Saltney Social Homing Society

Christmas Show and Presentation

With the 2015 show season completed the emphasis moved to the 2015 Christmas show and presentation the previous five shows were patronised by the same fanciers who are keen and probably considered the best show people in the area. The area contains high class shows such as the Shotton HS shows, the Thornton Hough shows and this year the Birkenhead put on seven shows. Locally again Rhos Social put on a couple of shows in December so it gave the North Wales and Wirral fanciers plenty of choice of where to attend etc and I’m sure that it is appreciated by the fancy that these committees still put the shows on to keep the social side of pigeon racing going through the winter.

The Show: The Saltney Christmas show and presentation is an annual event which again was patronised by locals and a couple of fanciers from the Wirral who to be fare have been cleaning up around north Wales shows. The shows this year (as per previous years) are organised and run by Dave Woodworth Paul Moulton and Stephen Jones. Huge thanks from everyone who attended, without the doers in our hobby we would have no social life through the winter so I echo those thanks to the people who help make these events happen and also thanks from the Saltney Social HS to all those who attended the shows throughout the season and helped make the annual shows a success again this year.  Also a thank you to the daughters of Geoff jones, Carla and Jaymee for running the raffle at the Christmas show.

Paul Moulton, Jeff Lawless getting their raffle tickets from hard working show helpers Carla and Ashlee JonesShow organisers, club secretary Dave Woodworth, Club Chairman Paul Moulton and their general labourer Stephen (Stow) Jones.

 

                

The judges for the three classes this year were drawn from some of the very best and well known and travelled from Flint, the Wirral and Chirk to be with us, the show committee and club members are extremely grateful for your participation and attendance. Judging the fancy class was Steve and Cherith Young (of Mr and Mrs Young and Daughter Flint). Judging the any age cocks class was Robbie Thomas (Jones and Thomas Wirral) and judging the any age hens class was Clifford Davenport (of the newly formed partnership of Roberts and Davenport Chirk).   

                                                

Cherith and Steve Young judging the fancy class

                                                  

Robbie Thomas judging the any age cocks class

Clifford Davenport judging the any age hen’s class

               The participants of the shows have been generally a mix of North Wales and Wirral fanciers with the shows probably averaging forty to fifty birds a week.

Jack Lavender (and his dad) Peter.  Jack competes in his own name in the Saltney Homing Society

          Paul Coombes and Bob Tudor checking out the opposition, with Mr Saints himself Andrew Lloyd in the back ground. 

    

Brian Jones (Jones, Lamb & Daughter) with his nephew Alan Foster (ex of Jones & Foster), and his brother Geoff who will now be helped by nephew Alan in 2016 season.

Alan Malone checks out the class with Tony Murray

 

 Dave Woodworth (D & L Woodworth) discussing the merits of the hens class with Dave Williams (D & S Williams)Taking of distance flying?

Tony Murray with Robbie Thomas discussing Tony’s Cheq cock who represented the UK in 2015 Olympiad Distance Class.

 

                      Eddie Bateman (Bateman and Son), Bob Tudor and John Quick giving a good listening to, to Paul Coombes

                              Brian Jones (Jones, Lamb and Daughter with his nephew and Alan Foster

Post Result, Clifford Davenport discusses the result with show winner Terry Fellows, Tony Murray, John Archibald (Archibald and Picken) and Keith Lloyd (Lloyd & Bagnal)

The pretty-fancy class pigeons

 

                                                                      The Show Prize Winners

Robbie Thomas presenting Terry Fellows with his Best in Show Rosette and Best in Class trophy Grizzle hen winner of the pretty fancy class and winner of best in show. Owned and shown by Terry Fellows of Ewloe

 

 

 

Owned and shown by Moulton & Williams Blue Cock winner of Best in Class and Reserve show Champion.

Carla Jones presenting Ray Williams (Moulton & Williams) with his Best in Class trophy and his Reserve Champion Rosette. 

 

 

Owned and shown by Jones Lamb and Daughter this dark pied hen is winner of Best in Class.

 

Robbie Thomas presents Brian Jones (Jones, Lamb & Daughter with their Best in Class trophy.

 

Saltney Breeder Buyer Race 2015

The Saltney Breeder buyer and open race is an annual event that has to be considered one of the hardest races to time pigeons. Previous years have shown that to get youngsters to compete and win during September is by no means a mean achievement. The race is noted as one of the hardest races to win and those who send know how hard this race can be. Only the best and the brave pigeons succeed and the kudos that surrounds this race is second only to larger young bird convoys from similar distances.

The entry for the breeders for the race is open to everyone with a radius on the buyers which is limited to the boundaries of the North East Wales & West Wirral Federation, the Wrexham Federation, the West Cheshire Federation, the North Wirral Federation and the Eryri Federation. Entry for the open race  is open to all who took part in the breeder buyer, for each bird you bought you could enter 2 pigeons in the open, for each bird you sold you can enter 2 in the open, for each bird you sold and bought back yourself you can enter 2 in the open. The interesting part of this race was that the open race was open to the whole of the UK. So if you entered into the breeder section and was out of the buyer radius you could still send in the open race.

The race had been planned for a late September date however with the change made by the transporter (the Gloucester Federation) the birds were to be despatched on 5th September. The sixty four breeder buyer pigeons (sent by 30 fanciers) along with the thirty one open pigeons (sent by thirteen fanciers) were to be held due to inclement weather conditions on the Saturday but after the one day hold over and with the first information on the Sunday stating that the birds were to be held up an hour or two for better weather they were to be released into no wind at 0845.

