The start of the 2018 season is upon us and before we know it the weather will be clearer, warmer and dryer or not as has been the case all the way into April. When everyone had been pessimistic about the start of the season the first race on 7th April was initially put back a day to a Sunday race and then to being postponed all together. The Wrexham Federation had moved from the 14th to 21st some weeks previously taking into account the lack of training due to the weather.

 

Training was the word of the week building up to the 14th the weather had basically allowed for one training toss (but that was only my own opinion) but there were obviously other opportunities to train as there were people driving up and down the A483 to Bangor on Dee (known as the gate) along with others being spotted at the Chester interchange of the A5.

 

14th April 2018 arrived and the birds were at Hereford. With the sunrise being held up with mist it was quite surprising to get the txt stating the birds were away in to a south east wind at 7.45. How ever there was no real need to worry. Who would have the race controller’s job?  This season we have a new conveyer in Bernie Davies (Milne & Davies, Birkenhead HS) good luck Bernie.

 

With the birds liberated into a south west wind a quick race was anticipated with those at the top of the Wirral 4/6 favourites to take the spoils. What was anticipated to be a mile a minute race proved slightly slower with the leading bird’s reaching speeds of 58 mph. The leading lights were mostly in the North Wirral federation whom this week, take the spoils with Roy and Robbie Sandland taking top spot after myself making a statement recently that they had a bit of a lean season last season they are back where they belong on top of the AMAL  congratulations Roy and Robbie.

 

Amal and NW Fed Winners Father and Son partnership R & R Sandland (L to R) Roy and dad Robbie.

 

Roy and Robbie’s AMAL winner is a yearling cock that in last race of the young bird season was 6th club beaten by three loft mates when the partnership topped north Wirral fed and were first and second in the Bebington breeder buyer race. He is bred from that was bred for stock from J C & I Millwards (Buckley) Laffrey Dhaenan number one cock when paired to Roy’s best ever daughter of his Andre Dierick cock. She has been an absolute star in the stock loft and is the dam or grand dam of over 10 first fed winners. This winner now takes first Bebington HS, First North Wirral Federation and First Amal.

 

The partnerships next bird would also take third club fifteenth fed and twenty second Amal. In second spot is John “heggo” Heggarty, John also takes second fed and first club Prenton HS. In third we have Roy and Jean Parkinson who also have a winner in first club Birkenhead HS and third federation. Gary “Addo” Atherton and son nips into fourth spot, second Birkenhead club and fourth federation. Robbie Thomas (Jones and Thomas takes fifth, sixth, twenty fourth and twenty eighth Amal. Robbie also takes second Prenton HS and fifth north Wirral federation. Robbie also sneaks into the picture with the first pigeon into the West Cheshire Federation taking first fed. This is the only West Cheshire Fed pigeon to feature in the top ten of the AMAL.

 

J and K Stenhouse (James and Kenny Stenhouse) Kenny races today on his own but has kept the partnership name of J and K in loving memory of his dad James. Kenny took 3rd Prenton HS, 6th NW Fed and 7th AMAL. Bateman Bros and son occupy the next two positions taking 7th and 8th NW fed, 8th and 9th AMAL. Closing the AMAL top ten is T Rix taking 9th NW Fed and 10th AMAL.

 

John Heggarty First Club (Prenton HS), Second Fed, Second AMAL

 

Gary “Addo” Atherton (G Atherton and Son Birkenhead) 2nd Club 4th NW Fed 4th AMAL.

Robbie Thomas (Jones and Thomas) 1st Club (Willaston HS) 1st West Cheshire Federation 6th AMAL. Also with a different pigeon 2nd club, 5th NW Fed, 5th Amal.

 

  

Kenny Stenhouse (James and Kenny Stenhouse)

 

 

Eddie Bateman (Bateman Brothers & son) 7th and 8th NW Fed 8th and 9th AMAL

 

