Annual Dinner & Prize Presentation 2021

Thank you to everyone who made our 2021 dinner and prize presentation an enjoyable evening over the weekend

of Saturday 23rd

October in Bournemouth. Even though we are all still being cautious and aware of Covid-19, it

was so good to meet up with many friends and old faces we haven’t seen for a while.

Life Vice President Robbie Hooper took charge of the proceedings for the evening calling our prize winners up to

receive their awards. The President and Chairman Clive Merrills and Dave Hawthorne gave their account of this

season with Clive also reminding everyone of our winners of 2020 and also pausing to reflect on the friends and

relatives we have lost. Dave went on to thank all the wives and partners who support their other halves, as we all

know pigeon racing isn’t a five minute job.

Racing from the North this season was a real test for the birds on some weekends and we saw some outstanding

performances, Stuart Luff & Phil & Steve Walker having the only bird on the day from Elgin “Elgin Princess” in

a South East wind arriving at 7.35pm. Owen Abery the Classic’s youngest ever Blue Riband race winner sending

two birds to Thurso clocking his first at 5.21pm on the day “Northern Dream” and the second one arriving early

the following morning.

Roger Lowe winning two first Opens, Ilkeston 1 where he was 1st & 2

nd Open with “Orbital Northern Star” &

“Orbital Northern Lights” and the Ilkeston Young Bird race with “High & Lowe” also taking the top four

positions in the Open.

Clive and Wendy Merrills, their dream coming true at last winning their first ever Classic race from Ilkeston 2

with “Queensfield Surprise”. For the Berwick race it was a fitting end to racing with the Classic for Rob and

Maureen Kerr, who are giving up pigeons to concentrate on family commitments. Their finale saw them 1st & 4

th

Open with “Solomon” & “Olive”. (We would all like to wish Rob and Maureen the very best for the future, you

are two very special people).

The Ilkeston Old Hens race was won by Jim Derbyshire with “Queenie”. Jim also went on to win the NE Section

from the Wakefield Old Hens as well.

Our final Young Bird and Old Hens races were from Wakefield with Rob Jones & Jamie Wells taking the top

spot in the young bird race with “Wind Cheater”. A great performance flying straight to the south coast with the

wind on his side all the way in a strong westerly wind. The Old Hens race was won by Paul Basham with

“Marathon Margi” named after Paul ran two marathons in two weekends to raise money for Pancreatic Cancer in

memory of Paul’s partner Ang’s mum.

The Club’s Old Bird Average and Combined Average trophies were won by Kevin and John Zerafa. Their results

and performances this season were excellent in all organisations. It was very sad that John passed away towards

the end of the racing calendar but I am sure he was very proud of what Kevin achieved this year and will be

keeping an eye over him always.

Ilkeston 9th

May 2021 R J Lowe (NE621) – The Winners Silver Salver, The Peter Bennett Framed Photograph, Glass Rose Bowl and

The Runner Up and NE Section Medal.

Mr & Mrs R Kerr (NW7) – NW Section Medal.

D Ede & Family (SE193) – SE Section Medal.

D Lanahan (SW274) – SW Section Medal.

Ilkeston 2 29th

May 2021

Mr & Mrs C Merrills (NE1156) - The Winners Silver Salver, The Peter Bennett Framed Photograph, Glass

Rose Bowl and NE Section Medal.

S Slade (NW350) – NW Section Medal.

Barrie Smith (SE929) – SE Section Medal.

G Owers (SW1446) – The Runner Up and SW Section Medal.

Berwick 28th

June 2021

Mr & Mrs R Kerr (NW7) - The Peter Bennett Framed Photograph, Glass Rose Bowl and NW Section Medal.

R J Lowe (NE621) – NE Section Medal.

G Kingswood-Cox (SE1276) – SE Section Medal.

Mr & Mrs M King (SW59) – SW Section Medal.

P Barlow (NW318) – Runner Up Medal.

Elgin 2nd

July 2021

Luff & Walker Brothers (NW141) – The Open Cup, The Jack Edwards Memorial Trophy, The NW Section

Trophy, The Peter Bennett Framed Photograph, Glass Rose Bowl and NW Section Medal.

G G & C J Cooper (NW869) – The Runners Up Trophy and Runners Up Medal.

P Rixon (NE1441) – The Runner Up Trophy, the NE Section Trophy, The Maria Stowell Trophy and the NE

Section Medal.

