Enfield Continental Flying Club

I would like to start the write up by saying that I hope that you all had a good Christmas & New Year which being in Lockdown made it quite different to all others that we would have all had before and hopefully now that we are now in 2021 things will soon get back to normal and we will be able to see friends, family as well as businesses returning back to normal without not being sure if they would be open or not from week to week due to Coronavirus.

Getting back to racing, Down at the Cabbage Patch the last 4 races of the season arrived, the first of them was from Blandford and for this race 7 Members Sent 151 Birds which were liberated at 7:15 in a West Wind.

Taking top Spot was Steve Williams with a Blue Mark Gilbert x Vandenabeele x Supercrack Cock.  2^nd Spot was Doru Burlacu with a Blue Cock with the bloodlines being described as a Heinz 57. 3^rd Club went to Steve Sheffield with a Blue Busschaert Cock. 4^th Club was Steve Williams with a Mealy Sion x Bricoux Cock bred by Dave Anderson of Kent. 5^th Club was Steve Sheffield with a Blue Busschaert Hen who has now scored for the fifth time after taking the following positions so far 3^rd Club Blandford, 4^th Club Honiton, 5^th Club Blandford & 6^th Club Blandford.

Finally in 6^th place Steve Williams with a Blue Chequer Van Rijn x Heeres & Son Cock.

On the same weekend Club Member Nick Abebi took 35^th Open in the Kalimanici (Bulgaria) One Loft Race out of 1310 Birds entered in the final race from a Distance of 323 Miles with a Van Loon x Geerinckx x Koopman.

The following weekend we were back at Blandford once again and at the end of Marking 10 Members had sent 186 Birds which were liberated at 8:30 in a West South West Wind. Taking the 1^st Three places is Steve Williams with a Blue Van Den Bulck Cock, a Blue Chequer Van Rijn x Heeres Cock & a Blue Chequer Mark Gilbert x Supercrack x  Vandenabeele x Van Rijn Cock. 4^th Club was Steve Sheffield with a Blue Busschaert Cock. 5^th Club was Billy Watkins with a Red Chequer Dave Impett x Brian Long Hen. Finally in 6^th spot is Nick Abebei with a Red Chequer Cock.

The following week was the last 2 races of the season, with the First being the UBI Combine race from Carentan which nobody entered due to the weather forecast predicted. The other was once again from Blandford, and at the end of marking 6 Members had sent 108 Birds. Taking the top 2 Spots is Steve Sheffield with 2 Dark Chequer Busschaert Cocks. 3^rd & 4^th Club was Billy Watkins with a Blue Pied Hen bred by John Weldon of Guisborough, a Blue Pied Hen bred by Torry of Denham.
5^th Club was Steve Sheffield with a Blue Busschaert Cock. Finally in 6^th Place is Billy Watkins with a Chequer Pied Hen bred by Johnny Chipperfield of Hearne Bay.  Bill’s 3 pigeons were all gifted to him as he had a Fox get into the loft earlier in the season and killed nearly all of his young bird team and he would like to thank all of the fanciers who gifted him young birds so that he was able to race as well as others who gifted him Late Breds.

When the season was over Steve Sheffield announced that he was going to Step Down as the Club’s Secretary as well as packing up keeping pigeons due to moving home in the near future. Steve has been in the Enfield Continental Club Since 1975 and he will be missed by the members who now will have to find a new Secretary and until the AGM Steve Holloway has taken over, and hopefully he will continue to do so into the future.

2020 was a year to forget with the Club, as we lost 3 members Dave Dowling, Jim Courtney & Keith Wint who sadly passed away and hopefully 2021 will be a brighter and better year for all fanciers with racing returning to normal with the Old Birds starting in April.

Until Next Time,

Take Care

Jamie T…