WELSH NATIONAL FLYING CLUB

Tom Harris

Welsh National Flying Club 2015 Presentation Evening

Saturday 12th of December and the welsh national flying club held its 2015 presentation evening at the seamen’s mission in Newport ,also in attendance once again were the welsh north road federation also awarding their winners for the past 2015 season.

With yet another sell out evening with tickets selling   well in advance ,the venue soon filled to capacity as ninety five ,fanciers families and friends were requested to be in attendance for a 6.30pm serving of the traditional ,three course xmas meal which was pleasing to hear went down well with all present once again this year.

With the tables cleared and Glyn Picton once again taking on the role as compare for the evening. The officials from the wnrf were invited to conduct their proceedings to their open and section winners for the 2015 season , and as their press officer present ,I will leave there honours list  to them  to cover in future articles.

So it was the turn of the welsh national flying club to reward their 2015 season open and average winners.  Mr Edward Watts chairman of the mission to seafarers in Newport was duly called forward to carry out the presentation and award the trophies on our behalf, these were read out in race order as each came forward to receive the crystal ware diplomas, silver salver and a colour photograph of the winning pigeon again sponsored by our trusting photographer Mr Chris Sutton of Leicester.

First to the table to receive his awards was Dave Tippings from Beaufort in Ebbw vale flying approx. 165 miles from Maidstone  winning the first old bird race and the Malcolm gibbons sponsored trophy  , we then moved across the channel into southern France with the west of England combine taking  charge of our entries and liberations  for the next three races and for the first channel race it was our  2014 Fougeres national winning loft of  Ray Lambert of Abergavenny  , winning  first open from Carentan a distance of 190 miles and  the south and the west country products challenge trophy ,from there we moved onto Fougeres an average distance of 240 miles  ,where Andy Kidd of Newport notched up another successful season with the first of his two 2015 national wins on this occasion winning the Pieter Kos and Dutch spring exchange challenge trophy ,from Messac the honour of first open went to the risca loft of J Newbury flying 270 miles winning the R G Davies animal feeds supplies sponsored trophy for 2015 ,

we then moved further south from here on in with the two longest races on the programme from Pau (600 miles ) and Bergerac (500miles ) when we changed convoying organisations and went with the  central southern classic flying club ,it is from such races that two of Wales top distance lofts once again excelled themselves ,from Bergerac we have the Pontypool partnership of Ron Scammel and Paul Peploe  who are no strangers to national winning performances who took top honours winning the Verselle Laga sponsored trophy followed by the unstoppable and well known name throughout the UK as a whole competing in nearly all the major national and international events that of the  partnership of Dave and Vince Padfield flying as Padfield family from Abertillery once again claiming the welsh north road federation sponsored winners trophy for the longest race from Pau

so onto the young bird programme and we returned to Maidstone for the first young bird event and it was the Newport loft of Andy Kidd returning to the table to receive ironically the Andy Kidd gardening services sponsored trophy ,we remain towards the south east coast as we went to battle near Hastings and it was a final farewell for one of the finest lofts in the principality for many years as Iddy Davies of Bargoed bowed out of the sport on top winning the Jack Jenkins memorial trophy ,to round off season we went to Ramsgate for the final race approx. 200 miles and it was the newly formed duo of Brian Williams and Howard Owens who claimed the top honours for this race after coming so close in previous weeks and as such winning the Mr & Mrs t Tremeer sponsored trophy

so there it was all our race winners dually congratulated for winning such highly profiled events against some of the most dedicated lofts and fanciers which Wales offers ,.

We then moved onto the average winners, from Bergerac it was the retired wnrf chairman and fancier   Mel Mayo of Bargoed who took the spoils winning the Versele Laga two bird average and best opposite sex to the race winner trophy, followed by the final award for 2015 to the partnership of Williams and Owens who after such an outstanding young bird season claimed the Mr and Mrs Harris sponsored young bird average trophy

It was then time to thank the women behind the scenes who contribute and put up with a lot throughout the season, bouquet of flowers were presented to Mrs. Holpin as our chairman’s wife Mrs. Rosemary Humphrys as race sheet auditor and finally Gaynor Harris as joint secretary each were thanked for their involvement throughout by the congregation present

Before the lights were lowered their was one more presentation to take place this was a parting gift to Mr and Mrs Iddy Davies of Bargoed whom has previously stated have retired from the sport after a lifetimes involvement in pigeons, they were both presented by Andy Kidd with gold watches on behalf of their good friend and fellow fancier Jack Corns from Galaxy Lofts.

I Davies 1st open Battle ybs -  Padfield family 1st open Pau

Scammel and Peploe 1st open Bergerac - A Kidd 1st open Maidstone ybs 1st open fourgeres 

Ray Lambert 1st open Carentan - D Tippings 1st open Maidstone ob

J Newbury 1st open Messac - Mr Mrs I Davies watch presentation

Chris Sutton sponsored winners photo presentation -  Williams and owen 1st Ramsgate an young bird average winners

So there it is yet another season over and as the lights went down and the music went up until the early hours. We once again would like to thank our many sponsors, members, transporting organisations ( wnrf , woe combine and cscfc) and the mission to seafarers, for not only making tonight such a huge success but , the 2015 racing season in whole, it’s with your support   that we as an organisation have been able to maintain an attractive opportunity as more fanciers are  looking to take on the challenge, as we  move forward into the new year

So on behalf of the committee of the welsh national flying club we wish everyone a successful 2016.

Tom Harris