LONDON NORTH ROAD COMBINE
Report by Grasshopper
Berwick OB 2014
Berwick-upon-Tweed, a town in the county of Northumberland, is the northernmost town in England, situated along the east cost at the mouth of the River Tweed. Its name is derived from old English origins, meaning “Barley Village” and incidentally it has been a classic race point for many pigeon racing organisations for many years.
The London North Road Combine kickstarted their racing schedule this year from this iconic race point on Saturday 31st May as the birds were liberated at 7am in a light West, North, Westerly wind. From the buzz of activity on Thursday basketing night, many were suggesting the convoy just short of 2,000 pigeons would achieve excellent speeds. Unfortunately the story that unravelled was a much slower affair then many predicted with the leading pigeons clocking a speed just over 43mph. The energy and excitement that was present on Thursday had lowered by clock opening as many fanciers reported empty perches, but as with races like these, there were also many fanciers reporting excellent returns.
Here is the Convoyer's race report:
“I left the Cheshunt marking station at 12.30am and I stopped at Peterborough by 2am for one hour. I arrived at Berwick by 9.30am, where I watered birds on arrival. The birds were fed and watered again at 3pm. The transporter was then shut at 9.30pm. Saturday morning, I opened up the transporter at 5am, to which I topped up drinkers. The weather was very good at liberation site. I phoned Mr Chalkley at 6.30am. The Essex and Kent Combine had liberated at 6am. Mr Chalkley phoned with the weather report and was told there was a lot of cloud around the Ripon and Doncaster area but clearing. We decided to liberate birds at 7am, all birds cleared well. Weather en route for the first 110 miles was sunshine, blue skies and broken cloud. Got to Ripon, full cloud cover and slight ground haze. When I reached the Doncaster, Retford area the weather got a little worse, still full cloud cover, heavy mist, visibility not very good - this lasted 10 to 15 miles. The weather started to clear around Stamford. From Peterborough to home weather was good.” - Ron Garrod.
At the lib site
What was refreshing to come out of the race was that the 3 leading birds represented 3 different federations. The well deserved winner coming out of the east of the convoy, recording a velocity of 1269, to the now 2 times London North Road Combine winners L J Stock & Son of Harold Wood. Les started in the sport like many fanciers by following his father’s interest, and they flew together for many years in the Dagenham area. He has lived and raced out of his current address in Harold Wood for roughly 28 years. In 1998, Les purchased 8 pigeons off the legendary Geoff Kirkland and these have formed the basis of his family today. The Berwick combine winner is a fantastic apple bodied 3 year old Blue Pied cock named 'Flashman'. He is a direct grandson of Les' London North Road Combine Dunbar winner, and is from the line of Les' original purchases from Geoff Kirkland. The winning pigeon has won minor prize cards before, but he also has never let Les down. He is always very consistent being one of the first birds to arrive to the loft each race. He is raced on the basic widowhood system however Les no longer shows the hens before the race and now sends the birds only seeing the bowl. He believes it makes the birds calmer and they rest better in the basket, whereas in previous years showing the hens, the cocks would be fighting on the way to the marking station. The winner was prepared pre-season with regular training flights before the first race up to roughly 30 miles, and then only loft exercise morning and night for one hour. The birds are fed twice a day, receiving half an ounce of Gerry Plus IC from Versele Laga of a morning, and of an evening they receive Versele Laga Widowhood mixture, with a small percentage of barley, to which they are fed to appetite a little at a time, until the birds show no interest in the barley. The birds receive clean water every day apart from the use of a multivitamin supplement on a Tuesday. The winning cock will continue to race and is earmarked to be sent to the next London North Road Combine race Stonehaven. Les currently has a small team of natural pigeons that he is playing with on the south road, and in the future he is contemplating training his young birds on both routes, to school them and also to allow him the option of sending both ways north and south road.
