Up North Combine Ltd. & North of England Championship Club Presentation 2017

Up North Combine Ltd. & North of England Championship Club Presentation 2017

The Up North Combine Ltd. and North of England Championship Club held their 94th Annual Dinner Dance and Presentation on Saturday October 21st in the Stadium of Light, Sunderland.

Guests for the evening were Mr J Snowdon NEHU President, Mrs Sue Bennett, Mrs J McCluskey, Bernadette Gibson friend of Mr J Curtis, Mr & Mrs A Andrews and Mr Rod Adams.

To get proceedings under way the President Mr Paul Shergold gave apologies for the Officials that were absent, a minutes silence was observed for the members that have passed this year, a special mention was given to four former Combine winners, namely Dennis Blakey, Chris Myers of Myers Bros, Roly Seaton of Mr & Mrs Seaton and Dave Marsay of Marsay, Taylor & Robinson, he then said grace before we all sat down to an excellent 3-course meal.

Pam firstly requested John Snowdon to come forward to present the first of the evening’s trophies. John delivered a short speech before handing over to Secretary Pam Grange who announced all of the winners in turn before asking them to come forward to collect their prizes. All of the winners received an engraved Gold Medal; runners-up Silver Medal with a Bronze Medal going to those finishing third.

First to the table was the partnership of Marsay, Taylor & Robinson of Great Ayton who won the Eastbourne Inland National I race when there were 18,257 birds competing. They won the ‘R. Rowntree Memorial Trophy’ the ‘Hylton Thomas Trophy’ and the ‘Mr & Mrs B Long Trophy’ for the 1st Yearling. 2nd was Sayers Bros. of Skinningrove. 3rd & 4th was Bell & Wormleighton of Plains Farm winning the ‘Ian McDonald Memorial Trophy’ for the best two bird performance. The ‘J. Rollo Memorial Trophy’ and the ‘J.E. Brown Memorial Trophy’ for 1st NECC was won by I & D Maddison of Hartlepool HS.

Roye was the next race to be presented when 7,146 birds took part. Taking first was the newly formed partnership of Bell & Wormleighton of Plains Farm. Before the Season had started Wormleighton had called it a day, so the honour went to John Bell he won the ‘Northcliffe Trophy’, the ‘Heron Memorial Trophy’ the ‘Stranton Silver Pigeon’ and the ‘Stan Hollis D-Day Trophy’.

2nd was Woodroffe Bros. of Cornhill. 3rd & 4th. was Armstrong, Shergold, Johnson & Moon of Plains Farm winners of the Danish Cup of Friendship for the best two bird performance. Summers Bros. Rose & Morse of Castletown won the ‘Gofton Cup’ for 1st NECC.

Next up was our longest race, Bourges, with 1,795 birds competing and the winners were Tate Bros. of Blyth Boro who won the ‘Hindhaugh Cup’, the Le Puy Cup’ the ‘J.W. Towers Memorial Trophy’, and the ‘Brian Long Friendship Trophy’ Second was R. Bowey of Bedlington who also won the ‘McSween & Sexton Lanarkshire Social Circle Cup of Friendship’ for the best performance from Roye & Bourges. Third was M. Gordon of Dunston. Fifth were Reay & May Bros. of Newsham who won the ‘Dr. R. Iley Memorial Trophy’ awarded to the best opposite sex.

T. Davison of Horden EE won the ‘Nevers Cup and the ‘Tot Brison Memorial Trophy’ for 1st NECC.

18th & 38th was J. Foster & Dixon of Oddfellows who were awarded the ‘Vodaphone Trophy’ for the best two bird performance. Pam thanked John very much and presented him with a small gift to show our appreciation. Pam then asked Aldona Andrews, who along with her husband sponsors Burbure 1, to come forward to present the next awards.

Burbure 1 was liberated on Saturday 27th. May when we had 13,268 birds taking part. Taking first and 34th. was S. Stephenson of Horden HS winning the ‘Mr & Mrs Crooks Chronicle Cup’ the ‘Harkers Homoform Trophy’ the ‘Captain George Wright Trophy’ for the first yearling timed in and the ‘Joe Hunter Memorial Trophy’ for the best two bird performance. Runner up was A. McLeod of Billingham TU. 3rd was J Bone of Heworth.

Chapman & Son of Seaham won the ‘Amiens Trophy’ for 1st NECC. T. Marshall of Holywell won the ‘Yearling Derby Trophy’. Pam thanked Aldona and gave her a small token as appreciation. Mrs Sue Bennett, the beautiful wife of Peter Bennett the photographer was then asked to come forward. The next race was flown from Rivenhall (sub for Eastbourne) when we had 12,356 birds competing. R. Donaldson & Son of Chevington Drift took the top honour for the fourth time winning the ‘Classic Trophy’. Ali Bros of Raglan & W Park were second, they also won the ‘Mark Pearce Trophy’ for the first Yearling timed in. Third was Jaffray Bros of Ormesby Prog. 4th & 5th.winning the ‘B.P. Trophy’ for the best two bird performance was Woodroffe Bros. of Cornhill, who also won the ‘Maurice & Agnes Simpson Memorial Trophy’ for the best performance from the two Inland Nationals, and the ‘G.W.T. Brison Trophy’ for 1st NECC.

