THE RACING PIGEON 27 OCTOBER 2023
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talking pigeons. He will be sadly missed by all those who knew and admired him. I extend condolences to his widow and family at this time. I was sorry also to learn of the passing of Rob Renwick from Creca, near Annan. Rob entered the fancy as a boy in Eastriggs, competing in partnership with his father as R Renwick & Son. Following his marriage, he moved to live at Creca and entered the fancy in his own name with his loft being sited close to the loft location of the late Tom Little. Prior to splitting partnership with his father, he gained a number of successes from the Classics with the Goossen line of Robbie Rome being particularly influential and at the time when he and his father split part- nership, the loft at Eastriggs was right at the front from the Blue Riband event from Rennes being 2nd Open to John Hodgson. On moving to Creca, the success story continued with Rob gaining a number of good positions from the Classics. The village of Creca is situated near to the former Chapelcross Nuclear Power Station, which included four immense Cooling Towers and eight Heat Exchangers as part of the complex. A few years after he formed his new loft, a pair of peregrines chose to nest on one of the Heat Exchangers and they began to target Rob’s loft. Notwithstanding the ongoing problems, however, Rob continued to win out of turn in Brydekirk Club and with the National. In 2011, for example, he was 2nd Section 5th Open from the SNFC Blue Riband event from Messac and 3rd Section 45th Open from Clermont. The pigeon that was 2nd Section Messac was a blue cock that was bred from a hen that was bred by Ralston Graham from Langholm, which was one of two latebreds that Rob’s wife, Karen, purchased for him. As the years passed, however, the Peregrine’s continued to cause havoc and the situation was such that Rob couldn’t let the young birds out to exercise and tossed them instead, every other day, from circa 20 miles. In an endeavour to cope with the menace, at the gateway to season 2015, he decided to change the system to Roundabout rotating cocks and hens in the shed. The result was spectacular, with the team scoring consistently throughout the season with one particular hen gaining 4x1st, 1x2nd and 1x4th in a single season. In time his frustration was such that he cut back in numbers and decided to compete in the Club only and stop racing from the Classics as he found it virtually impossible to set individual pigeons up for National competition. There is no doubt that he was real good fancier and tireless worker for the sport; he will be sadly missed and on behalf of the local fancy, I extend condolences to his widow, Karen to their son and the wider family at this sad time.
including trailers, ploughs, cultivators, potato diggers etc. He progressed to the Drawing Office and thereafter became a Salesman travelling the country repre- senting the Company. When John Pollock, the proprietor of the Company, retired in 1998, Jimmy took ownership and renamed it Pollock Farm Equipment. The Company had previously been sited at Mauchline and he moved into larger premises in 1998 at Lugar. Prior to his acquisition of the company they manufac- tured Byre Cleaners and he developed the Cleaner to extend its capability and further introduced solid state controls to provide positive and more reliable control and response. Amongst the other equip- ment, which they manufacture are inno- vate Bale Handlers and Cow Brushes. In Jimmy’s hands, the company has gone from strength to strength and has extended the customer base with
administration. He was Federation President and SHU Delegate, serving as a delegate for over twenty years. He sat on a number of sub-committees and was elected President of the Scottish Homing Union after which he became President of the Confederation of Long Distance Racing Pigeon Unions. Without previously knowing him I had reason to contact him when he was President of the SHU. I came in from my work one night and Jacqueline brought to my attention an article in a local news- paper, which reported that a fancier was having to part with his pigeons and leave the sport due to a complaint by a neigh- bour. With knowledge that the fancier had just experienced a bereavement in his family, Jacqueline said to me “with all your contacts surely you know someone who could help him”. I picked up the phone and called Jimmy McGhee as President
more bred by Tommy Gilbertson. The bloodlines are 75% Doctor Buckley with the dominant pigeon in the pedigree being blue pied hen ‘Emergency Winona’, which won the Cumberland Combine from Sartilly and actually features across the pedigree of the National winner on four occasions. The pigeon’s ring number was ‘999’ and when it was race marked the club members jokingly named it ‘Emergency’. The blue pied hen was the product of a half brother and sister pairing with as previously explained, the domi- nant pigeon in the lineage being ‘Jay Bee’ that was 1st Cumbria Combine. The National winner was named ‘Mister Tom’, taking its name from the breeder, Tommy Gilbertson. The birds mentioned are but examples of Tommy Gilbertson bloodlines that have won into the Solway Federation area. Importantly, consider also the achieve-
Graham & Steven Dalgliesh’s ‘Ashgrove Tom’, photographed two days after he won the Section from Roye 2019.
