The Joe Murphy Column

I was very sorry to hear the sad news about the passing of Jocky King from Kirkcaldy from Margaret (who was informed by one of her friends). I could not believe that fanciers had not contacted me with this sad news, as I was a club mate of Jock’s while racing in Novar club. When I was a lorry driver, I used to toss Jock’s pigeons for him and he also joined me when I visited other top lofts as my time as press officer for the SNFC while obtaining information on the national winners. I have also been privileged to have viewed and handled many SNFC winners over the years; especially during my time as the club’s ‘Press Officer’ during 2005 to 2007. However, as I have also been blessed as being a BHW scribe during my time in the sport I have visited and handled other household SNFC national winners. It is quite staggering how the Kingdom of Fife has achieved a fantastic record of winning 1^st open SNFC over the years. Obviously, I wasn’t born when they first achieved their first win away back in 1913 when A C Christie of Leslie won the Gold Cup race from Rennes; other Gold Cup winners were as follows D Macauley of Dunfermline won it in 1929; Mr Robert Duncanson of Leven won the Gold Cup and H.M. The Kings Cup from Rennes on the 10^th of July 1931 when he timed in his blue chequer hen rung SURP25F6279. The convoy of 4749 birds were liberated at 05-50am on the 10^th of July and she was timed at 7-55-7pm doing a velocity of 1171 for the 562 miles 789 yards, winning £149-5 shillings. I will include a copy of the official race diploma and a photograph of Bod Duncanson. I don’t know how I came about the National diploma or the photographs, but I found them amongst some of my old SNFC books. I hope they turn out ok to go with this column. We then had Swain Brothers of Markinch winning from the Rennes race point the following year. Dave Fowler of Methil won the same event in 1954 and two years later Andrew Galloway of Leslie won the Gold Cup race. The following year 1957 Harry Scott of Markinch won 1^st open from the Nantes race with his winner flying 625 miles to its home loft. George Robertson of Cupar won 1^st open SNFC from the Beauvais National race which I think as also an Usher Vaux race in 1963. Three years later Jimmy Hamilton of Kennoway won the Gold Globe for winning 1^st open Nantes with his red pied hen ‘Nan’s Pride’ who was purchased by Louella Lofts. (I digress a little hear as I travelled down to Leicester with Jimmy Hamilton to collect her after she stopped laying and Mr Massarella gifted her back to Jimmy to spend the latter years of her life in her old loft in Kennoway. This was a great experience for me to go and visit Louella Pigeon World and one I will never forget.

SNFC Diploma                                                                   Bob Duncan & Outside Lofts

Six years later it was the turn of John Duthie of Methil to win the Scottish national when he won 1^st open Niort with his blue hen ‘Fifer Lass; who was flying a distance of 691 miles. The following year one of the top fanciers in Fife Dennis Dall of Ladybank won from the same race point flying 697 miles with his wonderful hen named ‘Rowena’. Two years later my old club mates John Honeyman & Son of Kennoway won the Gold Cup event from Rennes; I was also privileged at this time 1992 when Kevin and I won 1^st open SNFC Avranches with ‘Mystical Rose’ our chequer hen (this being her 4^th time being timed from France. Two years later on the centenary year of the SNFC; dear friends of mine Matt McLaughlan & son Mathew of Glencraig won the top event and the Gold Cup. Low and behold Jock Traill of Thornton (the village we now live) won 1^st SNFC Niort in 1996 flying 690 miles with his hen ‘Traill’s Spark’. Margaret and I were in Jock and Nancy’s Traill’s house when their daughter Senga came in. I was obtaining details for my BHW weekly Joe Murphy Column and their daughter Senga came up with the name for her dad’s winning chequer hen, this being; ‘Spark’; Which was broken down as follows; ‘S’ was for Senga, ‘P’ was for Paul and ‘A’ was from Andrew, these were both Jock & Nancy’s grandsons. ‘R’ was for Rona. their daughter in law (Keith’s wife) and obviously ‘K’ was for Keith (their son). Whom I’m still in contact with to this day and he informs me that he still enjoys reads my column. The following year this great fancier won 1^st open Nantes with ‘Nancy’ named after his wife.