Les Stock
2nd open London North Road Combine Berwick fell to the partnership of A. Gadsdon & Son of Beckton, yet again a previous London North Road Combine winning partnership. Alfie started in the sport as a young boy because of the popularity of the sport, and nearly every house at the time raced or kept pigeons in the Custom House area, and his first lofts were made from old tea chests. Son Ryan’s interest in the sport started like many father/son partnerships, and his interest was kindled by being brought up alongside the pigeons. The family have been unfortunate the last 4 seasons at this particular race point or the equivalent Dunbar, as they have recorded now 2nd, 5th, 7th and 12th Open.
The 2 year old long cast Dark Chequer widowhoodcock now named 'Nearly Frank' has taken a number of top 20 prize cards in the federation in his short career, as he had been nursed along being a late bred in 2012. The sire of 'Nearly Frank' was purchased from former club mate Billy Lynch from original Willy Thas lines, and has bred previous club and federation winners. The dam of 'Nearly Frank' was purchased as a late bred by Ryan's partner Amy for his 18th birthday from the legend and good friend of Ryan's, Frank Tasker, who 'Nearly Frank' is named after. The dam is the number 1 hen at the lofts and has bred a host of good club, federation and combine pigeons. She is dam and grandam to many club and federation winners but it’s in the combines they feel this hen’s children perform at their best with results such as 2nd London North Road Combine Berwick, 5th Open London North Berwick, 8th Open London North Road Combine Whitton Castle, 9th Open London North Road Combine Aycliffe, 16th Open London North Road Combine Aycliffe. 'Nearly Frank' is raced on total widowhood, where both sexes go to each race. The partnership’s cocks are exercised only once a day for a period of two hours, however the doors are opened after 45 minutes. The hens on the other hand are trained regular with the help of Georgie Fry. The birds are fed using three different types of mixture from Bamfords TOPFLIGHT, and the composition of grains varies each week dependant on the race. In the drinker the birds only receive Gem’s Strike 2 on a Sunday, the rest of the week is clean water. The partnership this year are experimenting racing old hens, which they are preparing for combine racing. The partnership also in the past, as well as winning the London North Road Combine, have been the Sprint Champions of The East London Federation.
A. Gadsdon & Son
3rd Open London North Road Combine Berwick is yet another previous London North Road Combine winning partnership in the form of Mr & Mrs Calverley of Dagenham. Tony started in the sport 1988 after watching his father’s birds return home for a number of years. He felt that pigeon racing would be a hobby he would like to become more involved with.
The 3rd Open London North Road Combine could be considered old in racing terms at 7 years old, but the performances the cock, now named 'Special 1-1', has put up every single year are truly amazing and not many birds like him turn up in a lifetime. 'Special 1-1' has been 2nd Open London North Road Combine Whitton Castle, 3rd Open London North Road Combine Berwick, 22nd Yearling London North Road Combine Dunbar, 23rd London North Road Combine Berwick, 57th London North Road Combine Dunbar, 18th Essex & Kent Amalgamation Wetherby, 18th Essex & Kent Amalgamation Ripon, 22nd Essex & Kent Amalgamation Wetherby, 28th Essex & Kent Amalgamation Wetherby, 34th Essex & Kent Amalgamation Wetherby, as well as 4x1st West Essex Federation, 2x2nd West Essex Federation, 1x3rd West Essex Federation, 2x4th West Essex Federation, 3x5th West Essex Federation, 1x6th West Essex Federation, 4x8th West Essex Federation, 1x9th West Essex Federation, 1x10th West Essex Federation, 1x11th West Essex Federation, 1x13th West Essex Federation. Those are just some of this terrific pigeon’s performances, as club cards and a few federation cards unfortunately have been misplaced, but as can be seen this Blue widowhood cock is a super, super pigeon that still acts and performs like a yearling, as well as being sire and grandsire of winners. 'Special 1-1' was bred in the stock loft from M & D Evans’ Gaby Vandenabeeles that he originally purchased from Joe Costello, also from Dagenham. This special cock bird is raced on 100% widowhood and is shown his hen for roughly an hour before each race. This year Tony’s birds received no pre-season or in season training at all, as there is no local van or trailer and Tony is unable to drive. The cocks are exercised twice a day at routine times and the birds exercise really well for one hour each time. The brands of feeding are from various companies, that Tony likes the look of and he will mix both brands of widowhood mixture together, and the birds are broken down one day a week on a Sunday. No supplementation is used in the drinking water. 'Special 1-1' is now destined for the stock loft where he will enjoy his retirement being paired to the partnership’s best hens. The partnership have had a few results in the past they are particularly proud of including their Young Bird London North Road Combine win, 1st South East London Amalgamation, as well as past Best Flyer Old Bird, Best Flyer Young Bird and Best Overall Flyer in West Essex Federation.
