NEWS FROM SCOTLAND

The Joe Murphy Column

John Tyerman informs me that our good friend Ian Crammond had a lovely family party to celebrate his 80th birthday. John writes ‘Hi Joe, I know that Ian was very touched by all the kindness shown to him on his birthday and so pleased to see your 'birthday wishes' in the fancy press. Linda and I went with Nigel and Eileen and we had a lovely day spent with around 50 family members and friends. I am attaching a photo taken by Catherine last year at the Pau International Dinner. Ian has invited me to the farm this weekend as he is having a visit from two very good fanciers from Northern Ireland. I have also just spoken to Joan Jackson (Jed's widow) and she is still very articulate and sprightly and continues to live at the old bungalow where Jed won 1st NFC Pau with his great hen 'Genista'. Hope you are all well in Bonny Scotland I see that you are being hammered by the weather, look after yourself your John T’.  I have added the photograph that John sent along with one of my grandson Connlan, who received his award at his graduation.

John Tyerman and Ian Crammond

Our grandson Connlan see text

SHU Show

The above show will be held on Saturday 12th December 2015 and the secretary Linda Brooks informs me that arrangements are well underway. The venue is again in the Lawrie and Symington market in Lanark and the facilities are fantastic and it is proving a popular pigeon show. There will be a new element at this year’s show this year a talk on pigeon nutrition and health which should be very interesting. Linda would like to ask all the secretaries to hand back their raffle tickets stubs ASAP. The SHU trophies will be presented at the show for the fourth time along with the ‘Annie Bowes Trophy’ and ‘Fancier of the Year’. The show opens 10.00am with judging at 10-15am (viewing) with the presentation of prizes and trophies prior to birds being un-penned at 5.00pm.

Scotland’s Bird of the Year

The Dewar Trophy for the SHU Bird of Year 2015 is won by Billy Bilsland of Ayton (see photo) our 5 times national winner. This black chequer cock SU12L 11434 who was bred by Billy’s good friend Billy Holland of Kirkintilloch and now named Welltower Roman after Billy Bilsland’s grandson. He was sent to the SNFC Gold Cup race from Alencon and won 3rd section B 12th open from an entry of 1416 birds. He was then sent back to the last old bird national from Clermont a distance of 487 miles and he won 32nd section B 87th open from an entry of 1547 birds. He has previously won 63rd section B 152nd open Maidstone in 2013 flying 339 miles. He was then entered of the SNFC Gold Cup race from Alencon in 2014 and won 130th open. His sire is a full brother to Farmer George winner of 1st International Bordeaux (Agen) 10.622 birds and fastest from 22.029 birds flying 826 kilometres for Catherine and Geoff Cooper of St Just. The dam of 11434 is a direct daughter of Roger Barcelona winner of 1st national 11.802 birds, 2nd Intentional 22.887birds when he was mated to a daughter of Pedro and Beauty 85 for M & D Desbuquois. So is a very good pigeon and well done to both Billy’s on winning this prestigious award. The runner up to the Dewar Trophy winner is a ‘Pigeon in a Million’ blue hen ‘Kingdom Spirit’ bred and raced by George & Brian Hunter of Dunfermline she won 2nd section C 58th open SNFC Alencon a distance of 547 miles and for her last race of her career she went back to Clermont and won 28th section C 67th open. This wonderful hen is a DOUBLE SNFC SILVER AWARD WINNER and a DOUBLE SNFC GOLD AWARD WINNER winning 10 TIMES in the SNFC. She is also a previous winner of the SHU DEWAR TROPHY WINNER 2010 and was Runner up in 2011.  As a matter of interest Kingdom Spirit’s sister Kingdom Kate was Runner up for the Dewar Trophy and Kingdom Anna (DeWeerdt) hen was also runner up for the Dewar Trophy. Unfortunately Anna was killed in the Hunter back garden by a hawk prior to going to the national for her attempt at winning a Gold Award. Well done once again to George & Brian on achieving the honour of being runner up to the best pigeon in Scotland in 2015.

