Shows

[Trev]

Unfortunately it’s one of the things that has been lost in the sport over here. The whole social side was so much better years ago. During the winter months we would have club meetings every 3 weeks. Sometimes very little on the agenda but because these were held in a pub it was a chance for members to get together. Then we had the yearly show. It was a big event in our club. We had around 40 members. The show would be in a hall that had been hired for the day. I remember it being in the hall beside The Lamb pub in Durrington Trev. These would be on a Sunday. Penning would be from say 10 till 12. With several different classes. Judging then from 1 till 3. The judges would be fanciers from other nearby clubs. After which members went in to see who had won what. Of course in those days the pubs weren’t open Sunday afternoons.

I don't remember the ones next to lamb Andy but do remember the ones at the coach and horses, the club ran about 4 in all over the closed season. Judging was around mid day and while it was going on we would go into the pub where the Landlord (who then was Terry Spinks the boxer) would have roast potatoes on the bar
As you say Killer those were the days and sadly the social aspect is a thing of the past, clubs don't even seem to have their Christmas dinners and prize presentations any more either

[Andy]

Unfortunately it’s one of the things that has been lost in the sport over here. The whole social side was so much better years ago. During the winter months we would have club meetings every 3 weeks. Sometimes very little on the agenda but because these were held in a pub it was a chance for members to get together. Then we had the yearly show. It was a big event in our club. We had around 40 members. The show would be in a hall that had been hired for the day. I remember it being in the hall beside The Lamb pub in Durrington Trev. These would be on a Sunday. Penning would be from say 10 till 12. With several different classes. Judging then from 1 till 3. The judges would be fanciers from other nearby clubs. After which members went in to see who had won what. Of course in those days the pubs weren’t open Sunday afternoons.

I don't remember the ones next to lamb Andy but do remember the ones at the coach and horses, the club ran about 4 in all over the closed season. Judging was around mid day and while it was going on we would go into the pub where the Landlord (who then was Terry Spinks the boxer) would have roast potatoes on the bar
As you say Killer those were the days and sadly the social aspect is a thing of the past, clubs don't even seem to have their Christmas dinners and prize presentations any more either

The shows next to the Lamb may have been a bit before your time Trev. I can remember it happening on at least 2 occasions. I took a couple of prize cards including a second in the unraced hens class. She was a hen given to me from Tony Smith, our milk tanker driver for the farm I worked on, from Portslade. A lot of my original birds that I started with came from him. She was a 1977 pigeon so I would think that it would have been 1980/81. I do also remember have the shows, and also the odd sale, in the garage beside the Coach and Horses. Terry Spinks was certainly a character. He was a golden boy boxer winning gold in the Melbourne Olympics of 1956. Unfortunately drunk most of his profits and lost his license.

[Trev]

Unfortunately it’s one of the things that has been lost in the sport over here. The whole social side was so much better years ago. During the winter months we would have club meetings every 3 weeks. Sometimes very little on the agenda but because these were held in a pub it was a chance for members to get together. Then we had the yearly show. It was a big event in our club. We had around 40 members. The show would be in a hall that had been hired for the day. I remember it being in the hall beside The Lamb pub in Durrington Trev. These would be on a Sunday. Penning would be from say 10 till 12. With several different classes. Judging then from 1 till 3. The judges would be fanciers from other nearby clubs. After which members went in to see who had won what. Of course in those days the pubs weren’t open Sunday afternoons.

I don't remember the ones next to lamb Andy but do remember the ones at the coach and horses, the club ran about 4 in all over the closed season. Judging was around mid day and while it was going on we would go into the pub where the Landlord (who then was Terry Spinks the boxer) would have roast potatoes on the bar
As you say Killer those were the days and sadly the social aspect is a thing of the past, clubs don't even seem to have their Christmas dinners and prize presentations any more either

The shows next to the Lamb may have been a bit before your time Trev. I can remember it happening on at least 2 occasions. I took a couple of prize cards including a second in the unraced hens class. She was a hen given to me from Tony Smith, our milk tanker driver for the farm I worked on, from Portslade. A lot of my original birds that I started with came from him. She was a 1977 pigeon so I would think that it would have been 1980/81. I do also remember have the shows, and also the odd sale, in the garage beside the Coach and Horses. Terry Spinks was certainly a character. He was a golden boy boxer winning gold in the Melbourne Olympics of 1956. Unfortunately drunk most of his profits and lost his license.

It probably was Andy, it would have been the Ball Tree days, I used to come to the club with you and Dad on race nights but don't remember the shows. I joined the club in my own right in 1983 which would have been one of the last years we were at the Ball Tree. I remember your Tony Smith pigeons, weren't they McDonald's and mostly Reds ?? Along with a few birds Dad gave me you gave me a Red Cock when I started keeping my own birds in about 81 although I still raced under Dads name.
Yes Terry did lose the plot a bit and started wanting to fight or bar everyone very sad really.

[Andy]

Yes they were McDonalds and John Ellis mainly. There were some nice reds but probably the best was the one I called “big eyes” who was a dark chequer.

[Trev]

Yes they were McDonalds and John Ellis mainly. There were some nice reds but probably the best was the one I called “big eyes” who was a dark chequer.

I thought big eyes was a Vanhee from Nigel Monks Andy !! I do remember him though, he was a lovely bird and was still filling his eggs at 16 years old wasn't he ??

[Andy]

Yes they were McDonalds and John Ellis mainly. There were some nice reds but probably the best was the one I called “big eyes” who was a dark chequer.

I thought big eyes was a Vanhee from Nigel Monks Andy !! I do remember him though, he was a lovely bird and was still filling his eggs at 16 years old wasn't he ??

No Trev big eyes was from Tony. He was a 1978 pigeon. I did have a great Vanhee cock from Nigel Monk, a 1983 pigeon that had flown Thurso as a yearling. He became the sire of my loft. Yes he was still filling his eggs at 16. He bred me a hen that topped the Cornish Combine twice in a fortnight from over the channel when he was 14. He was sire, g.sire and g.g.sire of many of my best pigeons.

[Trev]

I know you had big eyes for a long time and I know he bred you some cracking pigeons, you and Dad both had some lovely birds from Nigel, another stockman if I remember correctly !!!

[Andy]

Don’t forget to get your entries in for this weeks show by this evening. Young cocks this week.

[Murray]

Yes Sir!

[Murray]

Just a quick question, In the old bird classes, are the pigeons meant to be old pigeons that raced in the last season, or maybe two seasons?

Or is the class inclusive of pigeons which are, simply, old.

Just wondering.