LANARKSHIRE FEDERATION

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1 LANARKSHIRE FEDERATION By Tom Corrie Jnr Lanarkshire Federation Programme for 2015 Old Birds Programme 18/4/15 Otterburn 82 miles (average distances) 25/04/15 Otterburn 02/05/15 Hexham 95 miles 09/05/15 Sedgefield 129 miles 16/5/15 Thirsk 150 miles 22/5/15 Thirsk 30/05/15 Wetherby Yearling Open 165 miles 06/06/15 Peterborough - Egm change (240 miles 13/06/15 Sedgefield 20/06/15 Portsmouth Inland National with SNFC (370 miles) 27 /06/15 Otterburn 82miles 04/07/15 Ypres with SNFC 440 miles Young Birds programme 25/07/15 Otterburn 01/08/15 Otterburn 08/08/15 Hexham 15/08/15 Sedgefield 22/08/15 Thirsk(Open) 29/08/15 Thirsk 05/09/15 Otterburn Lanarkshire Federation -Breeder /Buyer sale Second sale, 12th April at Newmains FC,12 noon for 1pm sale All the best from Lanarkshire and beyond. No limits on what you can enter or purchase. Sedgefield 15th August is race day. Life down the Compound I took a trip down to Blantyre compound/allotment to have a chat with the Wyllie brothers Jimmy and Aki, Life on the allotment is so much more difficult than having the birds at your back door, no running water, limited security but the lads have always got a smile on their face. There is always something new to see. The lads have built their own wood burner out of an old gas bottle - ingenuous, great for those cold short days down the compound. This takes me back to fond memories when I used to visit Robert and Johnny Currans of Chryston near Glasgow who also kept their birds in this style of allotments, these guys were top flyers in their day and kept the Nash of Croy strain that were famous for the great hen Daphne s delight who was timed on the night in a North West wind to win the SNFC Rennes race back when this was the main race in every fancier s calendar. These guys had a heart of gold and put many a fancier on the map with their family of pigeons. During this time Jimmy & Akie took me next door to visit neighbour Alec McInnes,"The legend of the compound", the guy they all have had to beat over the decades. Alec had some new white pigeons flying with his batch; I asked if that was his new distance strain to which he laughed "no, have you any funerals on the way?" These are part of his new enterprise along with his hens and rabbits in a small settlement attached to his compound. Jimmy started the banter laughingly when Alec was showing me his conservatory full of trophies, "Tam, he is a hasbeen" and Alec quickly replied "better than being a never been." This is the banter these guys always have down the compound. The thing is on a Saturday with sometimes hundreds of birds racing back to the compound these guys can tell from a distance what loft in the allotment they are heading for. When one of them get a good un they celebrate as if it is their own (although they wouldn't say so).

2 It's amazing to watch how one fancier s pigeons are sitting on the lofts whilst the next fancier has the flag up working the pigeons - remarkable... it really is a great sport, this pigeon game. Always a pleasure lads. I have included some photos of Alec's compound. Thanks for the eggs, Alec, they will "scramble" the opposition in the centre section this year, ha-ha! Date for your Diary: Young Bird Sale in Aid of Children's Gala Day Mick McCormick of Uddingston & Dist club has organised a very special young bird sale. This is a great opportunity to purchase new stock from some of the best names flying into the Lanarkshire Federation and also some from outwith the federation. This will take place on 5th April at Uddingston & District. Viewing from 11am sale starts at 1pm. Come along and support this great venture. Contact Mick on Sale List 1 Billy Allison-Lanarkshire/Fed 2 Bill Traynor-L/Fed first of two 3 John Cosgrove & Son-L/Fed 4 Norman Orr-L/Fed 5 Jim Cameron-L/Fed 6 Vincent Hendry-L/Fed 7 Alec McInnes-L/Fed 8 Ken Buchannan-L/Fed 9 Wullie Millen-L/Fed 10 D Young & Daughter-L /Fed 11 Lindsay & Henderson-L/Fed 12 John Leggat-L/Fed 13 Dougie Spittal-Glasgow 14 Kevin Docherty-L/Fed 15 Billy Bilsland-Ayton 16 John Carswell-L/Fed 17 Tom Corrie Son G/son-L/Fed 18 Jamie McGowan-LSC 19 Tam Richardson-L/Fed 20 Paddy Docherty-Kilbraken 21 Jim Cullen-L/Fed 22 JJHood-LSC 23 Billy Gordon-/Fed 24 Gareth Rankin-L/Fed 25 McCormick & Hughes-L/Fed 26 Walter Boswell-L/Fed 27 GWP Macaloney-L/Fed 28 Bill Traynor-L/Fed-second bird 29 Mr & Mrs Elliot-L/Fed 30 J Wood-LFed 31 Billy Graham-L/Fed 32 Jock Alston-L/Fed 33 Jim Hannah-L/Fed Possibly one the best sales of the season, organised for all the right reasons. Come along and purchase your stars of the future. Tom Corrie jnr Lanarkshire Press Officer corrietom@aol.com A small sample of the many trophies and cups in Alec Mcinness conservatory room attached within his allotment

3 Past Champion pigeon, Calder Valley Gem star of Alec's 1st Lanarkshire Federation Lille 2005, multiple 1st Fed winner and still breeding at the loft Selection of one of the lofts at Alec's set up, neat and tidy, styled very much in the traditional Scottish All distance racing loft

4 Wyllie Bros on left and right with John Lawrie Champion Woody owned by Callum Walker, Carluke club, now retired to stock on the bull system. Hopefully he will pass on them winning genes.

5 Alec McInnes( right )with good friend Jimmy McMillan

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