Parkinson. L J

It is quite some time since we were able to accept an invitation to present the prizes at a pigeon organisation. We have been asked many times, but they have always at times when we have a prior engagement. Dave Windsor got in early asking us to attend their local presentation at the Dusty Miller in Wrenbury. With not going into the area before we were not sure where we were going but Lizzie accompanied by the sat-nav got us there safe and sound.  On the journey we kept passing remarks about the canal being there but no Dusty Miller, but after a few bridges we got there. I spent 3yrs living at Acton in my teens, but I could not recall the area, mind you it all looks different when it’s dark, but that was 50yrs ago.

We were impressed with Dave Windsor who gave a very good speech on the club, when it was formed right up to the modern day. The club was formed on 26th Sept 1948 at The Salamanca Pub Wrenbury, at that time the subscription was £1 per loft plus 2 shillings union fee per member. The founder members were, F Borton, J Gregory, A king, J Perry, R Bowker, W Dunn, W Horton, D Arrowsmith, K Ormes, P Cliffe, S Cliffe, G Griffiths, G Parker& Son, D Naden, J Williams, F Walters. They started flying with the West Cheshire Fed inland and the North West Combine for the overseas races. In those days they purchased 8 baskets with Wrenbury DHS & Wrenbury Station marked on them. The following might confuse some of the younger members but ask your parents they will explain the prices in comparison to what charges are made today. Birdage was 1/- 8d inland and 6/- overseas. Pools were 3d, 6d, 1/-, 2/- 6d & 5/- overseas, 1/- nom. The club purchased 500 rings @ 3d each. To raise money, they had a draw and whist drive with the prizes being £1, 50 cigarettes, 10/-, chicken, 2 rabbits, 1 doz eggs, bread knife, plus other 10/- prizes. They bought a Toulet clock for £13, cups for £8 5/- , £7 10/- & £5 14/- for old bird inland, young bird & overseas averages. These were bought from the profit from the draw & whist drive. On the 28th January 1952 they moved headquarters to the Cotton Arms and raced the pigeons in the Worcester Fed for overseas. In 1953 they had a Coronation Race with a 4-bird limit at 2/- 6d per bird and they had the presentation evening which cost 5/- 6d a head to include a glass of port. Changes were made again when they joined the SW Fed in 1955-57 for inland races. Some wanted change in 1958 when they had a meeting to disband the club, but the vote went in favour to continue 7 votes to 6. I think they were swapping and changing in those days as some do today because they went back to the West Cheshire Fed for inland with an 8-bird OB inland and a 12-bird YB limit at 2/- 6d per bird. 1960 saw further movement when they joined the Wrekin Fed but in 1961-62 the went to the Shropshire Fed. That didn’t last long either because in 1963 they went back to the Wrekin Fed and paid F Sutton 5/- to take them to Audlem, plus they also moved back to the Salamanca that year. They were a bit more stable for the next few years and nothing altered in the club until the original secretary died & Reg Windsor took over in 1970. With a new secretary changes were made and in 1971 the membership fee went up to £1-50 and the other change saw a 4-mile club radius from Wrenbury Station and they flew with the North Wales H U. From 1972-75 birdage was 20p. In 1977 they had a Jubilee race from Hereford which went well then in 1979 the North Wales HU became the Cheshire Plains Fed. Then in 1979 a good step forward was taken when Reg Windsor started a pigeon section at Nantwich agricultural show, where they are still going strong today with good financial support from Elimar and what we happen we shall have to wait and see because it is the shows 40th anniversary next year. All clubs have to raise prices with the time’s and in 1980 the subscriptions went up to £6 per loft. Always wanting to help in 1981-83 they held charity squeaker sales for one of their members boys who suffered from Muscular Dystrophy and raised enough money to buy them an electric wheelchair, so at the time it was well done to all concerned. A big change in pigeon racing happened in 1983 with the outbreak of Paramyxivirus, so no channel races were on the cards which meant they ended up racing from Hastings, Penzance, Plymouth. The headquarters were changed in 1985 when the club moved to the Cotton Arms then in 2002 saw them move to Aston. A good move was made in 2006 when they moved to their present headquarters, Wrenbury Recreational & Sports Club this is where they started the winter shows. In 2010 Reg Windsor retired as secretary after 40 years, longest serving officer that the club has ever had. Dave Windsor took over as only the 3rd secretary that the club had had in their history. A temporary disaster struck in 2012 when their portacabin was destroyed by a fire but due to circumstances they purchased a bigger one from Middlewich Pigeon Club which we still use today. Over the years the club have had 102 lofts in various names, 7 Presidents, 8 Chairman’s, 4 Treasurers, 24 Vice Chairman’s, 7 Assistant Secretaries but only 3 Secretaries on a full-time basis. Most of the cups & trophies have been donated by the families in memory of past members who have died.

