I’ve been thinking for a while what I could undertake as a photography project – something to give me a focus and would be worthwhile. I tend to do some of my most creative thinking at night, or more precisely in the middle of the night. Often these musings, which seem so amazing at 2am or 3am, on waking are often rubbish but occasionally there might be an idea that has legs. I’m sure this is one of those.
My home town of Kirkbymoorside is a quite small and my children will often say there’s not a whole lot happening. While that may be true it is a strong community and one of things that makes it a delightful place to live are it’s clubs and associations. I’ve been aware of the Kirkby Flying Club for a number of years. A neighbour of my father in law – Michael, who lives in nearby Sinnington, has raced pigeons all his life and I’ve often seen him walking up and down the road from his house to where he keeps his birds. Kirkby Sports Field, where my son played football for years, is also the location of the club shed, more lately portacabin. So I’ve been aware of their existance and it must have been these references that sparked a thought – why don’t I document the club and it’s members?
So I popped in to see Michael when we were next in Sinnington visiting my father-in-law. Of course he wasn’t at home but down at his pigeon loft. Michael is quite a shy man, a bachelor who lived with his parents until they died and today lives alone. He has a sister in the village however and is a regular dominoes player at the village pub. Retired now after being an electrician, his birds are a big part of his life. When I saw him I explained my idea of doing a photography project about the club and he pointed me in the direction of Audrey – the secretary who it would be best I contact first.
It was a sensible move.
Audrey is the kind of person you want as a secretary for your club – organised and efficient. She asked me what my ideas were and suggested I come to the next gathering of the members when I could see if there was any interest.
So on the following Saturday evening I found myself in the portacabin of the Kirkby Flying Club amongst clocks, bits of papers and members eager to discover how their birds had done in the penultimate race of the season. It was immediately apparent – pigeon racing is a complicated business, very complicated! What was also clear was that the members are a super group of people and all very welcoming to this man with a camera who had appeared in their midst.
The project was on
My initial idea was to visit the members and document them with their birds – when I say document I was thinking both photography and audio. Recording interviews so that within the book I am hoping to produce I can add some information about the members, alongside their images. My first willing volunteer was Fred Grimmer who lives in Pickering and was happy to see me the following week.
I was welcomed by Fred, his wife Jayne and countless spaniels on a lovely sunny afternoon and was soon being introduced to a sport that has a long history, both in this country and abroad. I interviewed Fred using my iPhone and reflected later, as I looked at the images I had taken that afternoon, that I should limit myself to doing one thing or the other but not both! Thankfully however recording interviews has been taken out of my hands but more of that delightful development in a while. Here’s some of the photos I took at Fred’s.
I completed my visit with Fred showing me his canaries – over a hundred, but that’s another story.
Season ending race
The following Friday was the final race of the season and the birds were being picked up around 7pm from the sports field. I made sure I was there.
Fred and Jane’s grandson Eli enjoyed using one of my cameras and took some good shots too. And then the birds were off down to Chelmsford.
Race results
The weather wasn’t good on the Saturday so they decided to hold on to them for 24hrs and set them away on Sunday. By Sunday evening they were back home, or at least most were. Fred and Jane were downhearted as three of their birds hadn’t checked in. Bob was happy though, he’d won £100 for one of his birds did well in the nominated race. Albert had the fastest bird overall.
And that was it – the last race of the season, until next April.
Time now then to visit the members, at home with their birds. A lovely development to the project has been fellow thespian Libby, on hearing about it then offered to get involved by recording an audio history of the members. We are thinking that alongside a photographic display Libby would put together a soundscape of some sort in the Moorside Room, next March, just before the new racing season begins.
Visiting Bob
So it was both of us who went to visit Bob this morning and what a delight it was.
Bob is born and bred in Kirkbymoorside and in January will celebrate his 80th birthday. He lives in Kirkby Mills but his pigeons are kept down Ings Lane which is where we met him. Libby took out her brand new recording equipment, I started taking photos and Bob told us story after wonderful story. He’s a great raconteur with an amazing family history which is all encapsulated in a large book that he was later to show us when he invited Libby and I back to his home.
We’re hugely grateful for the time Bob gave us and excited about a project that we both know is going to be very special indeed.
Handling pigeons
Four photographs to show the care taken by Kirkby Flying Club members when handling the birds prior to a race.
Visiting Peter
Today Libby and I headed off to visit another member of the club, Peter Teasdale, at his farm located on the outskirts of Pockley. On arrival we were spotted by one his grand daughters who, seeing we were a little lost, kindly showed us to the front door where we were met by Peter. Soon we were sat around his kitchen table drinking coffee and, once Libby had set up her recording equipment, learning more about pigeons.
Unlike the other members Peter belongs to several clubs and races elsewhere but he clearly has great affection for the members of the Kirkby Flying Club and the opportunity to fly his birds there.
