The world has in many ways become a smaller place, with ease of travel opening up places and foreign lands that the average pigeon fancier would never have dreamed of visiting (say) fifty years ago. Equally the internet and the World Wide Web has brought another dimension to many pigeon fanciers, with the ability at just the click of a mouse, to search web sites for articles and information, order medicines and equipment by ‘e’-mail, and even enter many of the bloggs and discussion groups that are now available.

IPRR & BICC

Have you noticed how the fancy seems to love initials? To the uninitiated IPRR stands for Independent Pigeon Racing Results and has an excellent web site under www.iprr.co.uk with amongst its many features; an active discussion page. The BICC as I’m sure everyone knows stands for British International Championship Club, and despite its wish to be seen as progressive, doesn’t as yet have an official web site of its own. The IPRR site has certainly taken on the role of supporting and promoting the BICC, with Dennis Wall and family keeping the web site fresh and constantly up to speed. The reason for combining the two under one heading, is to draw attention to a discussion that has been ongoing for several months now on the site, and with (as I write) close to 2,000 viewings and over 150 postings on the vexed subject of modernising the BICC current section boundaries. The idea being put forward in conjunction with Nigel Rigiani (chairman of the BBC – more initials), is to create three sections across the southern half of the UK, and a little wider than they currently are, then two more sections across the Midlands from 600 to 675 miles distance threshold from Pau, and a further one section from 675 miles; all the way North, thus creating six sections against the current three. It would certainly have the potential to create fairer racing, than at present where fanciers in (say) Sheffield are racing in the same section as (say) Southampton. If you visit the site and wish to view both the current and proposed new sections on a map of the UK, or indeed post your comments, I’m sure Dennis Wall would welcome contributors and equally be delighted to enter you on the BICC member register if of course you are a BICC member.

BICC Prize Presentation

Photo included of three Northamptonshire prize winners at the recent BICC evening at Harlow. From left to right – Yours truly 14th Open at Bergerac; Barry Hobbs 3rd, Open at Falaise and star of the show Trevor Bull with a superb 3rd Open again from Bergerac, which shows once over the Channel, it is quite possible to compete against the south coast up into Northamptonshire.

June 6th, 2007 

The good news from DEFRA  - that all fanciers who see the Channel, and racing across it as the ultimate test,   -  will have welcomed last week, is the lifting of the ban imposed by DEFRA because of the potential for AI to be imported by birds racing from France. Certainly the organisers of the “D-Day” race from Merville on June 6th, will be more than pleased as they have now 100% confirmed that this race is again to take place on the anniversary of that famous invasion that was the beginning of the end of world war two. The last few months has seen an exhibition in the war museum in London, about animals in war, and although entry to the war museum is free (thanks to good old Ken Livingstone) the entry to the animals in war part costs £6.00, but is worth the price. I’m enclosing a couple of photos of the pigeon exhibit, which shows everything from Dicken medal winners to the containers the birds were parachuted in behind enemy lines.

Northamptonshire fanciers supported this race well, when it was last run some three years ago, and it is hoped that monies raised from raffles held at the BICC marking station will all be put to prize money for the first (or maybe more) birds back into the county from this race. There is also a small amount of money left over from the Northampton Classic race held last September, and I for one – and I’m sure Gordon Raku would agree – that rather than pocket this surplus between us, it would be far better put back into this race, to commemorate many poignant memories and honour many brave men and women who gave us our freedom.

Northampton SRFC

The club has been resident at The Pioneer pub in Northampton for the best part of 22 years, but that unfortunately is all about to come to an end. The pub was sold last autumn to a private individual who has undertaken a much needed refurbishment and revamp, and in all fairness the pub is (on the inside) far better than it was. The outside is the problem, which includes the pigeon HQ and with sights set on revamping this area as well, the club have been given their marching orders; and just when we had sorted out our year ahead with reduced costs, our own transport and even a training schedule. The membership all want to continue and are looking for a suitable venue, so by the time the next “Ramblings” goes to print there will hopefully be positive news on a new HQ and also where the BICC marking will take place.

Training

As mentioned above, the club are going to utilise their 300 bird trailer for training runs every Wednesday starting on April 11th, at Oxford and then every Wednesday thereafter to The Ridgeway (about ten miles north of Newbury). Pick-up will be before 9.00 at Farndish or 9.45-10.00 at The Queen Eleanor in Northampton and at a very generous price of just 25 P per bird. The intention is to put some money into the club coffers and subsidise our racing expenditure, so if you want to be involved phone the telephone number below.

Film Critique

I’ve done most things in the pigeon sport from judging at Blackpool to scraping out race crates for the BICC; from dining in the House of Commons to waiting hours for the transporter that never comes, but never before have I been asked to be a film critique, and the person who has asked me has presumably more faith in me giving a sound appraisal, than I have of myself being capable. We are back to the opening paragraph, when I said that the World Wide Web has opened many a different door for fanciers. My own web site attracted a completely unsolicited request a few weeks ago from a film producer living in New York no less, to receive a copy of his film on DVD titled “The Flight” and review it and write an appraisal in this column in the BHW. Never one to shun a challenge I agreed, and after an exchange of ‘e’-mails with a gentleman called Alessandro Croseri to determine if my DVD would play an American version of his film, a little cardboard box arrived in the post last week, with a professionally presented DVD inside.

Al, (as he signs his ‘e’-mails) lives on East 21st Street in New York, and the film opens with sight of two pigeons dropping out of a sputnik type trap, from his apartment some 16 floors up, with the sounds of a jumbo jet overhead. Just imagine trapping your birds on race day (or any day infact) 16 floors up at a window amongst literally thousands of other panes of glass. That in it self must have taken some training, but I digress. The film is not long, lasting just short of ten minutes, and on first viewing evoked a feeling of nostalgia, coupled to pride at being involved with a small feathered creature that had clearly performed so gallantly and saved so many lives. The film is a mix of still photographs that have been ‘zoomed-in on’; old film clips from the war and in black & white; modern day colour and some sepia. There are photos and clips well merged together, showing pigeons being released from the First World War trenches to battle tanks in the second war; from mobile American lofts to sailors liberating birds off warships, and all this with no voice over at all – just music. I didn’t recognize the first few minutes of music background but the sound of Amazing Grace throughout the last five minutes warranted turning up the volume. As the DVD cover itself states the film is a homage to the bravery of homing pigeons who saved thousands of lives, and amongst the pigeons featured are;- G I Joe, who evidently saved over 1,000 lives and won the Dicken medal. It would (as any good film critic will inform you) be giving the game away if I documented every last detail of all the pigeons included in the film, but perhaps suffice to say some of the birds featured include a bird who lost a foot and still lived on for eleven more years; another who flew no less than 52 missions and lived for 20 years despite losing a left eye; and other pigeons whose feats of endurance and bravery make you truly wonder if you ever dare question today’s conveyors who might possibly have let the race birds up with a chance of rain down the line, or a bit of mist around the edges. Fantastic pigeons all of them! The film concludes with shots of the first two birds returning to their 16th floor home to bring us back to modern times, and a feeling that the DVD had only scratched the surface and the film would potentially have been enjoyed even more, had it run four or five or even six times longer. I now await the call from the British Film Industry to review their latest multi-million pound blockbuster production…….…Oh just been nudged awake! Seriously though I do thoroughly recommend you obtain a copy of this DVD if you can, and watch (see www.pigeonsincombat.com) as it is hopefully just a prelude to a longer version forthcoming in due course. I think they call that an appetite taster. 

Any views on Northamptonshire South Road racing to 01933 410322