Reims was the next race with 4,193 birds competing and this was won by Mr & Mrs. Ian and Liz Purver of Skinningrove. They won the ‘Alderman Waller Trophy’ the ‘Jack Tinkler Memorial Trophy’ and the ‘Vetrepharm Trophy’ also winning the ‘Melun Cup’ for 1st NECC. Runner up was Stafford & Wilson of Skinningrove. Third was taken by Dawson & Peacock of Plains Farm. Mr & Mrs Stewart of Alnwick won the ‘Wyn Cole Memorial Trophy’ for the best opposite sex.

4th & 7th was Leech & Son of South Bank winners of the ‘Lowcocks Trophy’ for the best two bird performance.

R. Bowey of Bedlington won the ‘F & I Watson Memorial Trophy’ for best performance from the three longest races, also winning the ‘W.B. Napper Memorial Trophy’ for the best performance from the two longest races.

The last old bird race was from Burbure another race for the history books as the fastest Combine race ever, when 10,689 birds took part and taking first was Dunn Bros. of Sportsman & Commrades winners of the ‘Fred Potts Memorial Trophy’ and the ‘J.W. Towers Memorial Trophy’. Second went to B & K Simpson of Skinningrove. Third went to P. Price of Shotton

7th. & 18th. winning the ‘L.N.R.C. Friendship Trophy’ for the best two bird performance was awarded to A. McLeod of Billingham TU. Elliott & Watson of Wrekenton won the ‘Birmingham Cup’ for 1st NECC.

The Lakes-Maidstone Young Bird National with 11,055 birds competing was the last race of the season and the winners were Thompson & Sons of Wingate winning the ‘Jocker Mills Memorial Trophy’ and the ‘Young Bird Cup’. Second was Ali Bros. of Raglan & W Park. Third were Parker & Holland of Holywell. Woodroffe Bros. of Cornhill won the ‘Young Bird Cup’ for 1st NECC. Pam gave Sue a small token as a thank you.

Pam then asked Mr Rod Adams who she personally thinks is one of the greatest ambassadors of our sport to present a few awards. He is not just famous in the north east, but country wide and now because of the web world known. Tate Bros. of Bedlington were awarded the ‘Tony Scott Memorial Trophy’ for the Combine winner with the lowest velocity. The winners of the UNC Channel Average with a record number of points 2078 was Armstrong, Shergold, Johnson & Moon of Plains Farm. The ‘Pigeon Sport Trophy’ for the most points from the seven Old Bird Nationals was awarded to Woodroffe Bros. of Cornhill also with a record number of points 3257. The ‘George Watson Memorial Trophy’ was awarded to A.Thompson of Portrack for the highest position by a novice from the Young Bird National.

In the North of England Championship Club R & A Evans, Gibbon & Smith of High Southwick won both the ‘NECC Channel Average Trophy’ and the ‘W. Napper Memorial Trophy’ for the Combined Average, with Woodroffe Bros. of Cornhill winning the Inland Average. Pam thanked Rod very much and gave him a pair of Sunderland shorts as his gift (Rod is a staunch Newcastle supporter).

Mrs Joyce McCluskey has commissioned in honour of her late Husband, and our past President Fred a magnificent trophy showing the ‘Circle of Life’ with a solid silver racing pigeon in flight. The trophy is to be awarded as a channel average with only the first bird from each loft to count. Mr Les Thurlow a lifelong friend of both Joyce and Fred presented the award to Armstrong, Shergold, Johnson & Moon of Plains Farm and Elliott & Watson of Wrekenton who both had 658 points.

Last and certainly not least Jack Curtis requested that Bernadette Gibson present the ‘John Goodwin and William Sheldon Trophy’on his behalf. This is awarded to the best performance from this years 5 French Diploma awards, with the winner been awarded to Mr & Mrs Harding of Thornaby, owners of ‘J For John’ in 2015 10th Bourges, 2016 11th. Bourges, 2017 19th. Bourges.

The Bird of the Year is always the last trophy to be presented and this was won by Bell & Wormleighton of Plains Farm with Chequer Hen 16SP 2015.

Special thanks to Mr Peter Bennett for photographing the winners throughout the season as well as giving his time free of charge to produce the ‘French Diplomas’, complete with a photograph of the members bird on them. A superb band and disco then played music until the late hours.

Pam Grange

Secretary U.N.C.