“ON THE ROAD” WITH KEITH MOTT.
Fred Dickson of Cramlington.
Fred Dickson has celebrated his 93rd birthday this year and has had to pack up his beloved pigeons recently, but was still winning at the highest level up too his last racing seasons! He used to ride his bike to his loft on the allotments over two miles away from where he lives and says he can’t ride up the hills any more. The local club he raced in packed up and not being a driver, and the nearest club being many miles away, he had to pack up his birds. Fred loves long distance pigeon racing and over the years has been outstanding racing at all distances, but very special at 581 miles from Bourges to his loft in Cramlington, Northumberland. He sent four birds to the Bourges race in 2013, with four Combines competing and with the race turning out to be a very hard push home, the birds clocked in the Combines on the day of liberation could be counted on the fingers of one hand. Fred lives at the top end of the North of England Homing Union area and clocked his good Eric Cannon blue chequer cock, ‘Northern Expected’, at 06.03hrs next morning to record 1st club, 1st Federation, 1st New North Amalgamation and 8th North of England Homing Union open result (2,355 birds). This wonderful round about cock has now flown Bourges (581 miles) three times and won 1st, 3rd and 4th Federation. A fantastic achievement! A half-brother to ‘Northern Expected’, a 100% Eric Cannon blue chequer cock, also recorded 1st Federation, 1st Amalgamation Bourges in the 2012 season. Later in the 2013 season Fred won with a yearling blue chequer cock bred by us in Claygate and he recorded 1st club, 2nd Federation, 12th New North Amalgamation Arras (377 miles) in a strong north east wind. This game cock was a son of our good Eric Cannon stock hen, ‘Foxwarren Katie’ when mated to a son of our ‘Number 1’ Brian Denney stock pair, ‘Sasha’s Boy’ and ‘Lady Tuff Nut’. ‘Foxwarren Katie’ is a granddaughter of the Eric Cannon champions: ‘Culmer Marion’ winner of 1st open NFC Sartilly and ‘Culmer Channel Queen’ the NFC Pau Merit Award winner. ‘Sasha’s Boy’ is a full brother to ‘Dark Charm’ and ‘Dark Dancer’, with ‘Lady Tuff Nut’ being a daughter of the champion of all champions, ‘Tuff Nut’. Another premier racer, ‘Northern Star’, flew Bourges (581 miles) once and won 1st club, 2nd Federation in the 2012 season, being clocked on the day of liberation and is a daughter of the champion Eric Cannon stock pair, ‘Foxwarren Fred’ and ‘Northern Producer’. This wonderful hen is the sister to several premier 580 mile racers, including 1st Federation Bourges (581 miles) and is half-sister to the ‘Five Times Bourges Cock’, winner of 3rd, 5th, 8th Federation Bourges. These seasons were the tip of the ice burg, as Fred had brilliant success over a life time in pigeon racing!
The Bourges Amalgamation winner, ‘Northern Expected’, is a son of Fred’s champion ‘Five Times Bourges Cock’ which was killed by a Sparrowhawk and a stock hen obtained from Ced and Clive Allwright of Ashford in Kent. Ced and Clive bred the hen from their champion ‘El Ced’, winner of 53rd, 42nd, 32nd open BBC Palamos (647 miles) and ‘Spanish Diploma’ winner, also 1st Kent Specialist Club Nantes, when mated to the partner’s great stock hen, ‘36664’, which was a granddaughter of Eric Cannon’s Champion ‘Marion’, winner of 1st open NFC Sartilly. ‘36664’ bred many winners with the ‘El Ced’, including 1st Federation Niort (337 miles). ‘The Five Times Bourges Cock’ was bred from ‘Foxwarren Fred’, a red chequer cock bred by us at Claygate and he has proved to be one of the best 550 mile stock cocks we have ever owned and was bred from the very best of Eric Cannon’s wonderful long distance family. ‘Foxwarren Fred’ was the sire of many premier long distance champions including: 1st Federation Bourges (581 miles), 2nd Federation Bourges, 2nd Federation Bourges, 2nd Federation Bourges, 3rd Federation Bourges, 5th Federation Bourges, 8th Federation Bourges and was grand sire of 1st, 1st, 3rd, 4th, 4th Federation, 1st, 1st Amalgamation Bourges (581 miles) in the 2012 and 2013 seasons. He was the sire of the champion cock, ‘The Five Times Bourges Cock’, winner of 3rd, 5th, 8th Federation Bourges and sire of 1st, 1st, 3rd, 4th, 4th Federation, 1st, 1st Amalgamation Bourges. Sire of ‘Foxwarren Fred’ was ‘Culmer Sam’s Lad’ bred by Eric Cannon, the last son of Eric’s ‘Number One’ stock cock ‘Culmer Sam’, who was the product of Eric’s Fear Brothers cross. Champion ‘Culmer Sam’ was the ultimate stock cock and was the sire of Eric Cannon’s highly successful 550 mile family in the later years. Dam of ‘Foxwarren Fred’ was ‘Culmer Fantasy’ and she was a daughter of Champion ‘Culmer