Billy Bisland SHU Dewar Trophy Winner 2015

Giving up the Sport

Sean Diamond of Kennoway phoned to inform me that due to medical reasons his club mate Alan Cassidy is giving up the sport. Anyone who has studied the SNFC results this year will see that Alan had a good season winning the following positions from Billericay he won 15th, 48th, 69th, 95th & 234th open then from Portsmouth he won 132nd, 139th, 141st, 173rd and 214th open. From Eastbourne he won 37th & 91st open and from the last race of the season won 32nd & 65th open Clermont. So you will see some quality pigeon going on offer and will be sold from Alan’s loft and he can be contacted on 07875531922. I’m sorry to hear this sad news and wish Alan all the best for the future.

Balerno Club

News from Douglas Bald who writes ‘Hi Joe our club had a good season this year, with the highlight being Colin Bain's 1st region D and 7th open in the SNFC Gold Cup race from Alencon with his blue bar pied hen. She has already won 6th region D and 109th open from Ypres last year. She was 4th club from Newark and had only 4 races before going to the Gold cup race. Her sire is a dark chequer cock from John Elis bloodlines and the dam is from Jim Donaldson of Peterhead. Colin also wins the Lyrona Trophy for the first bird timed in in the SNFC Gold Cup race donated by the federation Honorary President Robert Cormack. 
Dougie Bald also had some good results for the club, mainly flying his Willie Hay's Andre Clements family and David Reed's Vandenabeele family. In the Almond Valley federation they achieved 10 x 1st, 7 x 2nd, 5 x 3rd and 8 x 4th. One blue cock won the following positions: 1st fed Thirsk; 1st fed Peterborough; 2nd fed Selby; 6th fed Newark and 3rd fed Yearling Derby and last year won the federation’s young bird open race.  The Willie Hay and David Reed pigeon have won the following federation trophies. - The Old Bird Average; The Combined Average: Old Birds Points and the Bill Bresneham trophy for the Best Average for 3 longest races. Douglas and John Hendry from Armadale also won the federation Breeder/Buyer prize with a young hen bred by John. Congratulations must also go to Freddie Jamieson from East Calder who had another very successful season winning many top federation positions throughout the season and won the Almond Valley young bird averages. Walter Scotland from Kinneill won the Maidstone open race and S Graham from Armadale won the young bird open.  The President's Trophy for the fancier who has done most to help the federation was won by John Jamieson. Balerno Homing Society is so lucky having a great secretary in Ian Jamieson and everybody within the club works together as a team. Thinking nothing about waiting on a Friday night till near 10pm to help convoyer John Jamieson, Archie Fleming and John Bird to prepare the transporter to go to the race points Federation President John Bird gives up so much of his time all year to make Almond Valley Federation the success it is. May I send all members of the federation good wishes for the festive season and all the best for next year yours Douglas Bald’