The farm is lovely, perched atop a hill with extensive views across the Hambleton Hills. Pigeons aren’t his only passion however – there were horses everywhere! The extensive old stone stables were a hive of activity with horses being cleaned out, exercised, fed and watered. Some belonged to Peter others to local owners and their young daughters who were all ‘mucking in’.
Peter has some help with his pigeons as he still works as a freelance pilot and has various business interests which take him away – oh yes and he’s off to Australia shortly with his wife Gloria to help a farmer friend with harvesting and catch a Test Match with the barmy army!
Anyway, here’s a small selection of today’s images featuring Peter, his grand daughter and his colleague who helps (partly hidden in the shadows of the breeding coop).
Visiting Howard
Although the Kirkby Flying Club is based in Kirkbymoorside it draws its membership from further afield. The latest member Libby and I went to visit was Howard, who lives on the outskirts of Pickering.
What is it about this club? Everyone we have met so far – Fred, Bob, Audrey, Bernard and Peter are all fascinating people with incredible stories. Howard is another.
Howard’s place is just beyond the saw mill and extends to a few fields that reach up to the Malton Pickering road. As well as pigeons, which currently number over 100, there were stables and several horses grazing in the fields. He has lead a full and interesting life. Growing up in Dalby Forest, where his father farmed and worked as a forester, he and his brothers helped milk their cows every morning before catching the bus to school. At the end of the school day they once again had milking duties. He has raced pigeons since he was a lad and the picture atop this post shows him with his father and brothers sat in front of his loft.
He trained as a joiner, had his own construction company and built several houses in Kirkby. He’s also successfully trained racehorses, played cricket at a high level for Yorkshire and is also a mean darts player.
Howard is a bit dismissive of the secrets other pigeon racers profess to have and instead follows a philosophy where he is constantly trying new things and is not afraid of failure. He currently has around 100 birds in his care but later in the day we were visiting there some dealers were coming to look at his birds. Howard was hopeful of a sale or two.
Visiting Andrew
Andrew is another member who doesn’t live in Kirkby but on the outskirts of the lovely village of Harome. Now retired he has a large garden where he grows fruit and flowers which he sells at the gate, along with eggs from his chickens. Off course his pigeon loft also takes a fair amount of space.
Andrew and his wife have a lovely summer house which overlooks the garden and of course is also a great place to wait for returning pigeons. Unlike the other club members Andrew has invested in electronic timing so his birds literally clock themselves in as they land which is handy if he doesn’t feel like dragging himself off his comfortable lounger.
Visiting Michael
It was great to catch up with Michael in Sinnington – the club’s longest serving member I’ve known for many years as he lives two doors away from my father-in-law.
Here he is as a young lad with his first pigeons given to him by an uncle. He’s lived in the village all his life with his loft just 100 yards from his house.
He thinks this coming season may be his last, no longer able to drive he has to rely on others to get him and his birds to Kirkby so he’s going to stop breeding and just race his existing stock. He feels sad that the other activities he used to enjoy – darts and dominoes, have also dwindled away and that village life isn’t what it was.
Visiting Albert
A Kirkby Flying Club member who actually lives in the town is Albert. He’s extremely busy working as a car mechanic but I eventually managed to visit him at his loft on a recent Saturday afternoon.
It was great to not only chat to Albert but also to his two grand daughters, Tia and Casey, fellow pigeon enthusiasts. Each of the girls has two birds which Albert has helped them raise and next season he hopes to enroll them both as members so they can compete in their first race. The girls were clearly very knowledgeable and, according to Albert, never shirk their duties taking good care of their birds. Albert if the club’s top racer and he’s hoping that the girls will follow in his footsteps – who knows perhaps the future of the club is not so bleak after all.
Visiting Dave
Pickering based, non-flying member, Dave Page is a part of a family dynasty, Page and Sons, that has had quite an impact in the world of pigeon racing. Along with his father and two brothers they enjoyed many successful competition years with Pickering, Malton and Kirkby Flying Clubs but latterly focussed on breeding. Purchasing excellent breeding stock from Belgium and Holland and have gone on to sell birds all over the world. Perhaps out of the all the members we have met Dave has been the most single-minded in his devotion to the sport. Even more so today, retired and free of any distractions – his birds get his full and undivided attention.
Taking Pigeons to school
I’ve written a blog post about our visit to Kirkbymoorside Comunity Primary School today – here’s some images:
Will have to choose one or two of these to print for the exhibition.
The Exhibition
We concluded the project with an exhibition at the Moorside Rooms on Saturday March 26th. In the week running up we were featured on both BBC Radio York morning programme and had a good splash in the Gazette, so were hopeful of a good crowd. We weren’t disappointed as we reckon around 150 came through the day. Fred, Jayne, Eli, Bernard and Audrey were there throughout the day and Peter popped in also. They brought in some pigeons and clocks so there was a good show. Libby settled in the corner of the room and played her soundscape and lots of people registered their email so they could be sent it too. The art work from the pupils at Kirkby school provided a colourful focal point at the end of the room. Didn’t take many photos as busy chatting to visitors but a fitting end to a super project.