Bess’, winner of 6th, 26th and 170th open N.F.C. Pau (540 miles), 47th open N.F.C. Pau / Saintes, winning the NFC Pau merit award. This brilliant hen was top priced pigeon at Eric Cannon’s dispersal sales, sold for £2,300. Champion ‘Culmer Bess’ is a daughter of the premier Mike Spencer stock cock, when mated to ‘Culmer Joan’, winner of 1st section A. 12th open NFC Pau, who is a daughter of ‘Culmer Rose’ winner of 30th, 56th, 131st, 389th and 541st open NFC Pau. ‘Culmer Rose’ was a daughter of the great ‘Culmer Sam’. ‘Culmer Fantasy’ is a full sister to the dam of Champion ‘Night Flight’, winner of 1st open Saintes / Pau Grand National in 2003, for Mark Gilbert. The dam of the champion ‘Five Times Bourges Cock’ was the pied hen ‘Foxwarren Northern Complete’ also bred by K. & B. Mott at Claygate. A fantastic stock hen and dam of many premier 550 mile racers including: 2nd Federation Bourges (581 miles), 3rd Federation Bourges, 4th Federation Bourges, 5th Federation Bourges, 8th Federation and is grand dam of 1st, 1st, 3rd, 4th, 4th Federation, 1st, 1st Amalgamation Bourges (581 miles) in recent seasons.
I have known Fred Dickson since the early 2000s and following his great success racing in the ‘hotbed’ of the north east of England over that time and I asked him for article many times. Fred being one of the true gentlemen of the sport and a very modest man always declined the offer. His racing record in a life time in the sport is second to none and as far as I know had never been record in the fancy press. In recent times I had written dribs and drabs about Fred and his brilliant performances, but he finally gave me some matter verbally and we can now give him a proper article. Fred Dickson lived several miles away from the pigeons and had to travel to tend the birds every day, what ever the weather conditions might throw at him. I remember one day he rang me up and there was two foot of snow on the ground and he was off to feed and water the birds. This great fancier had to hire a taxi cab on race days to take him to the pigeon club to get his clock read! Fred’s cousin, John Dickson, was very keen on the pigeons and helped out with the transport, and around the loft. I have known and spoken to Fred on the telephone many times over the years, but never met him, until in November 2011, when I was invited to judge at the NEHU Show in South Shields and we met in person for the first time. I really enjoyed our pigeon chat and I must say he looked much younger than his then 85 years!
Fred raced his small team of old birds on the natural and roundabout systems to his allotment ‘L’ shaped loft, which was 28ft long. Fred built the loft him self in 1989, with open door trapping and used sand litter on the floors. His real interest was in long distance pigeon racing, but told me, he only used the shorter Federation races for training, but he did enjoy these events and won a lot of premier prizes in them. Fred had no stock birds in the later years and told me the main families kept were Eric Cannon and Brian Denney, with 600 mile racing in mind. He had a great admiration for the late, great Eric Cannon and had followed his wonderful performances in the long distance Nationals over many years. He had also obtained a couple of outstanding Eric Cannon based breeders from the Kent loft of Ced & Clive Allwright, who have won the NFC three times in recent seasons. Fred sent his yearlings through to 431 miles and his old birds had to fly Bourges (581 miles), with the yearling being paired up in February and the channel birds in March. The birds were fed on ‘Gerry Plus’ and a quality ‘widowhood’ mixture, and were never broken down during the racing season, even on the shorter training races. The birds were normally trained prior to the first Federation race, then after were exercised around the loft for any hour twice a day. Fred told me his old birds had no training in the 2012 season, but still won the Federation! Fred had a few short distance pigeons from his good friend, Tommy Laskey of Gateshead, who had won 1st Up North Combine and Fred told me, ‘Tommy was a great sprint racer’. Fred had a yearling Laskey blue hen that had three races up to 290 miles on the roundabout in 2012 and won 1st Federation (twice) and 3rd Federation. A brilliant hen! The Dickson loft won 2nd, 3rd, 4th Federation Bourges (581 miles) in 2012, with his champion stock, ‘Foxwarren Fred’ being responsible for the pigeons taking the first four positions in the Federation result in that race. Fred’s good two year old blue chequer hen, ‘Northern Star’ won 2nd Federation Bourges in 2012 and she is a daughter of the champion stock pair, ‘Foxwarren Fred’ and ‘Northern Producer’.
