received a phone call from John Adair from Portavogie a fishing town in County Down, Northern Ireland: which lies within the Ards and North Down borough: John assists his good friends Harper & Young. John read my column where I mention Walter Mason of Fraserburgh who won the north section from the young bird national. This brought back some happy memories to John who was a fisherman and told me that away back in 1978 he dropped off his load of fish at the Isle of Man. Later that morning he was sitting on the harbour wall when a pigeon came walking towards him. He started to speak to it ‘come on, that’s a good boy’ and put down some crumbs from a sandwich. Just at this a voice said ‘You must be a pigeon man’ to which he replied he was. This was the same Walter Mason who was a fisherman from Fraserburgh. This was then the start of their long time friendship which continues to this day as they phone each other throughout the year. Walter was great friends with Tommy Johnstone who worked on the boat and one weekend when they were not fishing. Tommy took Walter to visit Drew Harpers father Ernest loft and on opening the door Walter looked in and said ‘That’s Abbie Bruce of Fraserburgh pigeon’. Ernest was flabbergasted and said the bird had come into him at 10 pm the night before. This was the day of the SNFC Rennes Gold Cup race and here was Abbie’s bird in Ireland. There were people from Cupar in Fife they knew who were going home that weekend and they took the bird with them and released it in Fife and it made it home to Abbie loft. He wrote to Ernest a note thanking him and added a 10 shilling note for his kindness. On return Walter told Abbie the story and it just goes to show the friendship that exists within our beloved sport. The story continues as the next night Walter phoned John to tell him that Tommy Johnstone died last week and he informed Walter that he had been speaking to me the previous night.
Quiz Night 9th November
Received an email from Tom McLeod who wrote ‘Hi Joe hope Margaret and you are well and enjoying life. I'm sure you will be kept busy when the grandchildren visit. Joe our club has arranged a quiz night to be held in Elphinstone in November we would be grateful if you could give it a mention in your notes. We held one last year and the tickets were all away before we had them printed. Getting the info out there may allow others the chance of a ticket. Our panel will be Geoff & Catherine Cooper along with A & S Thomson and John Bosworth. To be held in Elphinstone Miners Club on Friday 9th of November 7pm. Contact being myself for tickets at £10 which includes a buffet. Contact number Tom McLeod on 04728592919 or on Face book. I am happy we have a managed to put together such a distinguished panel; kind regards Tom’. I wrote and told Tom that I had taken ill and I could not get the information in until the weekend of the quiz, He replied saying ‘ How very sorry to hear you have had a stroke and can't begin to imagine how your feeling right now. I hope with treatment you will soon be on your feet again. I'm sure all your readers wish you well and a full recovery regards Tom
SNFC Silver Award Winner
I received an email from Gerald Macpherson of Broughty Ferry who had applied for the above award at the recent presentation; he informed me that the club secretary Mary had informed him the Silver Awards have already been completed for presentation at the dance this weekend (applications should be in by 1st September) However she could probably still have it done this year for you to collect from me but it obviously won't be included in dance programme - or it can be done for presentation at the dance next year - let me know your preference. Gerald also nominated his hen ‘Angel’ for the SHU Dewar Trophy
He wrote the following. ‘Hi Joe, My good hen 'Angel' has been confirmed as a Silver Award winner. I was too late in claiming for the Dance Presentation, but Mary Pryde has been more than helpful despite my late claim. Perhaps you could mention how grateful I am for how helpful she has been, as not a lot of people hear of these things? I have put her forward again for the 2018 Dewar Trophy, hoping to be runner up to Sinclair Thomson & sons great pigeon? I set her up to try and win it twice in a row by way of putting her to Liege instead of the longest race to try and get 3 National positions from her only 3 National races she was sent to. She did everything asked of her again, but I never thought a bird would win 4 times in the national in one season? I have started her story for your book on The Dewar Trophy Winners. If you give me a deadline, I will get it to you lol. I’ve also enclosed the email I sent to Mary asking her to forward my thoughts about SNFC Distance Racing on to the President and the Committee. Feel free to use anything positive from it.
