Peter (Pee-Wee) Jones joins the big time

For the second race of the season the AMAL found its way to Cheltenham a liberation point that has come into use by local federations over the last two years and I’m yet to hear any serious feedback whether positive or negative. Cheltenham is more known for its national hunt horse racing festival which takes place in March annually, the course (which is the liberation point) lay approximately 111 mile south of Birkenhead in the North Wirral area down to approximately 102 mile in to Ellesmere Port. So a similar trip as the Monmouth race point but moved over slightly east. I say slightly it is 25 mile to the east.

 

Well known image of Cheltenham racecourse (Prestbury Park) taken from Cleeve Hill approximately one and half miles to the north east of the course.

 

For those not in the know Cheltenham is also famous for hosting the headquarters of GCHQ. The Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) is an intelligence and security organisation responsible for providing signals intelligence (SIGINT) and information assurance to the government and armed forces of the United Kingdom.[3] Based in "The Doughnut" in the suburbs of Cheltenham, GCHQ is the responsibility of the country's Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, but it is not a part of the Foreign Office and its director ranks as a Permanent Secretary.

 

GCHQ was originally established after the First World War as the Government Code and Cypher School (GC&CS) and was known under that name until 1946. During the Second World War it was located at Bletchley Park, where it was famed for its role in the breaking of the German Enigma codes. Currently there are two main components of the GCHQ, the Composite Signals Organisation (CSO), which is responsible for gathering information, and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), which is responsible for securing the UK's own communications. The Joint Technical Language Service (JTLS) is a small department and cross-government resource responsible for mainly technical language support and translation and interpreting services across government departments. It is co-located with GCHQ for administrative purposes.

 

“The Doughnut” the Government Communication Head Quarters (GCHQ)

 

21st April 2018 arrived and the birds were at Cheltenham. With a decent day ahead and a report of no wind the birds were released at 9 am. The 123 fanciers competing with their 2932 pigeons would be contemplating the early times and where the early birds would be timed today. Fanciers are brilliant at judging times and speeds and this would be a day of misjudgement, with a report of no wind meant predictions could be out and if you miss this judgement you can find yourself walking up the garden path with clock in hand and pigeons arriving around you? Panic is one term to use.

 

Early reports would indicate that there was in fact a slight wind and it was southerly, birds were exceeding the fifty miles an hour estimated by some with the leaders clocking up 57 miles per hour into the North Wirral. As the dust was settling and results started to appear on social media it was becoming apparent that same as last week the speed was at the top of the Wirral.

 

The North Wirral Federation was to again dominate the AMAL result taking the first ten positions and taking nineteen of the top thirty positions in the AMAL. Leading the convoy this week is none other than Birkenhead’s Peter (Pee Wee) Jones. Affectionately known as Pee Wee, Peter broke his novice status last season in some style by winning from the channel which really does take some doing in such a competitive club as the Birkenhead HS.

 

Peter’s AMAL winner was bred from a cock given to him from local club ace Gary Atherton from his Gert Halen x Karel Laenen blood lines. The dam of the AMAL winner is from Robbie Lang and his Lambrecht x Van Loon bloodlines. (Information has been courtesy of Jason Roberts)

 

This is a personal pleasure for me having first met Pee Wee three years ago on my first venture into enemy territory during the winter show season to the Bidston Castle on a dreary Sunday just before Christmas 2015 to be made and feel so welcome at this hot bed of pigeon racing was absolutely brilliant with one of the protagonists who stayed out all day was Peter (Pee Wee) Jones.  Congratulations Pee Wee from all your friends on the Wirral and beyond.

 

 

Peter (Pee Wee) Jones with his AMAL winner (Photo courtesy of Jason Roberts)

 

 

Peter Jones Blue Cock winner of first Birkenhead HS Club, First North Wirral Federation and First  West Cheshire & North Wirral Amalgamation. (Photo courtesy of Jason Roberts)

Not just satisfied with the top of the AMAL Peter Jones would also put another two pigeons into the top ten of the result by taking eighth and ninth positions. Taking second Birkenhead HS, second North Wirral Federation and second AMAL and only beaten by 0.11 ypm is the partnership of T Walton & Sons. Third and fourth Birkenhead HS, third and fourth North Wirral federation and third and fourth Amal is the husband and wife partnership of Roy and Jean (R & J ) Parkinson.