Fred had had pigeons all his life and both his great grandfathers were outstanding pigeon racers in the North East of England. He owns a pigeon wall plate dating back to 1910, which belonged to his great grandfather and this has all the Cramlington HS winners painted on it for that season. Fred’s trade was an electrician working in the coal mines of the north east for most of his working life, but when the coal industry went in to decline, he became a factory worker and found it hard to race his birds, having to work 12 hour shifts. In the year between 1950 and 1960, Fred tells me he had the best pigeons in the local area and won many races from 50 miles through to 600 miles out of turn. The family of pigeons raced at that time was the Stassarts and had a red cock that won eleven firsts and twice 1st Federation. A sister to the red cock won five firsts, including 1st club Bourges (581 miles). In the 1957 season the club had 17 races with the Federation and the Dickson loft won twelve firsts.
My good friend, Eric Cannon of Wormley passed away in 2000 and I think it is common knowledge that he was one of ‘greats’ of long distance pigeon racing in the UK. Eric was certainly one of the best pigeon fanciers I’ve ever met! Through the years since I carried out his dispersal sales in November 2000 I have had countless phone calls and letters from fancier who have done well with Eric’s birds and this has always given me great pleasure. In recent times fanciers have won National and Classic races with the Cannon pigeon pure and crossed. Probably one of the best Eric Cannon breeders in recent times is Fred Dickson’s red cock, ‘Foxwarren Fred’, which was bred by my self in 2004 out of a son of Champion ‘Culmer Sam’ and a daughter of Champion ‘Culmer Bess’, the NFC Pau Merit Award winner. The red cock has bred a dynasty of Bourges (581 mile) winners for Fred, including being the sire and grand sire of 1st Federation winners. We named the red cock ‘Foxwarren Fred’ after Fred Dickson who was still winning big time at the grand age of 85, to his loft on the allotment in the North East of England. Another wonderful Eric Cannon stock cock for Fred Dickson was the blue cock, ‘Foxwarren Prince’ and he was also bred by ‘Foxwarren Lofts’ in 2004. This brilliant cock is a son of our fantastic original ‘Number Two’ Eric Cannon stock pair and was sire of many premier 550 mile racers, including 1st Federation Bourges (581 miles), 2nd Federation Bourges and grand sire of 3rd Federation Bourges in the 2011 season. The sire of ‘Foxwarren Prince’ was the blue cock ‘Culmer Prince’, bred by Eric Cannon. This champion breeder was one of the best 550 mile stock cock we have ever owned and is a direct son of Champion ‘Culmer Marion’, winner of 1st open NFC Sartilly in 1990, when mated to a daughter of ‘Culmer Expected’, winner of 22nd, 27th, 103rd, 231st open NFC Pau, who is a grand daughter of ‘Culmer Rose’ winner of 30th, 56th, 131st, 389th and 541st open NFC Pau. ‘Culmer Rose’ is a daughter of the champion breeding cock ‘Culmer Sam’. The dam of ‘Foxwarren Prince’ was the blue hen ‘Culmer Rocket Queen’, bred by Eric Cannon. One of the best long distance stock hens we have ever owned and was a champion breeder! Dam of many winners and was a daughter of ‘Culmer White Flight’, winner of many positions in the N.F.C., including 1st Section A. 14th open NFC Pau, when mated to Champion ‘Culmer Channel Queen’, winner of 23rd, 29th, 98th and 183rd open NFC Pau and winner of the NFC Pau ‘Merit Award’. This wonderful hen was a daughter of the champion stock cock ‘Culmer Producer’, who was a son of ‘Culmer Pat’, winner of 27th, 80th, 104th open NFC Pau and dam of 1st open NFC Pau for Gerald Stovin.
