A GOOD DAY OUT
by John Clements
Moseley Old Hall. Photo by kind permission of the National Trust.
I had a good day yesterday; three things happened that made what could have been a bad day into a good one.
First I found my glasses. My top pair of reading glasses had been lost since Saturday so finding them was a real triumph. ‘Senior moments’ are now beginning to happen more frequently these days so finding my glasses in the top pocket of the shirt I wore on Saturday night was a real bonus.
The second bonus came when my royalty remittance cheque for my book ‘Long Distance Pigeon Racing’ arrived. I was surprised it was for so much money - £298 pounds 81p to be exact - so this book, the fruits of a lot of hard work, is still selling. ‘Long Distance Pigeon Racing’ has been in print since 2007 so still getting a cheque means it is still selling six years on. This is a rare event in the world of pigeon books. I had the thought that hopefully it may become a collector's item, so those of you who have loaned your copy out and not got it back had better chase it up. An interesting second observation there was a note inside the envelope from a girl in the office. Authors are now requested to supply their bank account details (account number - sort code etc.) so future remittances can be paid directly to your bank. She instructs us to contact her on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays so she is obviously another of the army of part time workers that are becoming more numerous these days. Full time pigeon secretaries and full time anything in pigeons look out this trend may get to you whoever you are. On the other hand it may be an advantage!
The third good thing was I got a good long toss with the hens which proved to be not only a successful toss but also good entertainment. I missed a turning on the M6 and as a result stumbled across a National Trust property I had not visited before. As I get older I am becoming increasingly a history bug so, armed with my NT ticket I not only let the pigeons go to fly back to Stockport but visited a very interesting Elizabethan farm house originally owned by a Catholic family when being a Catholic was a dangerous thing to be. The house, called Moseley Old Hall, is near to Wolverhampton on a minor one car road at a village called Fordhouses. It is associated with the flight of King Chares II after the battle of Worcester. The Civil War fight with round heads against Cavaliers made a lot of people hostile to each other in those days, a bit like the modern world of UK pigeons. The bed he slept in was in situ in what is now called the King's Room. There was the usual priest hole next door where he hid from Cromwell’s army. Moseley Old Hall has a very good tea-room. Though not there at the time of King Charles, it was welcome for me nevertheless. I had a pot of tea and a home made fruit scone with butter and jam. I call this the good life, training pigeons, drinking tea, eating fruit scones and wallowing in history on a sunny day. There is a lot to be said for retirement. I can recommend a visit to anyone who happens to be a NT member and also feels the need to train pigeons from this area. Take the wife, I say. Combine a bit of history with training pigeons. Take a bite out of a fruit scone. Give the wife a day out and enjoy. There is a lot to be said for Ye Old England Long Distance Pigeons and fruit scones on a sunny afternoon - somehow they all combine to make retirement enjoyable.
Inside the Old Hall. Photo by kind permission of the National Trust.
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Elimar - April 2014