further cutbacks

yes cutting back even more now after flirting with a return to racing next year(fanciful thoughts),the pigeon dust seems to be effecting me more and more so another 3 pairs will be going next month that will leave me with 5 pairs ,always the same come breeding season with the bloom of the feathers and ybs shedding that white dust/particles...enjoying the time more and more with alfie anyway ,i wont be able to get these years back also my club have gone ets after me trying to get it in last year only for the members to start kicking off ,funny how they want it now eh two faced messers ...me and the father in law did alot for the club to ,now let them get on with it eh ,at least we went out on a high so will be just breeding very few ybs now for one loft racing ...no more kits etc... atb lads

Can't say 'Welcome to the world' Daz as you already knew / know it.

Yes  oldstrain you only get one chance to enjoy your Alfies youth, no going back.

 I often forget that breathing regarding our feathered friends was the main reason we had to part, and I spent very little time actually in the loft it's self.

The state of the sport and the majority of those now engaged in it makes it easier to get out with less regrets.

Hope I am wrong but can see more problems than solutions ahead.

Just very, very, thankful I have enjoyed the sport in the best times and very, very, sad that it has been ruined.

Regards.

sometimes i think, if someone would come and take them all, id let them.......and be done with them, other times im grateful for them being there, and the pleasure they give me .

David, many do let go ... and start up again. If its in the blood so to speak, I feel best to carry on. Staring up again is a bind... and a constant feeling of what could/ should have, or might have been.
Cost and effort to boot.

Never met anyone - well tell a lie, one person, who has packed up and wished they hadn't.

never say never, I chucked the towel in 22 years ago, wouldn't ever imagine racing again having dabbled with a few pets in last 8 years, but ready to get stuck in again with my big team of 18 to race.....time will tell if I done right

exactly the same as me colin, packed in 1986, then restarted 2008 ......22 years away, and felt the need for pigeons again .

started with 6 with intentions of a few as pets, but numbers quickly grew, sometimes wonder if i did the right thing ......

will be keeping the older racers as pets so a few about but deffo not gonna be racing again ,i did race with my grandfather in the late 70's early 80's more of a loft boy really but was great fun ,not anymore though ...guys turn up at the club and drop a basket of birds off then head to the clubhouse for a few beers then you dont see them again until you strike the clocks ,then they leave ...no help/input at all yet they want to criticise and knowingly put birds in the race basket when they have disease in there lofts ,selfish to the core ...no i wont be missing it i am already thinking i have done the correct thing and got a good home for them when i could ,i have kept pigeons many years without racing them i dont need the racing aspect to enjoy them ...its only breeding season and the moult i get trouble with the dust as your are in and out the loft more at breeding time eh and the moult speaks for itself regards pigeon bloom/dust ,when the sunlight enters the loft the bloom/dust can be seen in all its glory atb

Very True O/S As I have posted before, when club president. I went into the bar and told a few home truths etc.
then told them ALL 'Next week, if you aint in the the mood to help, then stay in the bar. BUT your birds won't be mark. which means they won't go'.
It was the usual goings on. But I made sure those pigeons weren't marked up to go!
With about 15 - 20 minutes to go we were all in the bar.
Was a odd word here and there. I call attention to ALL and stated 'Those in here that weren't helping, Your birds will still be in your basket when you leave.
Some rushed in to check. Some swore. But I and the others watched as they swarmed about swearing and trying to get their birds through. the sec and i made sure all was done right and proper. the transporter gave them an extra 10 minutes , saying this won't be happening again as other club's birds will be ready and waiting. THAT they had enough hassle making time.
For the rest of the season the were there. Also no 'Outsider was needed to strike off.
Needlessly to say, at the next A.G.M they found, coersed most likely a name to be put up as prsident. First time I ever remeber a post that didn't/ hadn't strived to get filling. yes i was outed lol, and it went back... so it was placed in the next A.G.M rota's to be fulfilled etc. That also help some what.
Was a further ad on, but that was for another reason. one to stop good flyers just using the club, mainly for Nationals.

Always gone on, but when clubs had 25 members and 5 didn't do their share, although wrong, things still ran pretty much ok.
These days if a club has 8 members and 5 don't pull their weight then the writing's on the wall sadly.

ive thought our club was not going to last the next 5 years, but theres been a recent influx of new members over the last couple years, all of whom are regular senders, so looking up for our club at the moment ......

Daz wrote:

Very True O/S As I have posted before, when club president. I went into the bar and told a few home truths etc.
then told them ALL 'Next week, if you aint in the the mood to help, then stay in the bar. BUT your birds won't be mark. which means they won't go'.
It was the usual goings on. But I made sure those pigeons weren't marked up to go!
With about 15 - 20 minutes to go we were all in the bar.
Was a odd word here and there. I call attention to ALL and stated 'Those in here that weren't helping, Your birds will still be in your basket when you leave.
Some rushed in to check. Some swore. But I and the others watched as they swarmed about swearing and trying to get their birds through. the sec and i made sure all was done right and proper. the transporter gave them an extra 10 minutes , saying this won't be happening again as other club's birds will be ready and waiting. THAT they had enough hassle making time.
For the rest of the season the were there. Also no 'Outsider was needed to strike off.
Needlessly to say, at the next A.G.M they found, coersed most likely a name to be put up as prsident. First time I ever remeber a post that didn't/ hadn't strived to get filling. yes i was outed lol, and it went back... so it was placed in  the next A.G.M rota's to be fulfilled etc. That also help some what.
Was a further ad on, but that was for another reason. one to stop good flyers just using the club, mainly for Nationals.

good post daz,typical eh....the reason they are allowing ets in the club now is because i was the clocksetter the sec can also do it but has enough to do,when i wanted ets it was uproar lets be fair doing the T3 is easy as pie but none want to learn ,our sec is a diamond and does much i feel sorry for him as before i joined they were happy to let him do the clocks and paperwork ,during old birds last season i was doing clocks and on the basketing and loading the transporter,even taking water for the baskets as no access to any,i took my father in law to and he did the rubbers or ring nos ,our club had 10 active flying members last season,not many can be bothered to help,anyway anyone for a T3