“The Original” Around The Up North Combine

Blackpool Show Weekend

By Good Corn

Once again I booked our stay at The Rhyl Hotel for the Blackpool Show weekend, daughter Claire took my sister Shirley's place this year so her sons Hayden & Tyler were looking forward to the weekend away with their mam. We set off earlier than we normally do on the Friday morning and it was a very good drive with good weather for most of the way, we called in for a McDonalds a hour or so from Blackpool. James & Darren Waters, Andrew & Gavin Doe of Brotton were already having their snack as I made my way up to the counter to place my order, I also said a quick hello to Rob Reilly of Sunderland. It was not long before we were back on the road to Blackpool, we hit a bit of rain before we reached The Rhyl Hotel which we nearly always do, Graham sorted out the keys to our room before I parked the car up for the weekend, just as Linda & Michael Pugh of Leeds had just arrived. It was not long before we did a bit of shopping; I left Claire and the boys still looking around the shops while I nipped into the Winter Gardens for the R & A Evans, Gibbon & Smith of Sunderland fame sale. There was a very good crowd which included Golly & Sack Peirson, Evo Everington and Stuart While who always travel together, Dave Drinkhall, Andrew & Jackie Wynn, Andy Ward and his good lady. It was very busy on the stage with a big number of fanciers going through the birds and a lot more seated waiting for the queue to settle down a bit before they handled the birds that were due to go under the hammer. I stayed a while where there was some good money being made, I then caught back up with Claire, Hayden & Tyler before heading back to the Hotel.

Graham & Hazel of The Rhyl Hotel with Tyler

After our evening meal we had a chat with John & Joan Chaplin of Huddersfield and Simon Cole and his good lady Tracey of Coventry. John & Joan have being staying with Graham & Hazel Turner at The Rhyl Hotel in Reeds Avenue for a number of years now, they were there when we first stayed there 11 years ago. The couple have often made it a long weekend stay, arriving on the Thursday and going back to Huddersfield on the Monday. John & Joan like to go to the Fleetwood Market on the Saturday and go out to the Club on the night to see a show, John who gave up racing a couple of years ago calls into the Winter Gardens on the Sunday. John & Joan are a very nice couple and it's always good to spend some time with them, I always laugh at myself when I tell John it's photo time as I know he is going to say no, as he no longer races Pigeons. But I always get my way in the end, knowing fine well some of his mates are going to tell him his photo is in the British Homing World again. I have known Simon for a good few years now, his late father Brian was born in our area and later moved to Coventry. Brian and his late wife Jean would often come back to the area on holiday; it was on one of their visits that former club mate Bill Hewison told Brian to call at our loft. We took to Brian straight away and stayed friends with Brian calling into see us whenever he was in the area. Simon now calls up to see us when him and his partner Tracey are on holiday in Whitby, like his father before him it's always great to see Simon & Tracey. Claire decided to stay at the Hotel while I took Hayden & Tyler to the Amusements for a hour or so, it was while I was walking the boys back to the Hotel to Claire I saw Simon having a smoke outside the Club. He had kept me a seat in the concert room so after leaving Hayden & Tyler with Claire I spent the rest of the night with Simon and the Cider drinking Tracey.

After our Saturday morning breakfast Claire was going to take the boys for the day while I headed to the Show with my first port of call been The British Pigeon Fanciers Medical Research Trust, I have not been too well for over a year now with chest problems and my breathing was getting no better so I decided to call in for the testing. There was quite a few fanciers already there when I arrived, I filled in the forms and was seen by a number of their staff which included doing a couple of tests and giving bloods. I had not had the best of mornings with my breathing, I have had a number of x-rays, tests and scans over the past year with the results showing COPD caused by smoke, which is very hard to believe as I'm a non-smoker, never worked amongst smoke or been around people who smoke a lot. Although the Hospital said the scaring on my Lungs was not caused by Pigeons I thought it best to get tested just in case, I know something is not right and I'm hoping the Doctor of Staithes Surgery I have just signed up with can get to the root cause. After well over an hour with The British Pigeon Fanciers Medical Research Trust which was well worth the time I had a good look around the Show buying a few things I needed. I spent quite some time looking around the Show Pigeons and had a very interesting chat with a couple who live not far from Alan Spedding of Cumbria.

Hayden, John, Tracey, Simon & Tyler at The Rhyl Hotel

I received a text from Bernie Britton of Edinburgh asking where I was and it was not long before Bernie and his mate found me in the main hall, I have know Bernie a few years now, he has helped me out a few times by collecting some of our lost race birds that have ended up in Scotland. Bernie's wife Carole and daughter Darcy were spending a few hours shopping in Blackpool while Bernie was in the Show. I really enjoyed our chat which also included another Scottish fancier Eric Owen who I have also known for a few years. Once Bernie was on his way to meet Carole & Darcy, I had a final look around the Show before catching up with Claire, Hayden & Tyler who were laden down with shopping bags. It’s a good job we were only minutes away from the Hotel, I don't know if it was steam coming off Claire's feet for all the walking she had done or the steam coming out of her purse. One things for sure Claire was ready for a lie on the bed to rest up before going down for our evening meal.

