Where we are!

You will have now seen the NRCC’s 2025 race programme which was published on the club’s website after the recent committee meeting.

The race points are the same, but Lerwick and Thurso have swapped around and The Kings Cup race will now be the last race of the old bird programme. Marking will be on Wednesday 16th July with the proposed liberation on Saturday 19th July.

Your race programme is as follows; Dunbar Saturday 17th – May, Marking Friday 16th May. Perth, Saturday 31st  May  Marking, Thursday 29h May, Fraserburgh Saturday 14th June, Marking Thursday 12th June, Thurso Saturday 28th June, Marking Thursday 26th June, Lerwick Saturday 19th July Marking, Wednesday 16th July. Dunbar Young Birds, Old Hens, Futurity, Saturday 6th September.

The Young Bird Futurity race will be convoyed on the same day as the young and old hens, this is in no way to save on costs but brought about by the un-predicable weather as we move towards late September, it used to be said if you take a holiday in Scotland go in the autumn, how-ever the seasons are not what they were.

A further change is that ‘all’ ring orders and subscription forms should be posted to Ian Bellamy the club’s race secretary. He will now be taking all your subscriptions and ring orders.

When paying your subs’ you will have two options. You can pay them through the Pigenonline portal at www.pigeononline.co.uk. The remaining option is by cheque, bank transfers is no longer an option

Those of you who have entered any of the 2024 races using this portal you will know how simple and straightforward the platform is.

your online gateway

If you haven’t then you will have to create a login, to do this email Ian and he will supply you with the required details. We appreciate that doing your bank transfer payment is simple for you the end user, but the bank charges for all these transfers to the club are running to £100 per month and the amount of work reconciling them when people do not put the correct reference with it all goes to making more work behind the scenes.

Once logged in just select ‘shop’ here you will be able to select year and then subscription and your rings either the regular NRCC rings or the futurity ones. Please be aware the ‘futurity rings’ will only be activated for the race if the youngster you put the rings on are placed in one of the successful Whatsapp sales run by John Parker.

You will see a voucher code, please apply this and then you will not be charged p&p.

The 2025 subscription form can be downloaded here and will also be posted out with your AGM paperwork. Propositions for the AGM should be in by Saturday 7th December 2024, you shouldn’t forget this date as it is the NRCC Day of Champions the same day! Here is a plus, pay using the Pigeononline portal and you don’t need to post your membership form.

We do appreciate that doing your bank transfer payment is simple for you the end user, but the bank charges for all these transfers to the club are running to £100 per month and the amount of work reconciling them when people do not put the correct reference all goes to making more work behind the scenes.

The committee also felt that the subscriptions should be increased to £50 including p&p. I hear you gasp, but think about it, a first-class stamp is £1.65 now, a large letter which your race pack goes in is £3.30, AGM and ring order postage all adds up. The last time the subs did go up was ten years ago and it was by £2.50

It’s not all negative, did you know that the club guarantees 30% prize money, on all races and a £500 first prize for Lerwick, there are five guaranteed £100 cash noms on some of the trophies for only a £1 nom. A solid Silver hand crafted replica of the King George V Cup for the winner, these costs the club £1100 each. Now compare our 30% prize money on race entry receipts to other classic organisations pay outs and I think you will find we are ahead.

Spalding will soon be upon us, never been, well come on shake your head and come and see what this great club is about. Held at the Springfields Exhbition and Conference Centre, remember everything made on the day goes back to the club, it was this event that kickstarted the transporter fund and should be embraced and enjoyed by all of the clubs members and gives you the ideal opportunity to meet up with other like-minded fanciers from the length and breadth of your club.

Day of Champions

All section and Open winners are invited to bring their winning birds and place them on the Champions row so please do bring yours along, you will have received your invite.

The event is playing host to part two of the entire clearance sale of the late Frank Bristow and his son George’s pigeon, Frank was a double Kings Cup Winner, Thurso Open winner along with a whole host of other performance including first Opens in the Midlands National.

the late Frank Bristow with son George

There will be trade stands from our usual supporters, PJ Lofts, Pigeon Botanicals, Bamfords, Pigeon Testing Centre, Gold Bird Pigeon Products and much more.

The club have advertised for a convoyer and driver. The driver ideally would have a class one licence. The vehicle is a well maintained 7.5 tonne Mercedes Atego with sleeping facilities in the cab for the driver as the convoyers accommodation in on the body of the transporter but separate from the pigeons. While the vehicle is 7.5tonne we do use a trailer for three or four of our races. The position would suit a semi-retired person as some of our races run into you being away from two days to five.

Transporter & Trailer

We are also looking for a convoyer and for tis roles experience would be required and driving licence with 7.5tonne C1 would be preferred but not essential. If you know someone then contact the clubs chairman.

Now while we are on the subject of vacancies there is always room on the committee for forward thinking and dedicated people who can spare some time and not just at meetings, for instance do we have some-one with experience in ‘Wordpress’, amongst our ranks are business men, bankers, doctors and unless people start to come forward it will probably be the later we will need as at the moment the average age of the committee is 77.

See you at Spalding, come and say hello and meet your committee and have a chat, let us know what you would like to see happen.