Around the federations: The north Wirral Federation saw a send of 45/960 and accounting for 21 of the top 30 in the AMAL result. Roy & Robbie Sandland (Babington HS) show in front this week, and also take fifteenth position; the partnership also takes first and third club.  John Heggarty takes first club Prenton HS and takes second federation. Roy & Jean Parkinson win the Birkenhead HS they are third federation and also sixteenth federation with their second pigeon. Gary Atherton & Son take second Birkenhead HS fourth and twentieth federation.  Jones & Thomas knock in a couple of quick pigeons taking second club Prenton HS and then fifth, seventeenth, nineteenth and thirtieth federation. J & K Stenhouse take third club Prenton HS sixth and twenty third federation.  Eddie Bateman Bros & Son take their turn to double up taking seventh and eighth federation. Terry Rix takes two positions in ninth and twenty ninth positions.  Paul Foran & Keith Moss closed the top ten in tenth with Tommy Hayes taking second club Bebington HS and eleventh federation.  Gary Dodd Birkenhead HS is takes third club twelfth fed. Alan Brown and Sons take fourteenth and twenty fourth fed. R Scarisbrick & Sons appear next in eighteenth with Eddie Wood and Son Birkenhead taking twenty first fed. Tony Anderton and Son Birkenhead HS (ex North Wirral Conveyer) take twenty second while Mick Devaney Bebington HS takes twenty sixth. In twenty seventh fed we have Mo Ward and Mickey Cullen who also take first and third Wallasey HS. Jimmy Jones Prenton HS closes the result in twenty eighth place.

 

The West Cheshire although dominated by the north Wirral during the race this week it dominated the send with 80 members sending 1875 a great turn out for the first foray of the season. First Willaston HS and first federation we have Jones and Thomas, Robbie also took thirteenth and twenty seventh fed. In a close second fed and first Hooton HS are Dodd and Sampson, 4th and 5th are Mr and Mrs Sue and Archie Price who also takes first and second Victoria HS. Jones Lamb and daughter take fifth, and twenty eighth fed the partnership also take second Hooton HS with Tommy Hayes taking second Willaston HS, sixth and twenty first fed. Steve Williams Rock Station takes first club and seventh fed. Steve also takes eleventh, twelfth and twenty second fed. James Farnsworth takes second Rock Station HS eighth fed. With Mo Ward and Mickey Cullen taking third club Willaston HS and ninth fed.  John Wheadon takes tenth fed and third club Rock Station HS. Roy and Robbie Sandland (Willaston HS) round off a great weekend taking fourteenth, fifteenth, sixteenth and twenty ninth fed. J Johnson (Willaston HS) takes seventeenth while Geoff Jones (Hooton HS) takes eighteenth place. A McNicholas (Rock Station HS) are in nineteenth and the evanescent Carl Curran is in twentieth place. Stephenson Brothers (Willaston HS) take twenty-first position just pippin Alby Davies and Sons (Victoria HS) in twenty fourth. The top thirty concludes with Eddie Bateman Brothers and Son taking twenty fifth, twenty sixth and thirtieth. Congratulations to all who made the result

 

Around the clubs:

Club	Send	First	Second	Third
Bebington HS	12/186	Jones & Thomas	T Hayes	Ward & Cullen
Birkenhead HS	16/338	R & J Parkinson	G Atherton & Son	G Dodd
Prenton	12/332	J Heggarty	Jones & Thomas	J & K Stenhouse
Wallasey HS	5/104	Ward & Cullen	D Roden	Ward & Cullen
Willaston HS	8/237	Jones & Thomas	T Hayes	Ward & Cullen
Hooton HS	8/179	Dodd & Sampson	Jones Lamb ad Daughter	G O Jones
Victoria HS	5/110	Mr & Mrs A Price	Mr & Mrs A Price	C Curran
Rock Station HS	8/266	S Williams	J Farnwoth	J Wheadon
Chester HS	6/123	A Mayers	A Mayers	A Mayers

 

 

North Wirral Fed 1 West Cheshire Fed Nil

Notable Performances AMAL:

Robbie Thomas (Jones & Thomas) putting four pigeons into the top 30 of the AMAL.

Paul Foran and Keith Moss Prenton HS featuring in the top twenty of the AMAL sending ten pigeons.

 

Notable performances North Wirral Fed

Robbie Thomas (Jones & Thomas) putting four pigeons into the top 30 of the federation. Keith Moss Prenton HS featuring in the top ten of the fed sending ten pigeons. Eddie Wood and son Birkenhead featuring ion the top 30 of the fed sending seven pigeons and Mick Devaney featuring in the top 30 of the federation result sending eight pigeons.

 

Notable performances West Cheshire Fed

Robbie Thomas (Jones & Thomas) putting four pigeons into the top 30 of the federation. Steve Williams Rock Station putting four pigeons into the top thirty of the federation. Roy and Robbie Sandland putting four pigeons into the top 30 of the federation. Bateman Bros and Son putting three pigeons into the top thirty of the federation.

 

Congratulations to all who made the result. Please send any details of your winners or any photos etc. to me at the information below. You all try to do well please help me to get you the and your birds the kudos you and they deserve.

 

Please send me any information about your winners and any photos to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. you can also call or text me information and photos on 07734388565.