Stop The Pigeon

Despite the lockdown we stumbled upon a solitary Pigeon Fancier out on our exercise walk along Tabley Road this afternoon. It would be good if you could cross-reference your Blips with location and subject matter, but I do recall meeting a man on the same road years back taking his Macaw out for a ride in his open-top Austin-Healy sports car. I guess that is what hashtags are for.

Our man today was munching on an apple, before letting his own Racing Pigeons loose for a quick training flight back to his home in nearby Wigan. It would take his 12-month old trainees half an hour to get back to his loft he said. Longer than it would take him to drive home up the M6. His young birds had yet to fly in a competative race against opposition the man explained.

I have read this working class sport is under threat these days, but ironically through the wildlife success of now increasing Peregrine and Sparrow Hawk populations in our urban areas. I guess these raptors dont know the difference between the everyday ferral and these elite ultra marathon athletes.

Be a shame if this long-held Northern tradition was ever to die out. I hear the top pedigrees sell for a fortune.

MrsB’s birthday tomorrow, so we began her pre-birthday birthday when we got home. We got the idea from the concept of seeing ‘pre-pudding puddings’ dished up on The Great British Menu on BBC. Seems to work well as a concept.