2018 season saw us pay out £2,016 in pools, specials & prize money. As a club they had 7 first feds, 55 top 10 fed positions so a year that they have to be happy with. The winners over the season have done very well and for a country club with an approximate 4ml radius where you mostly have small surrounding villages wouldn’t expect to see so many in the club. Even so this rural club is going well and one that has a happy membership. There are 18 members with 13 of them picking money up ranging from a couple of quid up to over £900.

Trophies

The top winners are R Windsor, Son & Daughter with £908 with 10 x 1sts plus the following trophies, Alex King Cup, CM jones Trophy, Overseas Ave Cup, YB Ave. Rennes Shield, Stan Cliffe Trophy, Wilf Speed Cup, Peter Cadman Cup, Fred Borton Rose Bowl, Don Perry Cup and the Millennium Trophy 28pts. They were also r/u to the OB inl ve, Sumner & Bostock Cup & the F Pass & Son Cup.

Dave & Katie Windsor (R Windsor Son & Dtrs)

Next on the list are D & B Jones £395.56 winning 5 x 1sts to go with the OB Inl KO Cup, OB Inl Ave, Wallace Borton Trophy, Bert Faulkner yearling, F Pass & Son Cup also being r/u to the Rennes Shield, Wilf Speed Cup, Don Parry Cup, Millennium Trophy 26pts & the Burges Cup.

Derek Jones ( D & B Jones )

Phil Jackson £313.41 with 5 x 1sts to go with the Frank Smith Cup, Sumner & Bostock, Belgium Trophy 15pts plus being r/u to the Wallace Borton Trophy.

Phil Jackson

Mr & Mrs Dave Harding £108.27 and the Burgess Cup plus being r/u to the Overseas ave, Stan Cliffe Trophy and the Bert Faulkner Ylg.

Derek Harding (Mr & Mrs D Harding)

J&E Speed £55.23.

F & H Gregory £48.83 plus being r/u to the Frank Smith Cup.

Frank Gregory ( F & H Gregory)

M Griffin £45.93.

M & R Pass £42.46 plus r/u in the OB Inl KO Cup.

Mark Pass ( M & R Pass)

Other money winners are, D Pullen, HFP Woodward, M Vaughan, W Riley and Mr & Mrs C Stanley.

            Bill Riley                                                                      Colin Stanley (Mr & Mrs Stanley)

Fred Woodward (H F P Woodward)

Mick Vaughan

The total pay-out of £2,016 was made up of, £1,415.47 pool money, £450.65 prize money and £150 specials.

We would like to thank the club for the invitation and we had a god night out. Apart from the races the next big event for the Wrenbury club is the Cheshire Show which is a cracking event to attend. This is a window for to the general public to see the hobby of pigeon racing and is certainly one worth entering.

Just thought I would like to share our pride and joy in the office, our Christmas cactus in full bloom, this started with a small cutting.

Les J Parkinson. 11 Rushton Drive, Middlewich, Cheshire, CW10 0NJ. 01606836036 Mobile 07871701585. Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. web site www.elimarpigeons.com