Continuing this great run of Fife fanciers winning the Scottish National Flying Club we had Jim Farmer of Lochgelly who won 1^st open Chenoise in 2002 flying a distance of 582 miles and his chequer hen ‘Penny’ who was timed on the day. Two years later in 2004 from Falaise national race MacAndrew & Dow of Cowdenbeath won 1^st open Falaise (1) with ‘Crossgates Special’ then we had another west of Fife fancier winning the national from Alencon Gold Cup race when Frank Tarnawski of High Valleyfield won with his 5-year-old chequer hen ‘Marisia Nawski’ the first part of the name is after his Granddaughter and the ‘Nawski’ part is his nickname for his wife. I have been privileged to have viewed and handled many SNFC winners over the years; especially during my time as the club’s ‘Press Officer’ during the years of 2005;2006 and 2007. My very dear friends of mine (Ian & Robbie) flew as Gilmour Brothers from Leven won 1^st open Falaise with their blue cock ‘Robbie’s Boy’ in 2006. (This cock also turned out to be a wonderful stock cock being the grandsire of Kevin’s 4^th open Alencon and his ½ sister is the dam of 1^st open SNFC Roye 2016 for Jock Scott of Kennoway.)  Back to my story; Two years later in 2008 Willie Hay & Son of Methil won 1^st open Leicester YB national with their chequer hen ‘Mission Impossible’. In 2010 the Ypres national was won by Austin Whitaker of Methil who named his winner ‘Davies Dream’ after his brother Davie who was an outstanding pigeon man (I remember him from many years ago, a true ‘doo man’. The following year 2012 we have Jock King of Kirkcaldy winning 1^st open from Clermont flying 523 miles with his chequer pied cock ‘Mary’s Boy’ as he was a direct son of Jock’s champion hen ‘Mary’. In 2016 from the Roye race we had Jock Scott of Kennoway flying a distance of 510 miles winning top spot with his blue hen ‘My Gem’. Her sire was a Herbot cock named ‘The Bully’ while her dam was a direct daughter of Gilmour Brothers of Leven’s (mentioned above) winner ‘Robbie’s Boy’. The following year 2017 another dear friend of mine Dave Baldie of St Andrews won the national Ypres race with his blue pied Frans Zwols hen named ‘Champion Rose’. The following year from the same Ypres race point another Fifer won the national this being Jim Doig of Cardenden with his grizzle hen ‘U Dun It’ this yearling hen was sent to the race on a newly hatched youngster (her first of the season) and she won the national by a clear 5 yards. Moving on to the 2020 Maidstone national event the winner was Brian Chalmers of Kennoway with his 4-year-old blue hen ‘Cassie Anne Blue’ her sire was from friends in Wales while the dam was by his good friends Jim & Garry Peggie of Methil. Which believe it or not this father and son partnership own the National Maidstone race the following year with their chequer pied hen named ‘Wilma’ after Jim’s wife and Gary’s mother beating a convoy of 3459 birds. She also won a SNFC Bronze Award her positions are as follows; 2018- 89^th section Buckingham; 2019 -61^st section 171^st open Buckingham; 2019 55^th section 195^th Maidstone; 2019 51^st section 199^th open Huntingdon; 2021- 1^st section 1^st open Maidstone. Sire is Vandenabeele Dam Lambrecht a sister to 1^st section 10^th open YB National 2013 she is the G/D via B Chalmers. Last year we had Jock Scott of Kennoway who won his 2^nd open Scottish National race with his chequer cock named ‘Mason’. This yearling cock was the only pigeon in the convoy doing over 1000 ypm, beating the other 2- day pigeons in the south section flying 60 miles less from the Grevillers race, which was a distance of 486 miles to his home loft in Kennoway. An outstanding performance by this pigeon and well done to Jock on winning his 2^nd SNFC race. I wish all Fife members of the SNFC all the best for the 2025 season and I hope I can report on another national winner in Fife.

My Gem                                                                   Mason

I have added a few photos to go with this column, Joe Murphy.

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