Quality is a choice

[NeilA]

We pay 85p to 210 mile

Thats pretty good Neil, I think the Solent North road charge about that. We are a smaller and relatively new fed so are paying a bit more, I think we are around £1 but I honestly couldn't tell you for certain, I just pay what the treasurer charges me This is up to around 250miles, the longer races we go with the Solent Federation, these are generally paid pro rata, our longest race last year was Creiff, 407miles to me, this cost around £3/bird.

We are 75p fed 10p club
But from Berwick it is a combine so we pay £1.65 I think Thurso was £3.50 but there is a bit if prize money with them
Very similar to you

[Trev]

All are racing is done inland from 44/120mls not good at all to be honest.
Before Brexit the Combine used to race across the Channel from Carentan down to as far as Bergerac maybe longer, Andy on here will probably correct me if I'm wrong. But unfortunately it's not financially viable & member's not wishing to have vet's visits etc to comply.

The Southcoast federation down here is the same, they race along the coast, West to East. First race is around 60miles, they can go down into Sennen cove or Penzance which are both over 200miles, however due to the length of time it takes to drive down there the birds would have to be basketed on a Thursday for a Saturday race which most of the members don't want so they rarely get that far meaning the longest race is usually around 150miles, that's why three years ago, some our clubs broke away and formed the Sussex North Road Federation. A lot of our members do still belong to both Feds and also belong to the classics so race across the water too, I myself joined the BICC again last year but didn't have the vet visits due to problems with the roof of my loft. This is now rectified so I am hoping to have the Vet visit in December so that I am able to send across the channel next season, club racing North is my preferred route and will be my priority but doing this will enable me to push some of my team just that bit further.
I think now that everyone has had to register their birds with the APHA that you will see more people having vet visits for next season.

[Trev]

We pay 85p to 210 mile

Thats pretty good Neil, I think the Solent North road charge about that. We are a smaller and relatively new fed so are paying a bit more, I think we are around £1 but I honestly couldn't tell you for certain, I just pay what the treasurer charges me This is up to around 250miles, the longer races we go with the Solent Federation, these are generally paid pro rata, our longest race last year was Creiff, 407miles to me, this cost around £3/bird.

We are 75p fed 10p club
But from Berwick it is a combine so we pay £1.65 I think Thurso was £3.50 but there is a bit if prize money with them
Very similar to you

That sounds reasonable mate, our fed still owes money to one or two members who helped set the Fed up so our costs reflect this as well. Due to the drop in numbers for our last few young bird races they did become expensive, the last race, 85miles, cost over £3 a bird, so I think membership fees and race fees will be one of the big topics for the winter meetings.

[NeilA]

Yes not easy setting up
Can’t you go with the nrcc to the longer races as a fed ? We did to Thurso this year and I think a Yorkshire fed do good there longer races
I know it means sending the transporter to Cambridge for the marking station but maybe cheaper
Yes marked the night before hen foot picked up about 830 from Cambridge the next morning when the nrcc marked

[Trev]

Yes not easy setting up
Can’t you go with the nrcc to the longer races as a fed ? We did to Thurso this year and I think a Yorkshire fed do good there longer races
I know it means sending the transporter to Cambridge for the marking station but maybe cheaper
Yes marked the night before hen foot picked up about 830 from Cambridge the next morning when the nrcc marked

That's what I'd like to see mate, it was discussed and they did speak to the NRCC about it, we could do it but a lot of our members said they'd only go with them if they could have a seperate liberation bloody ridiculous idea which made absolutely no sense to me and of course was duly refused by the NRCC, wonder why

[Andy]

Hello Neil, Andy would be in a better place to answer this question as he's flown the North program before a few year's ago. Think it was £1 a bird I stand corrected if I've got that wrong flying with the Combine in these short races, Andy is probably in 1 of the stronger clubs at present .

