Future of ths sport.

All on here have or has had pigeons. Methods and ideas are abundant. Some very informative. This Forum is for pigeon fliers I assume. Off topics are good. Livens up a recycle of means and methods. Regarding pigeons. However, new members do not post. They look in pick up info and do whatever. Biggest push that I can see is to get new folks racing pigeons. This Forum may help maybe's. To join they must have looked up the site so are interested anyway. Otherwise just an information site. Learn and leave. One cannot influence the minds of the masses on a Forum. No matter what is posted. Do a survey in the UK. Eliminate pigeon racing or support it. Use all publications available. See what response is.

Tried everything in the book to get fanciers beyond their own little plot.

Locally a bunch of fanciers have managed to get local publicity giving the sport a good write up and encouraging new members etc;


If this was done in all areas perhaps a start could be made to promote it in a good manner and at the same time point out it does not take a million pounds to become a fully involved fancier, and the help is there for anyone interested.


Think many people are put off by all the commecial rubbish which far outnumbers anything that shows it as a sport offering immense pleasure with as little effort as one decides to put in, not all the rubbish about hard work involved, it can be done and successfully with very little pomp and cerimony.


But it is hard to awaken the Im Alrights.


Regards.

why worry armaggedon is round the corner

At Blackpool last weekend the RPRA had a stall and display dedicated to introducing younger fanciers to pigeon racing. There was a healthy interest, we had to queue for 15 - 20 mins to speak with the officer. There were information packs with case studies on young individuals and also information on school lofts where pigeon racing is part of the lessons (geography, biology, maths etc) and the birds raced on weekends. There was a young lady in front of us with 3 kids, they already had a few racers down on eggs but wanted rings and a club to join. They also had a bird in a box which someone had bought for them. The RPRA guy couldn't have done more to help them and they went away keen as mustard. We got the info on school lofts for the school my wife works, who knows?

I also met 3 fanciers having a drink, one had started pigeons a couple of years ago and the 2 friends with him had only just started at the end of 2018. Although not teenagers they would certainly be classed as "younger" fanciers today. It was their first visit to a big show and they were loving it. Local fanciers had helped them build lofts, welcomed them to the club, and donated baskets, nest bowls, drinkers etc even stock pigeons.

I can't deny memberships are on the decline but I certainly don't think its a black cloud, all doom and gloom. Still some people out there doing their bit.

At last Oldstrain you have got something I entirely agree with, ARMAGEDDON.


I also think you do a good job with Alfie and the school chidren but there is no point in everyone agreeing with things they disagree with and eveyone should be entitled to express their opinion without sarcastic remarks because I can assure you, you would e on the losing end.


Regards.

barnie,

Good to hear that at last things are being taken more seriously and with a bit of luck things may buck up.

The problem is the sport is losing members for natural reasons on a too large a number to even maintain the present membership never mind increase it.

The local lads have done all they can to encourage youngsters, the odd one or two have joined and left within a short period for varying reasons.


You are left with the older fanciers and the new breed, the latter few and far between.

Those who talk about enjoying themselves, no doom and gloom are in dream land, the facts point to the sport as on it's last legs, unless vast changes are made to enable more people of different ages and means to participate in a manner not too demanding on time nor money.

Regards.

I would point out that at no time have I ever said my way or nothing.

I have always said there are alternatives to the methods many use which need less time and less money and just, or more, successful than the methods used by some.

If you read the methods and costs and time consuming of some it is enough to put anyone off for life.

If you want to attract new members you should do all you can to make it as less costly and time consuming as possible and not attach numerous totally un necessary tasks., along with filling them with a load of aids to win which do more harm than good.



Regards.

forget Armageddon some of us have to be positive as much as we can especially with kids around ...we have alfies class coming to our garden lofts when the ybs are in the nest the school is in 10 minutes walking distance ...they will get 1 yb each to be raced here so they can follow its progress and prizes for the top 3 ...raffle tickets no1 to 28 for the kids to draw their specific bird and a points chart in the classroom for first 5 to the loft each week

My late friend, Steve Spinks, thought up the idea of going into schools and showing the children how pigeons and our sport functioned, he was in the process of making a video for schools when he unfortunately passed away.

This was in the early 1970s. when he, another friend and myself could see the writing on the wall if matters were not attended to regarding the sports future.

That was the time attention should have been given towards the sports future, we would now be seeing the rewards the children of that time who took an interest would be comparatively young fanciers now and kept the membership within reasonable numbers.

Nothing was done.

Today it is a little late, the young children in school now will not be able to become full time fanciers for many years by which time it will be too late.


However, no one would deny that doing what oldstrain is doing is very commendable pity he was not around in the 70s .