When I asked Fred Dickson if he treated his birds, he told me, ‘only with the annual PMV jab, apart from that, I only gave my birds cider vinegar and honey in their drinking water. The families of pigeons I owned had a very good constitution and never look sick or sorry. Eric Cannon never treated his birds for any thing and his racing record from the long distance was second to none! I think if pigeons get regular exercise and good feeding, they keep in good health, and the only way to sort out good pigeons from bad is the race basket’. I also asked him about his young birds and did he like the ‘dark’ system, and he replied, ‘I only put my young birds on the ‘darkness’ once and was not happy with the end result, so have never did it again. I bred about 20 babies to race each year and these were fed well on ‘Gerry Plus’, but I did like to breed a few extra youngsters which I gave to the local lads. My racing youngsters got lots of training from 30 miles and race the programme through to Folkestone (296 miles). With my interest in long distance racing I wasn’t really looking to win young bird races with them, just educate them for the Bourges event in later life. The youngsters need plenty of racing in their first year, too teach them about eating and drinking on the transporter, and of course being liberated with thousands of other pigeons’.
There were two main stock hens at the Cramlington, the first being the blue white flight, ‘Northern Producer’ and she was bred by Fred Dickson. She was the champion breeder of 580 mile winners with different cocks, including 1st Federation, 25th Amalgamation Bourges (581 miles), 1st Federation, 2nd Amalgamation Bourges, 4th Federation Claremont and is the dam of ‘Northern Star’, winner of 2nd Federation Bourges in 2012. The sire of this brilliant stock hen, ‘01146’, was bred by Keith and Betty Mott and was a grand son of Eric Cannon’s Champion ‘Culmer Gold’, winner of 21st, 70th, 83rd, 103rd, 111th open NFC Pau (550 miles), 164th open NFC Nantes, winning the NFC Pau Merit Award, Best Average Nantes / Pau, also 9th and 11th open Combine. ‘Culmer Gold’ was the champion of all Eric Cannon’s champions! The dam of ‘Northern Producer’ was ‘41598’, bred by Ced & Clive Allwright from their champion ‘El Ced’, winner of 53rd, 42nd, 32nd open BBC Palamos. ‘Northern Producer’ bred 1st Federation winners with both ‘Foxwarren Fred’ and ‘Foxwarren Prince’. A fantastic stock hen! Fred’s other premier stock hen was ‘Foxwarren Northern Complete’, a blue chequer pied bred by Keith & Betty Mott. A fantastic stock hen and dam of many premier 550 mile racers including: 2nd Federation Bourges (581 miles), 3rd Federation Bourges, 4th Federation Bourges, 5th Federation Bourges, 8th Federation and was grand dam of 1st and 4th Federation Bourges (581 miles) in the 2012 season. She was the dam of the champion cock, ‘The Five Times Bourges Cock’, winner of 3rd, 5th, 8th Federation Bourges. The sire of ‘Foxwarren Northern Complete’ is ‘Foxwarren Black Splash’ a grand son of Eric Cannon’s Champion ‘Culmer Gold’. The dam of ‘Foxwarren Northern Complete’ was ‘Foxwarren Complete’, bred and raced by us in Claygate. The champion 550 mile racing hen, being the winner of 2003: 32nd open L&SECC Dax (530 miles), 2nd East Grinstead CC Dax, 2004: 29th open L&SECC San Sebastian (560 miles), 2005: 116th open L&SECC Pau (552 miles), 2007: 109th open L&SECC Pau. ‘Foxwarren Complete’ was a wonderful breeder and was the grand dam of 1st open International Agen in 2015 and her daughter ‘Foxwarren Northern Complete’ bred many 580 miles winners with both ‘Foxwarren Fred’ and ‘Foxwarren Prince’.
Well, there you have it! I hope my readers have enjoyed our article on the great Fred Dickson of Cramlington. I can be contacted on telephone number: 01372 463480 or email me on: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
TEXT & PHOTOS BY KEITH MOTT (www.keithmott.com)