Parkinson L.J.

Blackpool

I don’t know about anyone else, but I got a very positive feeling from most fanciers at the Blackpool show. Most fanciers were saying that they are looking forward to another seasons racing and when I asked how they thought they will get on during 2019 I had mixed comments. Most thought their pigeons were looking good but looking good and being fit for the races are two different things. However, as long as they are healthy at this time of the year the rest will come in due course. Whether they are right or not for racing all depends on when you are pairing the birds and also what system you are going to use for the shorter races. If you are going for the longer races then you will not be bothered in the early months of the year, and probably up to mid-April, will be looking at the long game. I have got back into going to the show after missing a couple of year. We had booked into the Hilton, but they changed hands being renamed the Grand and the reviews were that bad we went back to booking and staying at the Cliffs where we stayed for so many years, the only problem with the Cliffs is there is next to no parking for the number of rooms that they have. From what I can gather there will be even less using the Grand in future. The Cliffs has changed a lot since we were last there and the changes are very good, it makes all the difference if you have a good hotel, no matter where you may be going. We were that busy I didn’t get round to see all those I wanted to, I didn’t even get to dee the BHW team this year, my loss. I am not sure how the numbers in attendance faired but there were times when areas were full and then the crowds dispersed as if they had all gone home and then they would reappear. I am not the best of people who can remember names and faces, probably because I am in contact with so many week after week. The girls had obviously not seen a lot of the fanciers who we deal with because they only speak to them on the phone.  I heard them on several occasions saying, “I didn’t think he would look like that” I suppose it’s a case of your thoughts when you talk to someone on the phone so often and your expectations of them. The girls were excited about going and were making bags up to hand out to passers-by and they soon went, they did put a lot of work into the stand and people seemed to appreciate the effort made. This is thinking in advance, while they were still at the show, they were weighing up what they were going to do next time. I think the first thing to do is double the size of the stand; 2mtrs is far too small for the number of people concerned. I have to say when we used to get before the break the girls always looked forward to going but then for one reason or another, we stayed away for a few years, but we are well and truly back in the swing of things at the Blackpool Show. As is the case every year there were rumours that the show wouldn’t be there next year, I think a move like that would need to be know more than a year in advance. The Winter Gardens does not suit everyone, but it has become a part of pigeon racing and there is so much to do for the ladies in Blackpool. Yes, the place is a bit tired in places but there is still a lot going for the Winter Gardens, probably the talk is because some want a change after 41yrs, why is another matter. If you were looking for any other reasons to move, then you could say there are a lot of stairs in a hobby that has an awful lot of senior citizens who may find those steps a little tough at times. I am in that category but at the moment I am not struggling with stairs but no doubt my time will come.

Oscar Wilkinson

Young fancier and White Pigeons

I see young Oscar got is wish when dad Craig bought him a pair of white pigeons at the show, we will have to see how their offspring go on racing. I remember Kim not being much older going into her dad Dave’s loft and came out with an armful of egg’s, that was a year he wouldn’t have been sure what they were bred off.

Problems

I was asked about how much stick do I get over things that go wrong, and does it affect me when things go wrong. As I pointed out a great deal of the stick people get is, in a way, self-inflicted through not correcting things as soon as they go wrong which is what I try to do. What I didn’t know was there was a fancier within ear shot who we found out had been in the position of something going wrong. He politely took a step forward and said “You are spot on” I have to say I still do not know who he was, my apologies.

School loft

I was impressed when two chaps with two young boys who came to the stand and were telling us about how these youngsters had changed so much since the school had introduced a pigeon loft and pigeons. They were telling me about how the RPRA had helped them so credit where credit is due. I have asked for more information and hopefully that will arrive in due course.

A lot of years!

Just thinking to myself about how long the Blackpool Show had been going, I should know because the first contribution I made to the pigeon magazines was in the issue for the Blackpool Show in 1977. Over the years I have attempted to retire from writing, but I keep getting drawn back to hitting the keys for an article. How times have changed, in those days there were not the sales and the big editions for the Blackpool weekend as there are today. Nowadays there are fanciers who make a lot of money out of the Blackpool show through sales of pigeons. The sales have also been the downfall for some fanciers who have good teams of pigeons and take their winners and breeders to the show and their prices fall far short of the latest fashion in the pigeon world.

Photos

The Team on the Elimar Stand                   -          Nasar Ahmed & Son joining the North West Classic Club     

Young fanciers who have a good story about their school loft to come                       -                        L.J.P with Hamidi (Vet Schroeder) and Chris knowles

Looking in at the Vanrobaeys stand               -               LJP with Kelly from Walkers

I have a selection of photos this week that were mostly taken at the Blackpool show.

Les J Parkinson. 11 Rushton Drive,

 Middlewich, Cheshire, CW10 0NJ.

01606836036 Mobile 07871701585.

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web site www.elimarpigeons.com