Tony Calverley
The London North Road Combine Provisional Top 30, and Station winners are as follows:
1 L.J.STOCK & SON HORNCHURCH 1269
2 A GADSDON SON CUSTOM HOUSE 1254
3 M/m CALVERLEY DAGENHAM 1247
4 A STOCKWELL S ILFORD 1242.6
5 K DOUGHTY ELTHAM 1242.4
6 VAN SANCHEZ DAGENHAM 1242.3
7 A & P WOODGER C.S.MARY 1241
8 B SCOTT DAGENHAM 1237
9 M/M BEVEN GRAYS 1236
10 B GEORDIMANIA DAGENHAM 1225.4
11 R & R NICHOLLS C.S.MARY 1225.2
12 T DUNN XROADS 1225.0
13 M CONNOLLY SON CUSTOM HSE 1224
14 J CONNOLLY SON NEWHAM 1222
15 M/M BEVEN GRAYS 1219
16 C PASTERFIELD DTR TILBURY 1218
17 S BAKER SON CHESHUNT 1217
18 M/M BEVEN GRAYS 1216
19 M MOYNIHAN E.L.N.R 1213
20 F DAWKINS SON PLAISTOW 1211
21 A TAYLOR SON DAGENHAM 1209.8
22 D NUNN NEWHAM 1209.4
23 B WOODHOUSE SON E.L.N.R. 1206.2
24 J BENTON TILBURY 1206.0
25 M/M J`OBRIEN C.S.MARY 1205.9
26 L FINAN C.S.MARY 1205.7
27 M/M J SMITH ELTHAM 1205.1
28 B WOODHOUSE SON E.L.N.R. 1204.9
29 J COTTERELL DAGENHAM 1204.5
30 T GUNN C.S.MARY 1204.3
Tilbury station
A & P Woodger 1241
Mr Mrs Beven 1236
R & R Nicholls 1225
Mr Mrs Beven 1219
C Pasterfield Dtr 1218
Mr Mrs Beven 1216
J Benton 1206
M/M J O'Brien 1205
New Eltham
K Doughty1242
Mr Mrs Smith 1205
Mr Mrs Smith 1193
Mr Mrs Smith 1179
K Doughty 1174
K Doughty 1160
D Kennedy 1131
G Brockie 1121
Hornchurch
L Stocks Son 1269
T Dunn 1225
Clark Bros 1199.6
T Dunn 1199 .4
Clark Bros 1197
Stevens 1193
M Wallace 1188
N Martin 1183
Dagenham
A Gadsdon Son 1254
M/m Calverley 1247
Van Sanchez 1242
B Scott 1237
B Geordimania 1225
J Connolly Son 1222
A Taylor Son 1209
A R Tubey 1207
Cheshunt
S Baker son 1217
L Niedzwiecki 1203
J Turnell Son 1194
L Niedzwiecki 1176
L Niedzwiecki 1175
L Niedzwiecki 1164
S Barker son 1162
M/m Luffman 1158
Stratford
A Stockwell Son 1242
M Connolly Son 1223
M Moynahan 1213
F Dawkins Son 1211
D Nunn 1209
B Woodhouse s 1206
B Woodhouse s 1204.9
M/m S Fenech 1204.2
The next London North Road Combine is from Stonehaven with a joint liberation with the Essex & Kent Combine. I would like to take this opportunity to wish all my readers the best of luck, and I look forward to visiting the top 3 competitors.
Grasshopper
07712432824
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