Gordon Gran’s ‘Mister Tom’ 1st Open SNFC Maidstone, photographed two day after the race
hundreds of Byre Cleaners being exported to such diverse locations as Japan. In 1999 the Company was presented with a Silver Medal at the Royal Highland Show for Innovation and received a further Silver Medal in 2019. Three years later they received the supreme accolade when Jimmy was presented with a Gold Medal at the Royal Highland Show, again for Innovation. Over the years he built up an impressive collection of ‘Mauchline Ware’, which our discerning readers will understand is highly sought after. His collection is so impressive that on one occasion he appeared on the Antique Roadshow with David Harper displaying three hundred examples. He was also an avid supporter and sponsor of Cumnock Juniors Football Club and was ever so proud when they won the Scottish Junior Cup in 2023. When he took ownership of Pollock Agriculture he chose to part with his pigeons, due to work commitments, but always retained the interest and loved being in the company of fanciers and
of the Union and explained what had happened and he asked for a phone number and said he would speak to the fancier. Several hours later he called me back to say that he had travelled into our area that night and had talked to the fancier and had assured him that he would endeavour to help. Several days later I received a further phone call to say that Jimmy had returned to the South of Scotland, talked to Council Officials and as President of the Union had appealed on behalf of the fancier. After discussion the Council had agreed to re-house the fancier and assured him he would be allowed to house his pigeons at his new address. To say I was impressed would be a gross understatement, and under- standing what he had done to assist that fancier I so admired him from that day forward. On leaving school Jimmy McGhee joined A & W Pollock as an apprentice agricultural engineer. Pollock’s were a long established, reputable company who manufactured agricultural equipment
ment of Rodgers & Benn’s fabulous Blue hen ‘Mary’ that recently won the NW National from Weymouth. What a marvel- lous family of pigeons! I was sorry to learn of the passing of Jimmy McGhee from Cumnock in Ayrshire, who was a former President of the SHU and the Confederation. Jimmy entered the pigeon fancy as a youth, joining Cumnock Club in partnership with his brother Eddie, competing under the loft title D McGhee & Sons. Cumnock Club incidentally, being a member club of Ballochmyle Federation. Whilst their father’s name was included in the loft title he was a non-fancier and had no physical input into the birds and it was his sons who raced the pigeons. The years passed, with Eddie going to College to train for the Priesthood and in his absence, Jimmy continued to manage and race the birds under the original loft title. When Eddie completed his studies, he formed a loft at his own address initially competing in Lethanhill Club and subsequently in Saltcoast Club, which incidentally, was a member club of Ayrshire Federation. Interestingly the loft managed by Jimmy raced under the loft title J & E McGhee with the loft managed by Father Eddie competing under the title E & J McGhee. Jimmy was a good fancier and a very able judge of a pigeon, on one occasion he and his brother along with Robert McCubbin, were invited to judge at a Show in London. One of the birds that Jimmy put up to win its class went on to gain BIS and when he spoke to the winning fancier after judging he said how good the bird was and added that if he set it up and entered it in the Blackpool Show the following year it would take some beating. Lo and behold the bird gained BIS at Blackpool the following year. Good as he was as a fancier his real talent was
RPRA NORTH EAST REGION The undermentioned organisation has applied to this Region for affiliation HUNMANBY & DISTRICT NORTH ROAD FLYING CLUB Any objection must be made in writing to the Region Secretary within 21 days of the publication of this advert. D K Higgins 6 Billingwood Drive, Rawdon, Leeds LS19 6PZ
NORTH WEST HOMING UNION Notice of 2023 AGM . The Annual General Meeting will take place at 1300 hours on Saturday 9th December 2023. All propositions from clubs to be submitted to the NWHU Secretary hands by 11th November 2023. The AGM will be followed by an Ordinary Meeting. All members welcome. No expenses paid but tea and biscuits provided. Meritorious Awards. All applications to be in by 9th December 2023 Cat A: Old birds to 250 miles. Cat B: Old birds over 250 miles. Cat C: Old birds all round performance. Cat D: Young bird all round performance. A bird may qualify for more than one class. Please fill a separate form for each class entered. Forms on website. nwhu.co.uk , or by emailing the Secretary nwhuhelp@gmail.co.uk . Rings & Subscriptions. Rings 15p multiples of 10. Annual subscription £5 per member. P&P £1.75 per 100 rings. Transfers free. Club membership free. Racing Support 07933068638. Open 7 days a week. All calls returned. Online transfers, online reporting.
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