G Reed (SE1329) – The SE Section Trophy, The Malcolm Squibb Memorial Trophy, The Denis Broom

Memorial Trophy and the SE Section Medal.

A Parsons (SW938) – The SW Section Trophy, The Best 2 bird Average Trophy and the SW Section Medal.

B Bate (SE2) – The Bunney & Taylor Trophy (best 2 bird average in Hampshire).

D Lanahan (SW274) - The Dorset Trophy.

Thurso 16th

July 2021 O Abery (NE236) - The Gordon Richards Trophy, The Major Buckingham Memorial Trophy, The Presidents

Blue Riband, The Truckline Ferries Trophy, NE Section Trophy, The M A Smith Trophy, the NE Section Medal

and The Peter Bennett Framed Photograph and Glass Rose Bowl.

J Fulford (SW225) - The Runner Up Trophy, the SW Section Trophy, The Mr Fry Trophy (winner of SW

Section), and The SW Section Medal.

G Clift (NW65) - The NW Section Trophy, Messrs Fear, Fear, Payne, Hunt and Robson Trophy, The C Churchill

Trophy (best velocity in to Gloucestershire), The Mrs V Wright Memorial Trophy (leading hen NW Section) and

the NW Section Medal.

P Ayling (SE343) – The SE Section Trophy, The SE Section Medal and The Hopper Brothers Shield.

K & J Zerafa (SE404) – The C Lowe Trophy (longest flying bird on winning day).

Mr & Mrs M Gower (SW1071) - The Speedbird Challenge Trophy (best 3 bird average).

Ilkeston YB 20th

August 2021 R J Lowe (NE621) - The Champion Young Bird Trophy, The Arthur Crocombe YB Challenge Cup, The Runner

Up Trophy, NE Section Trophy, The Peter Bennett Framed Photograph, Glass Rose Bowl and NE Section Medal.

R & J Whiteside (NW275) - NW Section Trophy and NW Section Medal.

Wearn Bros 1 & Neilson (SE784) – SE Section Trophy and SE Section Medal.

C Bartlett (SW450) – SW Section Trophy, The Gordon Hancock Memorial Trophy, The Mr & Mrs Whitbread

Trophy and SW Section Medal.

Ilkeston OH 20th

August 2021 J Derbyshire (NE1331) - The Peter Bennett Framed Photograph, Glass Rose Bowl and NE Section Medal.

K & J Zerafa (SE404) - SE Section Medal.

S Travers (SW91) - SW Section Medal.

N Templar (NW39) - NW Section Medal.

Wakefield YB 11th

September 2021

Bartlett, Jones & Wells (SE167) - The Winners Silver Salver, The Peter Bennett Framed Photograph and Glass

Decanter.

Wearn Bros 1 & Neilson (SE784) – The Runners Up Rose Bowl.

D & J Staddon (SW271) – The SW Section Glass.

R & J Whiteside (NW275) - The NW Section Glass.

E Malone (NE413) - The NE Section Glass.

Wakefield OH 11th

September 2021 P Basham (SW247) - The Winners Silver Salver, The Peter Bennett Framed Photograph and Glass Decanter.

Ben Smith & Father (SE518) - The Runners Up Rose Bowl.

L Hopkins (SW148) - The SW Section Glass.

S Slade (NW350) - The NW Section Glass.

J Derbyshire (NE1331) - The NE Section Glass.

Average Trophies K & J Zerafa (SE404) – The Whirlwind Trophy (best average all OB races), The Pam Bainton Trophy (best

average in all races) and The Fair Reward Trophy (best averages YB and OH Races).

G Clift (NW65) – The Chris Catterall Trophy (best average by the same pigeon for Ilkeston 2 & Thurso).

G G & C J Cooper (SE784) - The Ron Michieson Trophy (best average two longest races).

A Parsons (SW938) - The Ken Griffiths Memorial Shield and The John Fisher Memorial Trophy and The

Convoyers Cup.

I would like to thank the Committee for my very kind gift they presented me with, say special thanks to Anne

Hooper and Jane Cable for helping me with the trophies and flowers, and for organising the selling of the raffle

tickets and to Dave and Gill Hawthorne our photographers for the evening.

Finally, we would like to express our gratitude to Clive and Wendy Merrills who very kindly donated the prizes

to this evening’s raffle which made £286 and also to the other members who gifted a prize.

Best wishes to you all for next season.

Clare Norman.