Lanarkshire Federation - Martin & King of Shotts
"Kings of the Skye in the Eighties"
Blast from the past, Tom Corrie undertakes Question & Answer session with Kenny Martin who remembers fondly his time with his father’s pigeon racing partnership Martin & King of Shotts. This partnership were in their day up with the best in Scotland.
Thanks to Kenny Martin for this little piece of history
1 Can you give me some background on your Dads partnership (Names, relationship etc), how it was formed, what working background and how they managed their pigeons around their work. How many years the partnership lasted.
Martin & King, Shotts was formed by Hugh Martin & Father in law Alex King. Neither are living and my involvement only really started when I was injured as a 10 year old kid (primary 6) and I had several weeks off school. So that was in 1985 or so when I was introduced to what was Martin & King. The partnership was probably formed in or around 1970’s when they flew in the Midland Federation. The earliest pigeons that we have pictures of date back to 1975.
Alex King (my papa) was a miner who then turned his hand to being a nursing assistant at Hartwood Hospital. As I remember things, he didn’t work having suffered from emphysema and as such he spend most of his day at the pigeons or slowly walking ‘up the hill’. He often stood at the cross with his mining friends reminiscing on the ‘old days’. He was a slow walker what with the emphysema and always took his time. I remember as a young lad that he would actually go into the doo kit and feed them, water them etc but that was hard with his breathing difficulties.
Hugh Martin worked at the local Cummins Diesel Engine Factory. He worked on the line and then later in the final test beds before the engines were shipped out. Typically, Alex would tend to the pigeons during the day by dad was the brains and braun. He took to the hard works of fending for the birds and strategizing all with some of the wisdom of Alex to fall back on when required.
At the age of 10 when I got involved things started to evolve. I was the young silent partner having never been interested in the pigeons until dad decided I was not allowed to sit around the house. My daily chore was to take the water down to the loft and refresh water and feeding, all to strict instructions of course. That was when I got hooked. I used to just spend and hour down there which turned into a few hours or even full days. As my interest grew the chores became more involved i.e. letting the birds out in the morning, feeding, watering, scraping out and as I grew older and stronger I was responsible for basketing the birds so that my dad could take them training at 3pm when he finished work.
We were a good team!. Whilst Dad was training the old birds I would let the youngsters out for their evening fly and then I would bring them in just before I anticipated the old birds would be home.
By that time Alex was almost a silent partner. He used to watch the birds from his living room window tending not to venture too far from the house other than race day!
2 Where were the loft situated and some detail of the lofts, loft sited size, daily management of the pigeons, scraped out or deep litter.
The lofts were in a private allotment some 2min walk from our home but my papa could see the lofts from his living room window as he lived closer. In the end up there were 4 lofts in total:-
4 x 7 ft stock loft with 12pairs of pigeons and an aviary as the stock birds were not allowed out.
6 x 24ft loft with 4 ends. 3 ends were natural with 9 pair in each and the 4 end was youngsters usually the 3rd round with approximately 30youngsters
12 x 12ft loft split in 2 which held 24 pair of natural pigeons although they dabbled in widow hood. I say dabbled because ne never wanted to stop racing his hens.
5 x 24 ft loft split into 3 ends for young birds. Approximately 70 young birds.
3 Background of the family of pigeons .How long was the family established
As I remember it the ‘blue’ family originated from Wilson and McShane from East Kilbride whom as I understand it had good national pigeons. My vague recollection of the stories were that Martin & King were then steady flyers but the introduction of the ‘blues’ gave them better performances and more long distance performances.
In or around 1985 my dad went to a Derek Mitcham of Doncaster to purchase some sprint pigeons. His focus then was growing a team of pigeons that would allow him to participate at all levels of the sport.
Over the course of the next few years the performance of the loft gradually increased year on year until his bumper season of 1988
4,What was your own involvement in the pigeons
I was his right hand man. Silent in the named partnership but always at the loft every day for several hours and always attending the club on basket day and for clock checking etc. As I grew older and stronger my physical chores at the loft became more onerous but I loved the sport. Scraping out deep litter was usually left to cure my hangovers. I had to hang up my boots after attending University to study Architecture which was daily commutes to Glasgow. I think the stress of having to manage such a large team of pigeons without my assistance was one of the factors that lead to him leaving the sport. At the time he probably had around 80pair of pigeons and bred 120-140 youngsters. The year he gave up the sport the youngsters hardly left the loft.
5 Was the loft based on distance flying or federation flying
Every race was an opportunity to win. He wanted to win from the 1st race to the last race generally enjoying the sport. Great satisfaction was achieved from wining 1st Federations from the short racing to winning section and national tickets at SNFC. Personally, I always had greater appreciation for the bird that would fly 360miles + in the day and win tickets. Such special birds to want to fly home from these distances in less than 12 hours.
6 what clubs were they members
Their main club was Allanton Welfare Pigeon Club but the partnership also flew in Cambusnethan & Morningside, Lanarkshire Social Circle and SNFC.