‘Hi Mary, That is very good of you; I don’t want to put you to any trouble, so there is no hurry for it. I don’t know if I am going to the SHU show yet, I don’t expect to win the Dewar Trophy as Sinclair Thompson & son has a great pigeon that scored 4 times SNFC. A bit shorter distance, but a Champion all the same. ‘Angel’ could be runner up and I am entering her as after winning it last year, to be 2nd the following year is quite a feat, even although I don’t think there is a prize for being runner up ? I count my blessings to have this special pigeon and I must claim her accumulating prizes as long as she survives the annual pitfalls of our sport. To my dismay we no longer have any long distance races that I can enter her in. The programme we have is great for my yearlings, but I am seriously considering joining the NFC so that I can get some long distance races to enter. I fly further than 90% of the Scottish fancy and I really can’t understand why they are content flying at mainly 4 to 500 miles. I would fly my youngsters at these distances if it was in the programme. I think the Gold Cup should be a minimum of 500 miles into Scotland and the longest race should be a minimum of 600 miles into Scotland. I am 90 miles north of Gretna and would relish these two races and still send yearlings too. Furthermore, the longest race should be 4-5 weeks after the Gold Cup race so that we can send our pigeons to both races. The NFC has a suitable race for this longer distance 3rd or 4th week of July. I am sure they would take our birds so the SNFC would only have to ferry them down to Durham and could even have ONE marking station in central Scotland for this one race. Doing this would mean that the race would not lose any money and would give us the racing that the SNFC was originally inaugurated for. Perhaps you can relay my thoughts to the President and the committee as I am becoming very disillusioned with having no long distance racing anymore. Having kept pigeons since 1970 and my late Uncle John MacPherson still holds the long distance record for winning Nantes in 1959 when Scottish birds were the best long distance birds in the UK. Unfortunately these good bloodlines are dwindling because we don’t have a programme to test and build on now. Half the reasons of our bad races are that most of the birds entered are now Middle Distance bloodlines. I too have these which are needed for the programme the SNFC now in force and don’t worry when they are lost in any smash race as I know and accept their limits unlike most other lofts. I am not content keeping only Middle Distance pigeons and every year now see the SNFC becoming more inclined to incorporate this type of racing in the WHOLE programme. I don’t grudge those lofts that prefer this and also like it for my birds education and getting them fit for a real long distance race. All I am asking is for the SNFC to give us two long distance races AS WELL 4-5 weeks apart. I have always known this was the reason why the longest race was never fully supported. Fanciers had to choose either/or as the two races were only 1 week apart. First choice was always the Gold Cup, whereas 4 weeks later their birds were looking great with no race to enter as the season finished the week before. The Continentals have been doing it successfully for years. Firstly a 350-400 mile race to get them right. 3-4 weeks later Barcelona 650+ to Belgium; then 4 weeks later Perpignan 600 miles to Belgium. In Holland add 50-150 miles to this. The Dutch are not frightened of this they have been doing it for 50 years and now have the best long distance birds in the world. People say they have a different terrain which is rubbish. Their birds have to fly through the Alps and the Rhone Valley and then over Belgium for another 100+ miles. There are good bloodlines in Scotland, lets not lose them forever. This is not aimed at you Mary; you are doing a great job and are very approachable. Can you let the committee see my thoughts and possibly take things further? The ironic thing is that I like the hard races and can see me packing in because we aren’t getting this annual test, whereas most say they are packing in because they are losing their birds lol, The National was meant to be for Long Distance Racing! I apologise for taking up your time Mary; yours Gerald MacPherson number 3804’.
Please continue to keep the news flowing; to Joe Murphy Mystical Rose Cottage 2 Flutorum Avenue Thornton by Kirkcaldy KY1 4BD or phone 01592 770331 or Email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. REMEMBER THE J IN THE MIDDLE or you can also view online editions on: www.elimarpigeons.com www.fancierchat.co.uk www.pigeon-chat.co.uk - www.Pigeonbasics.com - Pigeon Racing the Basics! - thecanadianpigeoninternational.com www.internationalracingpigeon.com or
https://sites.google.com/site/internationalracingpigeon/
Who wish my weekly contribution portfolio on pigeon topics from Scotland
© Compiled by Joe Murphy