That being disposed of, the speaker began to ponder the so-called "young bird sickness" currently bedevilling his loft. He had noticed, as had others before him, that regardless of no new youngsters being brought in, not using the transporter and not consciously going in and out of other people's lofts, that the sickness had occurred almost to the week that it had the year before. He thought that perhaps the stress brought on by training had precipitated a dormant virus, Adeno or Circo, and caused the birds to be susceptible to the "disease." Maybe. Maybe not. And where do the e-coli levels fit in, if in fact they do at all? It's not the problem it once was and most fanciers can handle it without a visit to the Veterinarian, but it is a nuisance all the same. Myself I wonder about any possible after effects. And how long they might last for.

We got to discussing day 500/600 milers, such as the Up North Combine currently seems to be producing. Admittedly we corridor fly in the UNC. It is relatively flat and there are fortunately few peregrines en-route. But and it is a large but, if you want to win anything you have to get up that corridor bloody quickly! The Combine is roughly 90/100 miles long and perhaps 15/20 miles wide. Most pigeon men live near to where they work and fly where they live, so there is little point in comparing different areas. And less point in saying which are the best birds. I do believe however that the birds flying the 500 ml plus races (and everyone in the Up North Combine flies over 530 miles minimum at Bourges, some at 600 miles and over) are infinitely better now than those of my youth. The time was when anything clocked before say 8 - 9 am. On the second day would have won most clubs, even Federations. But not now. Not anymore. Bourges is now a day race. I fly 571 miles from this race-point. In the last 11 years I have clocked eight times on the day and I certainly did not win all those races. Day racing is the rule now, not the exception.

Did we stretch the sprinters that made such an impression in the North of England? Probably. Did we get better as fanciers, as managers of pigeons? Obviously. Did the birds just get used to flying further and faster over a number of years? Possibly. Did we simply get hold of better birds? Almost certainly. The point being made however was that we have two choices now. Either move on to greater distances or stay where we are and get even better a what we are already good at! It is a moot point. And depends on where you are coming from. Where you are going to. I think that lots of pigeons would fly 500 miles if they were treated like 500 milers. Bourges was once won for the third time, in great style at National level, by the same pigeon. A Van Loon cross. I was surprised at this and said to the owner that I thought Van Loons were sprinters. He bluntly replied that the pigeon didn't know it was Van Loon! When so-called Buschaerts were dominating the West Durham Amalgamation I once asked if anyone in that organisation was flying anything other than these pigeons? "Yes" was the answer, "but they're not winning!" So, do we get better at what we are doing? Or do we move on?

Sunday saw the first transporter training for the young birds. Chaos today. Chaos tomorrow. Chaos in two weeks time. It's full steam ahead. The sky is filled, all day long, with batches of pigeons belting North. No wonder so many hit the wires. Their speed is suicidal. I took the opportunity when things quieted down to release my "visitor."A three year old blue pied cock. He came to me on the Saturday evening of the Thurso race and I put him into the little "sick-bay" that I have in my cabin for sick or lost birds. Wing-stamped, I telephoned his owner promising to release him when he was properly rested. He got loose one morning by mistake two days later as I cleaned the pen out. He returned late afternoon, flew straight into the cabin, cooed at himself in the mirror and promptly went into the cage. I was most impressed.

Two or three days later I let him go on purpose. He left heading South only to return, yet again, this time just before dark, and went into the cage, first inspecting himself in the mirror yet again! By Sunday, eight days after he first arrived, he was hanging on to the inside of the door of the cage wanting out. I said to myself "he's ready to go now, the previous releases have just been test flights to see if he could make it." He anxious to be on his way. I opened his cage and the back door of the cabin and out he went. Climbing high. And heading South. It was 10 am. He was back home, 250 miles away, by 4 pm. Flying into a head wind. Now I've seen this behaviour many times before but still it amazes me. How do they "fix"on a strange loft so quickly with little or no exposure to the loft surroundings? And if they can this so easily why do we sometimes have so much trouble settling our own birds? There is still a lot we don't know about our pigeons.

Our Chief Convoyer dropped in to see me. His father and I were great friends. Pigeon men tend not to be too complimentary when talking about Convoyers! Most fanciers rarely ever see the Convoyers report. It was good to get the facts straight from the horses mouth, so to speak. It is a thankless job. I hope people remember the good races he has given us when, inevitably, through no fault of his own, we get a bad one. Weather forecasting is an inexact science. This man, who had only recently flown a brilliant long-distance cross channel race, told me all about the birds breeding. One thing came over loud and clear. In every top class pigeon there is winning ancestry, somewhere along the line. If you go back far enough. This bird was no exception, I remember it's mother well!

Time management. Now there is a concept for you. It is often said that it is not how much free time a pigeon man has that matters, but how he uses the time that he does have. A Professor and Head of Department that I once worked for was an "expert" in crisis management. He created the crises. My job was managing them! All the time. Each day. And every day. Word must have reached Senior Administrative levels because he was sent an invitation to attend a time management course. His response was a classic of its kind. He asked them to provide him with a synopsis of the course. You see he hadn't the time to attend! There is a lesson there somewhere.

My long-time friend Dr Iley came to see me. It was good to see him looking so well. We go back a long way. To when I had no decent channel birds. He had and he freely gave me some. Six to be exact. One was an absolute fool and was soon "deselected." The other five all won. One went on to breed an Up North Combine winner from France. Some things you never forget! He livens things up a treat. Especially with his stories about his late and much-loved mother, who by all accounts, was a real character. Ready, as Ralph himself put it, "to run General Motors-at the drop of a hat." Despite her age! Anything I can do for this man will be done. Pigeon racing, is about more than just winning races. My blind fancier friend, Jed Jackson, now there is a wise man for you, once called pigeon racing his "social currency." Think about it.

Pigeons with broken legs are now coming in almost daily. A combination of windy days, intensive training, and reckless flying speeds. It reminds me of when young children get their first real bicycle. It is ridden at only one speed. Fast. As fast you can pedal. Downhill of course. With never a thought about crossing any main roads. Yet we survived. Most of us.

ROD ADAMS.