I have been fortunate to obtain some copies of 'Pigeons and Bantams' from 1947 and 1948. These copies really give an insight into the two fancies in the immediate pre-war years. It's ironic that at present we are all suffering the rise in feed costs because of the price of cereals but in those days feed was on ration and the The NPA Committee where working with the 'Ministry' to ensure there was enough feed to go round its members.
It was also interesting to note in the November edition, L R S Freestone writes that the Leeds Show was a most enjoyable fixture with an entry of 1800. Was this the forerunner to the first BPSS Championship Show to be held in Leeds on 15 and 16 October 1948 where the doors stayed open 9 - 9. Winners at the Show included Arthur Juke with Blowers, Messrs Sears, Magee, Morton and Shackleton with Modenas, Harry Field with Show Homers just to mention a few names that some of our readers will remember.
If Richard Rowley is reading this he may be interested to note that W H Silk was writing on behalf of the British Bantam Association in regard to weights in Bantams, his gripe was that a publication of standards was delayed due to a lack of agreement within breed clubs concerning weights.
Talking of breed clubs, the Magpie notes in the December 1947 issue had a report of the AGM held at the Dairy and a discussion took place re the prevalence of wry-tailed birds in the show pen, judges were told to severely penalise such birds as their presence did the breed harm. In the November issue it was reported that the British Belgian Bantam Club was to be reformed with Mr Kenneth Ward as President and John Sears as its Secretary. In the Genuine Homer notes from October 1947, a certain Ernest Pearson had taken up the task of writing on behalf of the breed; Ernest was described as a live wire by Edgar Brooksbank who wrote the piece. In Archangel Affairs Newton R Steel mentions that Mr Leigh Lye will be attending the Dairy and he hoped that as many members as possible would attend as they would have Mr Leigh Lye's guidance.
this article continues in the April 2011 issue of Featherd World.