 

Roy Parkinson (R & J Parkinson) third and fourth club, third and fourth fed and third and fourth Amal. (Photo courtesy of Jason Roberts).

Vying for contention again this week is last week’s West Cheshire Federation winner Robbie Thomas (Jones and Thomas). Having last week put four pigeons (the maximum allowed) into the top thirty of both federations and four in the top thirty of the AMAL Robbie this week wins first and third Prenton HS, fifth, fourteenth, eighteenth and nineteenth North Wirral Federation, Second Willaston HS, Sixth, seventh, eleventh, and twelfth West Cheshire Federation. Fifth, sixteenth, nineteenth, twenty fourth, twenty eighth, twenty ninth and thirtieth Amalgamation.  An un-president seven pigeons in the top thirty of the AMAL an excellent performance from a loft and fancier who resides at the top of our sport.

Robbie Thomas (Jones and Thomas) putting an unprecedented seven pigeons into the top thirty of the Amalgamation

 

In sixth and twenty first AMAL is the loft of the “DUKE” himself Derek and Lainy (Mr and Mrs) Hurst. The partnership although not featuring in the frame of the mighty Birkenhead HS still manages to take sixth, fifteenth, twenty first and twenty third North Wirral Federation. Another special mention for this partnership because in 2017 they won the West Section middle distance ace pigeon award in the Midland national Flying Club. An achievement that Derek I know will be exceptionally proud of. Congratulations Derek we will have a celebratory drink in December at the Bidston Hotel.

 

Derek Hurst (Mr and Mrs) Hurst Birkenhead HS.

 

 

Featuring in last week’s notable performances were the partnership of Paul Foran and Keith Moss flying in Prenton HS featuring in the top twenty of the AMAL sending ten pigeons. This week the partnership sent nine pigeons to record a brilliant second Prenton HS seventh AMAL, and seventh North Wirral Federation.

Still in the North Wirral federation at Bebington HS the club winner is P Charles (who sent 14) who takes first club, tenth federation and tenth AMAL. Over to the West Cheshire Federation winner this week is Steve Williams. Steve (who only races hens) takes first second third and fourth Rock Station HS, first second third and fourth West Cheshire Federation and Eleventh, twelfth, thirteenth seventeenth AMAL. Another footer note to these performances was that Steve’s all UK RPRA award winning hen Stanhope Blue Gem was his third pigeon to time in taking third club, third fed and thirteenth AMAL Class pigeon.

Steve Williams (Mr Prodigious), winner of the West Cheshire Federation

 

Back to the North Wirral Federation where Bob Tudor (Former West Cheshire Federation Champion) takes second club Bebington, eleventh North Wirral federation and fourteenth AMAL.

 

Bob Tudor second club Bebington, eleventh North Wirral federation and fourteenth AMAL

 

Over at the Birkenhead HS, Vinnie Levy is next taking twelfth North Wirral Federation and fifteenth AMAL.  Next we go to the Bidston allotments to the partnership of Mo Ward and Mick Cullen who take First and third Wallasey HS, First Willaston HS, fifth, thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth West Cheshire Federation and to cap a great weekend eighteenth AMAL.

 

Last week’s AMAL winners Roy and Robbie Sandland knew how to pick their pigeons this week timing three pigeons in four seconds to record a pigeon in both clubs and thus both feds. The first pigeon taking, 3rd Bebington HS, sixteenth North Wirral Federation and twenty second AMAL. The next two pigeons from the trio were both from the West Cheshire federation taking third Willaston HS, seventh and ninth West Cheshire federation culminating in twenty second, twenty third and twenty fifth AMAL.

 

Closing the AMAL top thirty results for the second week is Hooton HS hard working secretary Dave Cottrell (W H Cottrell & Son) who takes the clean sweep of first, second and third Hooton HS, with his first pigeon taking tenth West Cheshire Federation and twenty sixth AMAL. Closing the top thirty we have Paul Stewart, Paul seventeenth North Wirral Federation and twenty seventh AMAL.

