LES J. PARKINSON'S
NEWS-REPORTS-ARTICLES
Well another year without going to the Blackpool Show. I never thought that we would have missed one never mind two on the trot. So after a discussion with the boss and others we are going to get booked in and Elizabeth will be joining me for what will be another family weekend in Blackpool for the 2013 Show of the Year. I was asked if I had missed the show, not last year but I was thinking about it this year and that is the reason why we are looking to go again. As always for a few days after the show there are a lot of conversations about what was and what was not going on at the show. As always I hear that some sales went well while others struggled in fact I hear that NP had their best average year to date. The only problem is the majority want to get into the show first thing Saturday morning and the crush starts but then goes much quieter for the rest of the weekend that is what I am told also happened this year. Instead I was at home cleaning out each day and picking the egg shells off the floor after they had been thrown out of the nest boxes. The race team have been on the open hole and are still exercising well while they are hatching out a few from the stock loft down the side of the house. As always there are the odd nests that don’t work out as we want them to, nevertheless they are coming on well and with what is mostly milder weather they young in the nest are actually having an easy time of it during the first weeks of their lives. The droppings are like little marbles around the nest bowls so the young in the nests are healthy enough.
Early stage winner
K Jennings & K Parker are new starters to pigeon racing but I am told that it is all down to who is learning the game fast. I am also told that there are new lofts and new pigeons in place for this year so I wonder what difference this will make. In 2011 they won with the Young Birds 1st Swainswick £44.52, 2nd Swainswick £11.61, 6th Cheltenham winning the Young Bird Average, Novice Trophy and K O Trophy with £60.00 making a total of £116.13. Not only did they win the club young bird average they collected the Fed YB ave as well. The Crewe club has always been strong so it is not an easy area to win in. From time to time we get fanciers come into the sport and make their presence felt with some staying on to become top class fanciers while others win a few prizes and mov on because pigeons are taking up too much of their time. I don’t know the partnership but i am told that Mr Jennings is real keen and looking to improve on the good start that he has experienced. I wonder what will be his aim for the coming season.
Mr Jennings
Club/fed news
I have a few lines from John Lawson over at the Royal Wires after their recent AGM at the club’s H.Q Richmond’s Social Club, Latchford, Warrington. The clubs officials for the 2012 season are: President – J. Lawson. Chairman – J. Donaldson. Secretary – Alan Wadsworth. Clock setters – Alan Wadsworth & John Donaldson. Time and bird marking will be 7:00pm to 8:15pm. Land racing birdage will be £0.50 pence per bird; this will just cover basket charge. Prize money will be sorted out before racing starts in April and the racing will be with the Mid-Cheshire Federation this means that the club will race with the Federation and Cheshire Combine and Three Counties Combine for channel racing. The federation will start Channel racing on 26th May at Carentan and the following Saturday, 2nd June will all race with the Western Region from Carentan for the Queens Diamond Jubilee race, when the Western Region will put up £5,000 in prize money. The only cost to the membership is the cost of transport to the race point. The following Saturday, its Fougeres followed by Messac on Saturday 23rd June and the Niort race will be held on Saturday 7th July. The Royal Wires F.C. will race the full channel race programme with the Federation. That’s about it for this one. Not much going on at this time. These are the clubs winners for 2011 season with the Premier Prize Winners being Andy Noon & Geoff Callan winning £200 plus the following trophies, old bird points winners and r/u land & channel points. Bill Mather £127 plus the young bird points. John Lawson £107 and the channel, land & channel plus combined points and r/u in the old bird, and old & young bird points. Geoff Hanagan £75 to go with the old & young bird land points as well as being r/u in the young bird, channel and combined points. The breeder/buyer trophy went to John Donaldson £118 and R Worrall £119. Other club money winners were Don Risley £74, D Seed & Son £65, Tommy Davies £40, Andy Thompson £39 with John Hill, John Kirk and Alan Wadsworth also having a few quid.
New shed
The local clubs have now got planning permission for a new shed to be erected after a complaint about the portacabin that the club have been using for many years. This is a clear case of common sense not prevailing with a council who got it wrong and the clubs did not receive the support that they should have done from the people concerned. However Mike O’Hare put plenty of time into getting the plans passed and there are helpers ready and willing to get the new shed built. There was nothing whatsoever wrong with the existing accommodation and if it were not for bloody mindedness we would not have had the expenses and problems that have arisen over the last few years. Why people cannot leave others alone when they are doing nothing other than minding their won business. This is where our governing body should be able to jump in and take up such issues in the best interest of the sport,
Fugare Show
The international racing pigeon show was held for the first time in February 2011 in Kortrijk Xpo, Belgium. Almost 7000 visitors poured in from the Benelux and Northern France and far beyond to check out this new event. Buses from the UK, Spain and France could be seen in the car parks at Kortrijk Xpo. A first for Belgium, the home of pigeon racing! Pigeon fanciers who missed the event, missed a lot: a wealth of contacts were laid at Fugare and huge volumes of material were snapped up by young and old, from baskets and drinking bottles to pens and cages. The young pigeons offered for sale were also soon sold out, since this was the ideal time of year. The 2nd edition of this successful event is scheduled for 18 and 19 February 2012 in Kortrijk Xpo (B). Fugare 2012 will be showcasing again the whole range of products and solutions available for the racing pigeon sector, including pigeon feed and food supplements, breeding lofts and pens & accessories, racing pigeon software, electronic and other identification and timing systems, leg bands & chip rings, transport of pigeons, videos and photographs of pigeons, trophies, auctions, race organizers, pigeon fanciers’ magazines, pigeon fanciers’ associations, other products relevant to the pigeon racing sector, etc. But Fugare 2012 is more than just a product exhibition: young pigeons will also be on sale at special stands. Mid-February is an ideal time for this. At Fugare 2012 there will again be a whole range of fringe events: Filip and/or Nicolas Norman will be there to present their book “100 Years in the Pigeon Sport for the Norman family” A number of different forums will be organized with the participation of Belgian Champion Xavier Verstraete, André Moonens, the Desbucquois brothers and Kris Cleirbaut, and you can also attend a presentation by veterinary surgeon Dr. Vincent Schroeder. A number of awards will be presented at Fugare, including the Bricon Trophy, Derby Brod: the Croatian Adriatic Cup, pigeon judging by BCK-CBJS, a number of different prizes presented by Emiel Denys for one loft races such as FCI-Thailand, FCI-Hungary, Yunan Boao China, Shaandong Yong Sheng China and many others. There’s something for everyone! Moreover, the organisers are aiming to develop FUGARE as an international event. In addition to the international exhibitors, there will also be chat cafés and info sessions in French and English. Further information at www.fugare.be. If you wish to organise a coach/bus to Fugare,they are offering interesting conditions free parking for the coach/bus and one free entrance ticket every 10 paying colleagues. Interested? Send an e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. stating the name of the club or coach, together with a list of participants. The parking ticket for the bus/coach is free and free entrance ticket(s) can be picked up at the fair office on arrival.
Les J. Parkinson, Elimar, 11 Rushton Drive, Middlewich, Cheshire, CW10 ONJ. Tel/Fax; 01606 836036. Mobile 07871 701585 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. web-site www.elimarpigeons.com