At the home end the estimated forecasts were of some 7 hours 30 minutes appeared to be the general consensus. The fact that there were also other liberations from the same race point on the same day would hopefully give an indication as some of the liberation were birds racing into the same districts, these were liberated at 0730 hours into a light North Easterly wind.

At the home end as the day drew on it was becoming once again that we were in for a stiff race, the earlier liberations were not meeting the expected arrival times in fact birds were scarce and the first rumours would abound of a pigeon timing in after eight hours seven minutes, this would put the Saltney pigeons timing in after four forty five.

The first information that was around was that of R & S Lewis at Brymbo flying some 270 miles timing their breeder buyer (bred by Robbie Thomas) in at 3.51 averaging around low 1100’s this meant that the Saltney pigeons had indeed had help as the other liberations were lucky to make 1000 ypm. News would also arrive of Paul Moulton and Ray Williams of Chester timing in at 3.53 with an open pigeon flying 278 miles. Alan Shinton into Ellesmere Port would be the next recorded at 3.52 for the 283 mile trip.

At the strike it would appear that there had been at least ten birds timed in the breeder buyer and eight in the open with only three of the eight double banked from the breeder buyer back into the open. The result and returns were far better than previous years and the slightly later liberation appeared to help.

Breeder Buyer Result: First Breeder and Buyer Alan Shinton Ellesmere Port winning £2000. Second Breeder and Buyer John Quick Bebington £1000. Third Breeder and Buyer Derrick Jones Holt winning £500. Fourth Breeder Robbie Thomas Bebington winning £150 Fourth Buyer R & S Lewis Brymbo winning £150. Fifth Breeder and Buyer Evans & Jones Saltney £300. Sixth Breeder and Buyer Steve Williams Bromborough winning £200. Seventh Breeder & Buyer P Moulton & Williams £200. Prize Money ends. Three other game pigeons made it on the winning day namely eighth G (Barry & Maldwyn) Pemberton & Son Rhos. Ninth Adrian Pemberton Rhos and finally in Tenth position we have the race organisers Dave & Lynn Woodworth Saltney with a pigeon bred by Des Thomas Flint.

Robbie Thomas presenting Alan Shinton with his first Breeder buyer and first open Carentan winning a total of £2205.50

John Quick receiving his second breeder buyer Carentan prize of £1000.

 

Dave Woodworth presenting Robbie Thomas with his fourth breeder prize of £150

Brain Jones (Jones, Lamb and Daughter) receiving his prize for sixth open Carentan winning £48 

 

The Saltney Carentan YB Open Race

The open race was run in conjunction with the breeder buyer event with participants allowed to double bank pigeons from the breeder buyer back into the open also those who sent that were not in the race radius could send to the open as tit was not radiuses and open to all the UK. The result does not really resemble the breeder buyer result but there were three on the result that were doubled banked including the winner.

Carentan Open (13/31) First open is Alan Shinton Ellesmere Port (double banked from the breeder buyer) winning £205. Second Open Paul Moulton and Williams winning £99.30. Third Open Nigel Shaw Crewe winning £62 (and first non-radiuses pigeon). Fourth Open is Steve Williams Bromborough winning £66.20 (double banked from the breeder buyer). Fifth Open Lloyd Brothers Brymbo. Sixth Open Jones, Lamb and Daughter winning £48. Seventh open ids Teggy Woodard Leeswood and eighth the last doubled banked day pigeon of Dave and Lynn Woodworth.

The Saltney Social Presentation 2015

                                                 This year presentation was again held in conjunction with the Christmas show. The attendance was very similar to the previous year with around thirty people attending.

                                                 The highlight of the day was the raffle which always appears to captivate every ones interest until the main prizes are gone then it’s time to start sending the kids up.

The guest of honour this year was Mr North West Combine himself Robbie Thomas (Jones & Thomas) of Bebington. Robbie need no introduction locally has again put up some class performances in 2015 culminating in the old bird season at Niort (500 miles) in timing the only two pigeons on the day from the North west Combine beating over 1100 pigeons. Robbie would also win the RPRA region award for distance and runner up in the RPRA national distance award. These performances really just compact the fact that this loft has put up similar performances season after season, put that together with the fact that Robbie personally is an extremely nice person makes for what most people consider one of the best fanciers in the country.

The Saltney Social Presentation Trophies 2015

          The prize giving got underway with the first fancier to make the long walk to the table would be Stephen (Stowey) Jones of the Evans & Jones partnership

                                                

                                 Stowey Jones making the long walk to the table          

                             Stowey receiving his prizes which included Fifth breeder Buyer and £300 prize money   

 

 

 

Carla, Ashlee and dad Geoff Jones receiving their 2015 prizes which included winning the last young bird race from West bay which rounded off a great season for this young and keen partnership

The partnership of P Moulton and Williams collecting their 2015 prizes which included second Open Carentan young Birds and seventh breeder buyer winning £299.30

     

 

                            

                                                             

                                                         

                                                               

                           Alan Atkinson pondering making the long walk to the presentation table and then making the walk which is no mean feat considering Alan has recently under gone hip replacement surgery so it was great to                                                                      see this master pigeon fancier back on his feet and although very steadily walking he did it exceptionally well considering.

Known as the Sandycroft slayer and latterly the Saltney slayer, the highest prize winner for 2015 Alan Atkinson has again had what can only be called an outstanding season. He has consistently dominated his club and continued where he left off in 2014 into 2015. Alan then went on to record and exceptional performance in the Midland National Flying Club from Carentan in June with his three entries into a convoy of some 8359 sent by some 840 fanciers winning First Section (100/978) fifty sixth open winning £983.60 Huge congratulations from all your fellow club mates.