Obituary

Ellis John of Wellbank Dundee: I was saddened to hear of the passing of John who has fought his cancer with dignity. He was born in 1929 in the Angus village of Tealing, which lies approximately 6 miles North of Dundee, he had to walk 2 miles to and from school as a youngster and it was at the age of 10 or 11 years old that he was first introduced to pigeons. . He began playing the fiddle at the age of 14 and a year later he joined a band and made his radio broadcast debut as an 18 year old. He spent much of his life leading a first class Scottish Dance Band. This has seen him play alongside some of traditional Scottish dance music’s finest sons, the likes of Sir Jimmy Shand and Bobby McLeod. John’s musical ability has taken him to venues all over the world and he was also an accomplished saxophonist, having learned to play in the early 1950s. It was whilst on national service down in London he took an interest in the saxophone, for two years he had lessons in Soho under the tuition of Harry Hayes, who also happened to teach the famous jazz musician and London nightclub owner club owner Ronnie Scott. As a pigeon man he was without doubt one of the best long distance fanciers in Scotland and was a dear friend to his near neighbour Robert Strachan until his death. John Ellis set many records in his time and I remember when I started keeping pigeons in the early 1970’s he raced the immortal ‘Wellbank Endurance’ one of Scotland’s iconic 1000 milers being 2nd section, 88th open BBC Palamos in 1972 and 1st section, 27th  Open BBC from the same race point the following year. (I think I was 13th bird home into Scotland from this race) For his 27th open performance John had the honour of attending the BBC presentation in Bournemouth to collect a BBC Gold Medal, the Harkers Rose Bowl, The BBC Trophy and the Gordon Hare Cup for the furthest flying pigeon in race time. It should be noted that the 26 pigeons that beat Endurance in this Palamos event were all flying approximately 400 miles shorter. The time spent in the company of many of England’s all-time greats from the Spanish race points was one of his own personal highlights within the sport. One all-time great whose attention ‘Wellbank Endurance’ had gripped was the late great Jim Biss who purchased the cock for £1000 which was a lot of money in 1974. A few years later the cock returned to his old home in Wellbank to see out the rest of his days in the home he was obviously loved. He also recorded birds from the NFC Pau race (915miles), Palamos (1044miles) and young birds from Rennes (583miles) with the British Barcelona club his good hen ‘Patricia’ (named after his wife) had amongst her performances 9th open SNFC Beauvais, winning the Vaux Usher trophy for first bird North of the River Tay: as well as winning 85th section from Avranches and flying Pau (915miles) with the NFC, finishing just 2ypm off the open result. John Ellis also became the furthest flying north fancier to win the Robert Telfer Trophy within the SNFC for the best average in all Scottish National Flying Club races. He was also the first fancier to win a SNFC Gold Award in the Fife/Dundee/Angus area and won his 2nd Gold Award in 1992 with "Wellbank Reliable" she was a very special hen as she won in several nest conditions winning her award for 5 channel section positions when only 3 years old. This was a brilliant achievement especially flying into Tayside. This success has continued over the years with John winning 1st section C 44th open SNFC Alencon 572 miles in 2015. He will be a big loss to the racing pigeon sport in Scotland but a bigger bereavement to his wife Pat and their family to whom we send our sincere condolences at the passing of their loved one.

Good SNFC Birds

There has been a lot of dialogue between national members regarding the Gold Award presented to Turpie & McCord this year as their pigeon did not win the required 5 section prizes. However a mistake was made due to the pigeon covering 2500 miles and this was thought to qualify for the award. However this 2500 mile rule was for pigeons competing in the North section and the above partnership have handed back the award and will try to win it next year as their pigeon only requires ONE more section prize and we wish them luck.

Continuing with the pigeons who won a SNFC Silver Award at the annual presentation we have birds from 3 different regions. Starting with A McMillan of Eastriggs with his chequer hen SU10S 4338 who won SNFC Silver Award 2015.  Her performances are as follows in 2013 she won 10th section A, 64th open Alencon flying 473 miles. The following year she was sent to Ancenis a distance of 534 miles and won 12th section A 23rd open then this year 2015 she was again sent to Ancenis and won 14th section A 44th open, well done Mr McMillan.

The second pigeon belongs to a husband and wife partnership of Tom & Mary Paterson of Plean near Stirling in the North West federation. Their chequer hen SU10NW 3259 won 3 times from Clermont to achieve her 2015 SNFC Silver Award Her first win was in 2011 when she won 7th section D 44th open Clermont flying 532 miles; then in 2014 she won 13th section D 105th open Clermont and this year she won 18th section D to win her award as it is section positions that achieve this goal, well done to Mary and Tom.

We now come to a fancier who had an exceptional season in 2014 Angus Simpson of Lauder in the Scottish Borders with his chequer white flight hen  SU12SB 1196 who won SNFC Silver Award 2015  in the space of 2 years racing. In 2014 this hen won 10th section B 32nd open Alencon a distance of 517 miles then doubled back into the Clermont race a distance of 490 miles winning 19th section B 96th open and this year she was entered into the Ancenis race a distance of 581 miles and won 3rd section B 12th open well done Angus.

Joe’s Joke

An Irishman who had a little too much to drink is driving home from the city one night and, of course, his car is weaving violently all over the road. A cop pulls him over. "So," says the cop to the driver, "where have ya been?" "Why, I've been to the pub of course," slurs the drunk. "Well," says the cop, "it looks like you've had quite a few to drink this evening." ‘I did all right," the drunk says with a smile. "Did you know," says the cop, standing straight and folding his arms across his chest, "That a few intersections back, your wife fell out of your car?" "Oh, thank heavens," sighs the drunk.  "For a minute there, I thought I'd gone deaf."

Please continue to keep the news flowing;

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© Compiled by Joe Murphy