7 What was their thoughts around feeding the pigeons, fed by hand or hopper. What did they feed and when.
The pigeons were fed by hopper but my papa Alex used to reminisce of the days where the birds would land on him and he could feed them by hand. Not something my dad had time for i.e. getting to know the pigeons ‘that well’. Each end would have a timber hopper on the floor and its own drinking fountain. Typically, my dad would change their waters and feed them in the morning before work. They would get a little pick before training and then main feed at night. He didn’t believe in training or racing them hungry. The feeding changed throughout the year depending on the season. He would change it in the winter so they didn’t get fat. Then as breeding season approaches he would change up the feeding for rearing and he would drop beans in pots into each nest box. Eventually the youngsters would feed themselves on the beans. As the distance racing stretched out he would put maize in the next box pots just to help with fu elling the birds. Usually at 9 at night (during the summer months) he would go down to the loft to give them their treat. Every box would get a small handful of peanuts and seeds which was just a treat. The loft would be silent on arrival and as soon as they hear the padlock key getting opened the birds would go into frenzy awaiting their treats (seeds & peanuts)
Generally, he had garlic bulbs in the water and would always have the odd lettuce on the go too.
The peanuts were kept under the stairs in the house to keep then fresh. They were in a huge brown hessian bag. We had a Yorkshire terrier at the time who loved the peanuts so of course every time the door was opened under the stair the dog would go daft to get in there and eat the peanuts.
8 Was the birds road trained, if so how far and when. If loft exercise when and how long.
The birds were road trained. Probably trained Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday (weather permitting) all birds were not necessarily trained all of these days but the car was usually on the road training most days. Abington/Crawford tended to be the main training spot however on occasion and particularly for the birds racing longer distances he would take the off their line just to get them to think again. So, he would take them East at staged intervals all the way out to e.g. Rosslyn.
They had an open bowl most nights and could ‘play’ as he called it around the loft to suit themselves.
The youngsters were flagged at an early age to get them ranging usually for a 60 – 75min flight at which point they would then come in prior to the adult birds arriving from training.
I remember he went to Newmains Pigeon Club on race day to hand in results and he was asked why he was always so successful. The response to the gentleman who was supping on his pint was simply: ‘whilst you are in here drinking your pint, I’m going back up to take the rest of the birds training!’
9 What roles did they undertake in club
Dad undertook several roles in the club but usually as President/Vice President and even if he didn’t have a role he was in the thick of Committee stuff. Organising the annual awards dinner dance and such like. He also used to bring a full lorry load or beans up from down south and distribute those for fanciers.
One of my most memorable tasks he undertook was born from his frustration at never being able to wind the SNFC combined average. He felt the West Section could never compete with the South or East Section and so he worked with the then Secretary of SNFC, Robert McLaughlin from Salsburgh to organise sales and events to raise funds for 4 trophies. These were to be presented to the combined average winner in each of the SNFC Sections. They were cracking trophies. I hope SNFC still use them.
10 How many years did the partnership fly.
As I say I think the partnership must have been started around 1970’s and dad sold up around 1990. Keeping so many pigeons and trying to run the loft whilst I was studying took its toll on dad but the real reason he left the sport was losses due to peregrines. He found it somewhat pointless in the end and the peregrine stole the show and took the shine off the sport. However, he maintained contact with a few fanciers and all in all supported 3 lofts until he passed.
11 Did they enjoy the social side of the sport. Attending presentation nights, shows. Blackpool show
He loved the social aspect. He would attend all of his clubs social events and particularly liked a quiz night. I always went with him. He wasn’t big on shows though but I managed to persuade him on a few occasions to enter shows with the Derek Mitcham birds. I recollect a pigeon SU88L 11128 who won first fed Carlisle with 11,000 birds winning best hen and best in show
12 What was your favourite memories with the pigeons.
I just loved being around the sport. It gave me something to do and took me off the streets. Many many great memories.
The thrill of timing in from a National and making the result. Timing in on a short race and the anticipation of clock checking time to see how we favoured. Going to the national basketing. My dad telling Andrew Eadie (Eadie & Kelly) that the Dorchester winner was in our basket and then of course she won 1st Fed Dorchester. My dad used to say there’s no point just training them and feeding them even if it’s the best of food and training. You need to incentivise them to come home. With the Dorchester winner ‘touch of class’ he set her up for the win as a yearling. He didn’t let her rear a youngster. For a full week he told me not to disturb her only to look at her. A few days before basketing he let me hold her and told me that young man is a pigeon in its prime physical condition. Hold her and remember what that feels like. She was buoyant yet muscular. She glided through my hand like silk. He then put her back in her box and slipped a chipping egg under her (for 2 days) to get her excited about the anticipation of a youngster. Then on basketing day he gave her a young chick just to get her incentive levels through the roof! His only concern was that this was the furthest he had tested the David Mitcham birds but he knew she was ready! She did win 1st Fed Dorchester that year and she was fully pulled nominated and accumulator everywhere. What a money lift we had that day and Andrew Eadie, well was he surprised?
13 Can you provide a background on their performances.
I’ve attached a picture of the 1988 performance.
