Lancashire Social Circle

With the many problems that are facing our great sport, The Lancashire Social Circle has suffered much less than many other pigeon organisations, as its activities all revolve around social events provided throughout the year. Two weekend gatherings, a ladies weekend, along with lunches provided at the race marking are just three examples of the many benefits one receives from being a member of the LSC. The Hand Books and free entry into all the races are further examples the club provides for its members. But that is not to say we don't have our problems, a big one at the moment is transport, with the old bird races all being two bird events a maximum of four crates is all we need for these races. As a result we have to be transported by a much larger racing organisation. The race marking and free lunch provided means we need the crates to be dropped off and picked up from our marking station at Alder Root Golf Club that is located just off the M6 motorway. With a small percentage of our membership not having applied for their CPH numbers, arranging all the old bird races from France has been out of the question, so three inland races have been arranged with the second of these being from Maidstone. This race was sponsored by one of our Vice-Presidents Malcolm Parry-Jones, who not only provided the cost of transporting the birds but went to the trouble of arranging both the delivery and transporting them back to the pick-up point. Something all the members all very much appreciated. From my point of view the help provided by the many members who work tirelessly to race mark the pigeons in particularly Peter Latham and Maurice Jackson who man the ETS deserve a special thanks for their efforts. With the race point being somewhat off the line of flight this gave some members an advantage or disadvantage when it comes to the distances. But the race proved a tremendous success when 32 of our members entered 63 pigeons that were liberated on their own at 07 25 with no wind, from the 63 birds entered a total of 54 were clock in from this well over 200 miles race point. With so few pigeons being liberated members were hard pressed to estimated the arrival time but were hoping for a 50mph race even though it was rather a hot day.

Malcolm Parry-Jones who sponsored the Maidstone Race.        

Peter Latham a great help at the race marking                      Maurice Jackson a big part of the race marking team. 

The winning pigeon did make the 50mph mark but was the only one on the result to do so belonging to Keith Iddon flying 216 miles with a velocity of 1487. This 3y old blue Van Den Brant hen is no stranger to the red cards having won earlier this season, and I see from my records she won the Lancashire Social Circle young bird race from West Bay in 2020 so has been a good racer all her life. Ronnie Wilson Keith's partner was telling me he didn't have to wait long for the second pigeon, and this team performance won him the Best Two Bird Average, winning the Second Thoughts Trophy to go along side the W E Evans Trophy for winning the race along with a Frank H Parsonage Award and the J O Shone Award, the Best Ave from the first and second OB races also goes to Keith winning him another splendid trophy in the form of the Mary Hammond Rose Bowl.  

Keith Iddon with Frank Bristow with his Diploma taken last year.

Jim Frost picked up the second place with a 2y old grizzle cock flying 208 miles to its home loft in Prescot, Liverpool with a velocity of 1405. Jim has only been a member for the last two years but has been keeping pigeons since he was a young boy when someone had a pair that he was going to kill. Young Jim took them home and put them in the washhouse in the garden, a couple of days later his mum came across them and told Jim your dad won't be too happy about keeping pigeons. Once his dad found out he went out and bought him a 7ft x 5ft shed and the two of them raced together until his father passed away in 1965. In their early years as novices they had no idea, as none of them had any experience with any form of livestock, and Jim remembers sending a late-bred grizzle around 9 months old to St Malo, members said it was too young to go over to France be he sent it anyway. The result was it won the race. They built a team up with birds from different fanciers and one in particular a blue hen came in as a stray they reported it and the owner collect it, but two days later she was back, the owner came back for her three times, until in the end he gave it to the partnership. Over her racing career she was timed 16 times in the first 3 of the club results. At the time the News of the World ran a race from Guernsey and they entered her and she was 3rd section 8th open and of course they got their name in the paper. At present Jim admits to keeping far too many pigeons but only races the cocks on a loose type of widowhood system with around 40 young birds that have been on the darkness, that are about ready for training. Jim's timer in the Maidstone race is a 2y old that was bred off gift birds from Neil Blakemore and Steve Cross, the sire being a blue pied, a first prizewinner when paired to a grizzle whose sire was 2nd Fougeres. The dam was bred off two channel winners that has bred some good birds. The nestmate to the grizzle a blue pied cock was his first in the clock from the Circle's Messac race, the grizzle was also entered but arrived next morning at 04 30, so a good pair of pigeons.

The ever consistant Graham Mackay was third with a yearling blue pied hen on 1393 that was his second pigeon in the Littlehampton race a week earlier that won him the Best Two Bird Average. And once again his second bird was in the over the pad in quick time making him the runner-up Two Bird Average in this race.

Graham Mackay Second Maidstone and Runner-up Two Bird Ave.

John Winstanley from Orrell was fourth with a 4y old blue widowhood hen on 1393. This good hen was the winner of the Messac race two weeks earlier with the Circle and is from John team of Syndicate pigeons X Curtis Wall & Lunt birds .His team of widowhood hens have flown really well this season for John at all levels of competition.

John Winstanley Fourth in the Maidstone Race.

Moving to the other side of the country in Norden, Rochdale we find the loft of Bobby Brandon who timed a 4y old blue hen doing 1329 to take fifth place. Bobby relies on his team flying well around the loft as he and his wife don't drive and his team go to every race every week inland or channel. Proving this fact Bobby's timer on this occasion was the same bird he clocked from Messac that was fourth in the Circle's race, this being another prize-card to her collection. Bobby has very close ties with Simon Hughes and it's from Anthony & Simon Hughes family line this hen comes from.

Bobby Brandon Fifth Maidstone with the LSC.

The final diploma went to Northwich member Jeff Churchill with a very reliable 7y old cheq hen on 1317. Jeff is one of the few fanciers who race his team on the natural system so this hen even though see is a seven year old has not had the races she might have had raced on roundabout for example. but this has not stopped her picking up a string of prizes for Jeff.

Brian Dearn. Tel 01254 772515.