Once dinner was over Simon, Tracey, her Son and his girlfriend were going out to a Club for the night, Claire & Tyler stayed at the Hotel while Hayden and me headed to the Metropole Hotel for the late Great Louis Cooreman sale, as we were making our way into the sale room I spotted Graham Jones of Guisborough the winner of 1st Up North Combine Young Bird Maidstone National in 2011 with “Frankie Boy” from a convoy of 15,874 birds when flying in the partnership of Jones & Gibson at Wheatley Hill. Then we were joined by Albert Woodroffe of Woodroffe Brothers, Sunderland the winners of 1st Up North Combine Old Bird Folkestone (1) National with “Apache” in 1983 out of an entry of 26,576 birds. The Brothers racked up their second Combine win in 1996 when they won 1st Up North Combine Young Bird Maidstone National with “Iris” when there was 17,379 birds way. A hat-trick of Combine Gold Medals was won from the French race Andrezel in 2009 when they won 1st Up North Combine with “Braveheart” when there was 3,849 birds competing. Albert, Fred & Dave are a very, very big name in the Up North Combine with all their success coming from all the hard work they have put into their birds for a great number of years. So it was no surprise when the lads recorded their fourth Combine win in 2013 when they won 1st Up North Combine Old Bird Eastbourne (1) National with “Meg” from a convoy of 16,894 birds. Albert, Fred & Dave enjoyed a brilliant 2018 racing season winning the Section 4 Old Bird Inland Average, Old Bird Combined Average, Old Hen Of The Season, Old Cock Of The Season, Young Bird Average, Young Bird Of The Season, Ace Pigeon and the Combined Average, need I say any more?

Close behind Albert was Peter Nee of South Bank, Peter was in the partnership of Brownlee, Nee Sons (Peter & Malcolm) & Andy Ward when they won 1st Up North Combine Lillers (2) in 1995 with “Hillcrest Eddie” from a convoy of 18,473 birds. Whenever you see Graham, Albert & Peter at the Blackpool Show weekend Colin Chapman of Seaham is never far away and after a quick chat with Albert we made our way into the sale and it was while walking through we saw Colin the previous winner of the Up North Combine Bird Of The Year and joint winner of the North Of England Bucktons Bird Of The Year in 2006 with “Doreen's Lad” when flying as Gippert, Henry & Chapman. Colin won his second Up North Combine Bird Of The Year a year later in 2007 with “Freddy's Boy”. Colin now flying as Chapman & Sons enjoyed an outstanding 2018 racing season been Runners-Up Inland Average in the North East Counties Federation, winners of the Channel Average, Runners-Up Old Bird Average, winners of the Young Bird Average and the Combined Average winners.

There was a good turnout for the Louis Cooreman sale, his outstanding family of Pigeons that have withstood the test of time are winning everywhere. We had purchased a number of direct Louis Cooremans over the years with great success, the birds we have had through Bob Fenech have also proved themselves time and time again. The Louis Cooreman Pigeons have helped us win numerous of races, Club and Federation averages and top Up North Combine positions. I had a handle of the birds I was doing to bid for, which were in fantastic condition with a few carrying a little bit of weight but that’s understandable, the main thing the condition and the breeding was right. I also handled a few extra birds as back up if I was unsuccessful with the birds that I was going to bid for, as I got Hayden a seat I noticed Keith Arkless of Loftus who is in partnership with his son Matthew flying as K & M Arkless, who are the previous winners of 1st Up North Combine Young Bird Maidstone National in 2010 with “Arko's Boy” from a convoy of 17,162 birds. Once the bidding got under way and the birds were making very good money I knew I was going to struggle to get the birds I was hoping to buy, I did purchase a yearling hen I had picked out and then managed to buy another yearling, so I did not do to badly. Once I paid for the birds and a quick good bye to Bob Fenech it was time for Hayden to spend a bit of time at the Amusements before dropping him off at the Hotel, so I could call for a couple of beers before turning in for the night.

I struggled with my breathing again on the Sunday morning, a lot worse than the previous morning with me not having any breakfast and not fancying the drive home. After a coffee and a chat I started to feel a bit better, once I felt well enough we said our good byes and set off for home.  I would like to thank Graham & Hazel for another very enjoyable weekend in the hope we can do it again in 2020.

With that I will close for another week, any news to

Good Corn 6 Boulby Drive

 Loftus Saltburn Cleveland

TS13 4JN.

 Tel: 01287 643624.