No hope of going North Neil. I would do but the only club anywhere near me racing North is the SW Lerwick club I think it’s called. They mark in Bristol and would be a 3 hour round trip for me. Also they aren’t taking any new members. The Dorset fed fly North but because I’m just over the border in Somerset I’m out of their radius.
I did race North a couple of years ago Dave and did ok but that was only for the year that the BICC, BBC, & CSCFC went North.
The combine are very unlikely to go North as it is predominantly dictated too by the big National and Classic flyers who are long distance flyers and just use the combine in preparation for the big races so don’t want to be going over 100 miles. The trouble here going East to West the furthest we can get is Ramsgate 168 miles on the East coast of Kent before they go into the sea
The combine charge £1 a bird for all races + a 10p club fee for all races. So that’s £1.10p for just 34 miles up to 108 miles. We had 11 races at 34 miles.
Yes Dave Glastonbury is probably the strongest club in the combine with some great members. We are still probably going to join the 3 counties next year and stay with the combine at least for another year.

On a different note and a bit more back to topic. Things are moving on quickly personally and we could be putting our shop and home up for sale in the spring and looking to move. Looking at moving down South Devon way which would mean I could still fly in the 3 counties and at least get around 200 miles. I am unlikely to re-join any of the classics and go back into distance racing as I do enjoy sprint racing. With all this in mind, and Neil I know I said I don’t keep stock birds lol, I have been offered and accepted 4 pairs of Lambrechts from a good friend of mine some of whom have already bred combine winners. So should add a few sprinters to my team for next young bird season wherever I might be at the time.

[Trev]

Hello Neil, Andy would be in a better place to answer this question as he's flown the North program before a few year's ago. Think it was £1 a bird I stand corrected if I've got that wrong flying with the Combine in these short races, Andy is probably in 1 of the stronger clubs at present .

No hope of going North Neil. I would do but the only club anywhere near me racing North is the SW Lerwick club I think it’s called. They mark in Bristol and would be a 3 hour round trip for me. Also they aren’t taking any new members. The Dorset fed fly North but because I’m just over the border in Somerset I’m out of their radius.
I did race North a couple of years ago Dave and did ok but that was only for the year that the BICC, BBC, & CSCFC went North.
The combine are very unlikely to go North as it is predominantly dictated too by the big National and Classic flyers who are long distance flyers and just use the combine in preparation for the big races so don’t want to be going over 100 miles. The trouble here going East to West the furthest we can get is Ramsgate 168 miles on the East coast of Kent before they go into the sea
The combine charge £1 a bird for all races + a 10p club fee for all races. So that’s £1.10p for just 34 miles up to 108 miles. We had 11 races at 34 miles.
Yes Dave Glastonbury is probably the strongest club in the combine with some great members. We are still probably going to join the 3 counties next year and stay with the combine at least for another year.

On a different note and a bit more back to topic. Things are moving on quickly personally and we could be putting our shop and home up for sale in the spring and looking to move. Looking at moving down South Devon way which would mean I could still fly in the 3 counties and at least get around 200 miles. I am unlikely to re-join any of the classics and go back into distance racing as I do enjoy sprint racing. With all this in mind, and Neil I know I said I don’t keep stock birds lol, I have been offered and accepted 4 pairs of Lambrechts from a good friend of mine some of whom have already bred combine winners. So should add a few sprinters to my team for next young bird season wherever I might be at the time.

You always did do well with your widowhoods Andy, hopefully those new birds you are getting will do well for you over the coming seasons and give you a good foundation for your future team. Hopefully you'll get a few more options and be in a better position when you do move bro, as well as having more time of course.

[NeilA]

Yes not easy setting up
Can’t you go with the nrcc to the longer races as a fed ? We did to Thurso this year and I think a Yorkshire fed do good there longer races
I know it means sending the transporter to Cambridge for the marking station but maybe cheaper
Yes marked the night before hen foot picked up about 830 from Cambridge the next morning when the nrcc marked

That's what I'd like to see mate, it was discussed and they did speak to the NRCC about it, we could do it but a lot of our members said they'd only go with them if they could have a seperate liberation bloody ridiculous idea which made absolutely no sense to me and of course was duly refused by the NRCC, wonder why

Agree that’s daft as your long fliers and the radius really only has members from Nottingham to the coast so not really being pulled all over the place

[NeilA]

Hello Neil, Andy would be in a better place to answer this question as he's flown the North program before a few year's ago. Think it was £1 a bird I stand corrected if I've got that wrong flying with the Combine in these short races, Andy is probably in 1 of the stronger clubs at present .