 

With the North Wirral Federation dominating the first two weeks they lead the two nil in bragging rights and with only twenty six yards a minute separating the top thirty in the AMAL competition is most healthy and we can look forward i=to the North West Combine racing in a few weeks.

 

Around the federations: The north Wirral Federation saw the send increase to fifty three members competing with twelve hundred and sixty three pigeons with the first nineteen pigeons in the federation featuring in the AMAL result which we have already covered. The result sheet from twentieth position to thirtieth position reads of names that will normally feature regularly at the top of the sheet and include Gary “The Curve” Dodd in twentieth position, Eddie Casey and Terry Rainbow (Casey and Rainbow) in twenty second position.

 

Alan Brown and Sons taking twenty fourth and twenty fifth federation just ahead of Gary Atherton and son James who take twenty seventh fed who in turn just pips “Swede” ex North Wirral conveyer Terry Anderton and son in twenty eighth place. Closing the North Wirral result in twenty ninth is Terry Rix and last but by no means least we have John Heggarty in thirtieth position.

 

The West Cheshire although dominated again this week by the north Wirral the conditions have definitely appeared to favour those further up the Wirral however the West Cheshire has still managed to get eleven pigeons into the top thirty via only via fanciers. The next in the federation that have not had a mention is the lofty of Stevenson Brothers Willaston who take sixteenth quickly followed the Rock Station Secretary John Wheadon in seventeenth. John also takes nineteenth and twenty eighth. Splitting John’s pigeons is J Johnston Willaston HS taking nineteenth place.

 

No need for introductions with the next loft of Bateman Brothers and Son who again put four in the top thirty of the fed taking twentieth, twenty first , twenty fifth and twenty sixth federation. James Farnworth Rock Station puts two in to take twenty second and twenty seventh federation while Tommy Hayes Willaston HS takes twenty third. Mr and Mrs A Morton Willaston HS is in twenty fourth with G Rogers Rock Station HS in twenty ninth. Closing the West Cheshire result is Mr and Mrs A (Archie and Sue) Price Victoria HS in thirtieth position.

 

Notable Performances: Peter (Pee Wee) Jones (Birkenhead HS) not only, winning the AMAL but putting three pigeons into the top ten of the AMAL and Federation result. Another great performance this week is Robbie Thomas (Jones and Thomas). Last week Robbie put four birds (which is the allowance) into the top thirty of both federations with four of those eight featuring in the AMAL result. This week he excels again by putting four into the top twenty of the North Wirral federation and four into the top twelve of the West Cheshire Federation. What is more extraordinary this week is that he has managed to put seven of his eight pigeons into the top thirty of the AMAL result, brilliant absolutely brilliant flying.

 

Steve Williams once again has put four pigeons into the top thirty of the AMAL and West Cheshire federation result for the second week running. Roy and Jean Parkinson put three into the top thirty of the AMAL result along with Roy and Robbie Sandland who have put in another good solid performance taking three positions in the top thirty of the AMAL. Paul Foran and Keith Moss Prenton HS featuring in the top ten of the AMAL this week sending nine pigeons timing a yearling this week after a two year old last week.

 

 

Around the clubs: Birkenhead HS lead the way this week taking sixteen of the top thirty positions with eighteen members sending four hundred and forty five pigeons the first three in the AMAL the FED and the Birkenhead HS cleaned up First P M Jones, second T Walton and Son and third R & J Parkinson. Prenton HS were the closest to Birkenhead they managed nine into the Federation result and five into the AMAL result courtesy of Jones and Thomas and Paul Foran and Keith Moss.

 

Bebington HS were the next best with P Charles winning the club (I’ve no photo for P Charles if someone could send me one I would be very grateful). The “Beb” put three into the fed and AMAL courtesy of P Charles Bob Tudor and Roy and Robbie Sandland. The Wallasey HS didn’t figure this week on the federation top thirty but still had a couple of unique performances especially as Mo Ward and Micky Cullen (Ward and Cullen) wins the and takes third place (being split in second by J Barchha). They also win the Willaston HS in the West Cheshire Fed and put an eye catching four pigeons into the top fifteen of the federation result.