Regards.

its the same with a lot of british traditions , children are more interested in computer games and sat in front of the tv, while the parents are at the pub, kids don't seem to play out any more, all they do is copy / imitate so called celebrities on tv, and whats the latest trend.

society in general is in decline, little wonder pigeon racing/keeping is not on the list of their priorities.

I`d be surprised if our cub was still going within the next 5 years.

Something sadly wrong, David, when a bonny young lass with all her life before her, parents well off all she wants or needs, and commits suicide.

Such an event would have been front page news for weeks not so now, nothing shocks any more.


Regards.

David wrote:

its the same with a lot of british traditions , children are more interested in computer games and sat in front of the tv, while the parents are at the pub, kids don't seem to play out any more, all they do is copy / imitate so called celebrities on tv, and whats the latest trend.

society in general is in decline, little wonder pigeon racing/keeping is not on the list of their priorities.

I`d be surprised if our cub was still going within the next 5 years.

Spin the bottle any which way David etc I suggest & your conclusion on our society today I suspect sadly is about correct as such. Now any comments forthcoming here please leave the religious factor out as such & give the Armageddon factor also  a spell for a while also, maybe .

barnie wrote:

At Blackpool last weekend the RPRA had a stall and display dedicated to introducing younger fanciers to pigeon racing. There was a healthy interest, we had to queue for 15 - 20 mins to speak with the officer. There were information packs with case studies on young individuals and also information on school lofts where pigeon racing is part of the lessons (geography, biology, maths etc) and the birds raced on weekends. There was a young lady in front of us with 3 kids, they already had a few racers down on eggs but wanted rings and a club to join. They also had a bird in a box which someone had bought for them. The RPRA guy couldn't have done more to help them and they went away keen as mustard. We got the info on school lofts for the school my wife works, who knows?

I also met 3 fanciers having a drink, one had started pigeons a couple of years ago and the 2 friends with him had only just started at the end of 2018. Although not teenagers they would certainly be classed as "younger" fanciers today. It was their first visit to a big show and they were loving it. Local fanciers had helped them build lofts, welcomed them to the club, and donated baskets, nest bowls, drinkers etc even stock pigeons.

I can't deny memberships are on the decline but I certainly don't think its a black cloud, all doom and gloom. Still some people out there doing their bit.

Great little read Barnie most enjoyable etc. So maybe not all doom & gloom at the end of the day as such as you say .

MISTY wrote:

Something sadly wrong, David, when a bonny young lass with all her life before her, parents well off all  she wants or needs, and commits suicide.

Such an event would have been front page news for weeks not so now, nothing shocks any more.


Regards.

Couldn't agree more Misty. Nothing more tragic I suggest than when you see some young folk commit suicide etc. Life in front of them "positive thing" & the decide to do what they do type of thing. Most cases bring a life time of pain to those they leave behind sadly & it's taken to their grave at the end of the day I would suggest.

Agree one can have too much of a good thing, as the saying goes, Knackered.

So lets look at the problems facing the sport.


There used to be numerous opprtunities for allotment holders to have a pigeon loft, many have been overtaken by councils etc; and although they are obliged to have so many they can put restrictions on their use.



All the new housing estates that I see going up have no gardens in which a pigeon loft could be accomodated and it is these mid class housing that most fanciers come from.



Open plan seems the thing.



Then we have other estates where the most houses built are detached and not the type fanciers usually occupy, many in our area are bought by the rich as holiday homes, but they take up land where double the amount of housing could be built.


So in many cases even were a person keen to have a loft he/she may find it impossible to find a site for a loft.


Maybe if we could make the government apeciate that the sport may help to deal with some of the problems todays youth has to deal with they may just help the sport out.


Regards.

MISTY wrote:

Agree one can have too much of a good thing, as the saying goes, Knackered.

So lets look at  the problems facing the sport.


There used to be numerous opprtunities for allotment holders to have a pigeon loft, many have been overtaken by councils etc; and although they are obliged to have so many they can put restrictions on their use.



All the new housing estates that I see going up have no gardens in which a pigeon loft could be accomodated and it is these mid class housing that most fanciers come from.



Open plan seems the thing.



Then we have other estates where the most houses built are detached and not the type fanciers usually occupy, many in our area are bought by the rich as holiday homes, but they take up land where double the amount of housing could be built.


So in many cases even were a person keen to have a loft he/she may find it impossible to find a site for a loft.


Maybe if we could make the government apeciate that the sport may help to deal with some  of the problems todays youth has to deal with they may just help the sport out.


Regards.

Open planning is a good thing Misty on average I suggest from a local point thou here     councils now sadly are not interested I've found. 50 years ago here we built high rise apartments for the poor which turned into slum areas by our standards today unfortunately. Today they still build high rise apartments sadly & now call them town houses for the rich & the elite here which in the end will be the slums of the future from my perspective. Then we have many new housing estates popping up all over the place which are dog box size & with no public transport system on tap, for the poor buggers that have to live in them sadly if the can afford to buy there    .