No hope of going North Neil. I would do but the only club anywhere near me racing North is the SW Lerwick club I think it’s called. They mark in Bristol and would be a 3 hour round trip for me. Also they aren’t taking any new members. The Dorset fed fly North but because I’m just over the border in Somerset I’m out of their radius.
I did race North a couple of years ago Dave and did ok but that was only for the year that the BICC, BBC, & CSCFC went North.
The combine are very unlikely to go North as it is predominantly dictated too by the big National and Classic flyers who are long distance flyers and just use the combine in preparation for the big races so don’t want to be going over 100 miles. The trouble here going East to West the furthest we can get is Ramsgate 168 miles on the East coast of Kent before they go into the sea
The combine charge £1 a bird for all races + a 10p club fee for all races. So that’s £1.10p for just 34 miles up to 108 miles. We had 11 races at 34 miles.
Yes Dave Glastonbury is probably the strongest club in the combine with some great members. We are still probably going to join the 3 counties next year and stay with the combine at least for another year.

On a different note and a bit more back to topic. Things are moving on quickly personally and we could be putting our shop and home up for sale in the spring and looking to move. Looking at moving down South Devon way which would mean I could still fly in the 3 counties and at least get around 200 miles. I am unlikely to re-join any of the classics and go back into distance racing as I do enjoy sprint racing. With all this in mind, and Neil I know I said I don’t keep stock birds lol, I have been offered and accepted 4 pairs of Lambrechts from a good friend of mine some of whom have already bred combine winners. So should add a few sprinters to my team for next young bird season wherever I might be at the time.

That sounds good Andy and I don’t blame you one bit for trying some new sprint birds out

[Buster121]

Hello Neil, Andy would be in a better place to answer this question as he's flown the North program before a few year's ago. Think it was £1 a bird I stand corrected if I've got that wrong flying with the Combine in these short races, Andy is probably in 1 of the stronger clubs at present .

No hope of going North Neil. I would do but the only club anywhere near me racing North is the SW Lerwick club I think it’s called. They mark in Bristol and would be a 3 hour round trip for me. Also they aren’t taking any new members. The Dorset fed fly North but because I’m just over the border in Somerset I’m out of their radius.
I did race North a couple of years ago Dave and did ok but that was only for the year that the BICC, BBC, & CSCFC went North.
The combine are very unlikely to go North as it is predominantly dictated too by the big National and Classic flyers who are long distance flyers and just use the combine in preparation for the big races so don’t want to be going over 100 miles. The trouble here going East to West the furthest we can get is Ramsgate 168 miles on the East coast of Kent before they go into the sea
The combine charge £1 a bird for all races + a 10p club fee for all races. So that’s £1.10p for just 34 miles up to 108 miles. We had 11 races at 34 miles.
Yes Dave Glastonbury is probably the strongest club in the combine with some great members. We are still probably going to join the 3 counties next year and stay with the combine at least for another year.

On a different note and a bit more back to topic. Things are moving on quickly personally and we could be putting our shop and home up for sale in the spring and looking to move. Looking at moving down South Devon way which would mean I could still fly in the 3 counties and at least get around 200 miles. I am unlikely to re-join any of the classics and go back into distance racing as I do enjoy sprint racing. With all this in mind, and Neil I know I said I don’t keep stock birds lol, I have been offered and accepted 4 pairs of Lambrechts from a good friend of mine some of whom have already bred combine winners. So should add a few sprinters to my team for next young bird season wherever I might be at the time.

That could be a good move for you mate, get your feet up and relax a bit, hope your new stock birds do well for you and the previous owner