 

Mo Ward (Left) and Mickey Cullen (Ward & Cullen) winners of First Wallasey HS and First Willaston HS and four pigeons in the top fifteen of the West Cheshire federation

 

The honours over at the Rock Station are not shared this week and a clean sweep by Steve Williams takes the first three prizes but to be honest as it’s not really reflective of the race as the Rock station took fourteen of the first thirty positions in the federation with John Wheadon taking three positions and Eddie Bateman Brothers and Son taking four federation positions and James Farnworth taking two.

 

Over at Hooton HS only one pigeon (the winner) featured on the fed result which again is reflective of where the pace was throughout the race. The Hooton winner Dave Cottrell (W H Cottrell & Son) takes the plaudits for managing to get one to get on the fed result when there was no company to be had around him and took the first three positions.

 

Dave Cottrell (W H Cottrell & Son) winner of first second and third Hooton HS

 

The Victoria HS saw a send of nine competing with two hundred and eighteen pigeons. And increase of four members on the first races as five sent one hundred and ten pigeons, however with the same results. Previous Federation Champions MR and Mrs A (Archie and Sue) Price were to win and take second in the first race of the season with Carl Curran taking third. The couple would also take the pools with their third pigeon in fifth place. Alby Davies and sons took fourth with Alan Coombes and Freddie Davies in sixth and seventh positions.

 

This week’s race however would be a tougher test with most sending and the birdage doubled. However it was much of the same with Sue and Archie Price doubling up again to win first and second club by thirty six yards per minute. Third place went to Alby Davies and Sons with Arthur Wilde and Wes Ellis in fourth and fifth. Joe Ellis takes sixth with Archie and Sue Prices pooler taking seventh.  Carl Curran and Alan Coombes in eighth and ninth and Freddie Davies and Kenny Johnson would close the result in tenth and eleventh position.

 

Archie’s first race winning pigeons (both the first and the second) are both Leo Hereman’s pigeons and are half-brothers. The dam of them is from ponderosa and the sire's are from premier stud. This week’s winners are both Leo Hereman’s but 2 different cocks, the 664 cock, his sire and dam have both won for Archie and Sue. The second cock was my best yearling last year, he was my first or second bird every week and he is bred from Archie’s number one stock hen another pigeon from premier stud. She is bred from skifflintie and gold rush.

 

Archie Price (Mr & Mrs A Price) Winner of the first Races in the Victoria HS with his winning pigeon from Hereford.

 

The Chester HS would no doubt struggle to keep up in the federation this week being the shortest fliers. Last week saw a clean sweep by Andy Mayers taking the first three but this week looks a bit more competitive with two more members sending and the birdage increasing from one hundred and twenty three to one hundred and sixty three.

 

This week’s winner is as last week with Andy Mayers showing the way once again, taking both first and second Chester HS with Evans & Wright taking third place.

 

Andrew Mayers “Shaley cock” bred from Leo Heremans lines by club mate Ronnie Dodd and winner of Chester HS Hereford.

 

Andrew Mayers “Blue bar cock” from Cees schroevers lines and winner of the Chester HS Cheltenham Race and bred by Chester Cub mate the late Mike Dunne.

 

Andrew Mayers outside his loft having won two from two in the Chester HS .

 

Congratulations to all who made the results. 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.

 

 

Another person I was fortunate to meet at the Birkenhead shows during the winter is Jason Roberts, a shy unassuming character who excels when showing his pigeons. Jason has picked up the mantle locally in Birkenhead and has recently started supplying his own reports to the fancy press and has also kindly allowed me to share the information he has gathered to share with you. Mainly featuring the Birkenhead Homing Society Jason will be concentrating locally on his club so please look out for his articles and help in way that you can to assist Jason put you on the map.

 

Jason Roberts (Birkenhead HS Scribe).

 

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.