Afraid, Knackered, the only solution, a magic wand.


Regards

MISTY wrote:

Afraid, Knackered, the only solution, a magic wand.


Regards

Could be so suggest on average thou & the way things are around this plot of ours it will require one huge, huge magic wand etc to maybe have any effect I'm I suspect .

I live out in the Boondocks. Suits me fine!!

halcanada wrote:

All on here have or has had pigeons. Methods and ideas are abundant. Some very informative.  This Forum is for pigeon fliers I assume. Off topics are good. Livens up a recycle of means and methods. Regarding pigeons. However, new members do not post. They look in pick up info and do whatever. Biggest push that I can see is to get new folks racing pigeons. This Forum may help maybe's. To join they must have looked up the site so are interested anyway. Otherwise just an information site. Learn and leave. One cannot influence the minds of the masses on a Forum. No matter what is posted. Do a survey in the UK. Eliminate pigeon racing or support it. Use all publications available. See what response is.

Been watching the thoroughbred horse sales today from New Zealand here Hal 52 million dollars of horse flesh went under the hammer there so far, at an average of 140,000 odd dollars Gave me a thought bubble moment So      how do you think this sport of ours would go if one could bet on our pigeons like the do with the horse racing fraternity along the mug punters out there etc & our sport got a percentage of the take type of thing.

You may not be far out, Knackered, the Chinese are the most ardent gamblers in the world, and they pay millions of pounds for pigeons, if it is possible they will adopt it if it involves gambling.

So we may indeed see pigeons being subject to more commercialism.


Regards.

To get back to the sports future.

When I was very young fanciers would encourage youngsters to sit with them and watch the pigeons and tell them what was going on and that was the start of many youngsters life as fanciers.


Some would also let us see the pigeons return from a race, the fact is that I had pigeons from the age of around 8 and by the time I was 12. 13 sending to races and at 16 in partnership with a much older miner, and not by any means a SILENT one, I did my share of EVERYTHING.


In doubt very much if I had not been able to see the inside of the sport by visiting fanciers and actually seeing what was involved I would have been a life long fancier, much of the enjoyment I have had from the sport has not included racing.


I would always have kept animals but maybe not pigeons to race.


Now compare that with today.


In fact there is no comparison.


We are now attempting to attract new fanciers into a activity where much of the enjoyment has been removed, is over commercialised and seemingly beyond the pockets of many.

Many fanciers let their pigeons out for an hour or two, morning and night and they are fastened up for the rest of the time, must not disturb the widowhood pigeons let them fester and digest all the rubbish put tdown their throats, make em race better.

I am not a kill joy but a realist, the youth of today are more informed from a very young age in all matters than ever previously and in my opinion we need to change or the sport will not survive.

Regards.

Under even the most depressing circumstances you can always have a laugh.

My wife has a natter with the daighter onTuesday afternoon, so I take Misty out earlier than is usual.

There has been liesure complex built reatively recently and I have often said we shoud go and have a look.

So I decided just to pop in as the daughter had come earlier than normal.

They have made a good job of it but I never got out of the car and had a little nap to pass the time.


On going out there is a great big sign saying, THANKS FOR BEING ACTIVE. ???????.


Regards.

MISTY wrote:

Under even the most depressing circumstances you can always have a laugh.

My wife has a natter with the daighter onTuesday afternoon, so I take Misty out earlier than is usual.

There has been liesure complex built reatively recently and I have often said we shoud go and have a look.

So I decided just to pop in as the daughter had come earlier than normal.

They have made a good job of it but I never got out of the car and had a little nap to pass the time.


On going out  there is a great big sign saying, THANKS FOR BEING ACTIVE. ???????.


Regards.

Another Nanna nap type person it appears Misty . Never did quite understand when young, why my nanna (god bless her) had nanna naps on a regular type basis as such . Found out through recent type experiences here now it comes with old age, sadly unfortunately .

MISTY wrote:

Under even the most depressing circumstances you can always have a laugh.

My wife has a natter with the daighter onTuesday afternoon, so I take Misty out earlier than is usual.

There has been liesure complex built reatively recently and I have often said we shoud go and have a look.

So I decided just to pop in as the daughter had come earlier than normal.

They have made a good job of it but I never got out of the car and had a little nap to pass the time.


On going out  there is a great big sign saying, THANKS FOR BEING ACTIVE. ???????.


Regards.

I call it Blue humour here etc Misty & anybody that may have been in the forces as such would know what I'm on about I suspect . Remember a young fella once smart a**e type       thought he knew every thing about every thing at the time, but he actually knew nothing about nothing etc & by chance he found himself in the middle of a mine field by mistake, unfortunately & he then thought I have two options here I'm     go into the panic, panic panic mode & panic or re-access the situation in a big big way, with a bit of blue humour to help save the day .