Midland Roller Pigeon Club

The Midland Roller Pigeon Club is a group of like minded fanciers dedicated to improve, and develop all aspects of the performing Birmingham Roller Pigeon. Beginnings The club is the oldest surviving Birmingham Roller establishment in the UK and first came into being on December 8th1959 when a meeting was held at the Hasbury Conservative and Unionist Club between a number of eminent fanciers of that particular time, and consisted of George Walker, Fairfield Road, Halesowen Harry Thatcher, 38 College Road, Quinton Joe Carr, 131 Wolverhampton Road, Birmingham 32 Adam Jones, Ashley Street, Blackheath William Barrett, 21 Stourbridge Road, Fairfield, Bromsgrove Tom Oakes, 39 Batham Street, Kidderminster Don Horton, 5 Foredraft Street, Colley Gate, Cradley. George Walker accepted the position of club chairman, and William (Bill) Barrett club secretary. Both were proposed by Joe Carr. The name Midland Roller Pigeon Club was then decided upon and all present became part of that first committee. Membership subscriptions for the first year were 5/- (25p) for adults and 2/6 (12.5p) for juniors up to the age of 18. Every member received a Midland Roller Pigeon Club club card. Constitution Name: The club shall be known as The Midland Roller Pigeon Club. Aims: To foster and develop the interest in the true performing roller. Membership: A subscription to be taken. Officers: To be made up of a chairman, secretary (to keep the minutes), treasurer (to produce a balance sheet) and four committee members, all to be voted in annually at the AGM. Annual General Meeting: To hold an annual general meeting on the second Sunday in February. Rings: To be issued to bona fide members only. Stray birds: It is the responsibility of the person who the ring was issued to, to retrieve a lost bird once reported, failure to do so could result in a disciplinary meeting. Competition: To hold a young bird, yearling and old bird fly annually. Shows: To hold a summer show and a winter show annually. Discipline: The officers, after a meeting, have the power to discipline any member for irresponsible or unfit behaviour. Cessation: In the event of the club folding all assets to be sold and all remaining monies (after expenses) to be divided amongst all current members. 11.02.2007 Current Officers/ committee What is a Birmingham Roller you ask? A Birmingham roller is a small type of pigeon. There are now two recognised varieties, the show bird and the flying bird. Both are very attractive in appearance and similar in size to a collared dove but that is were the similarity between dove and pigeon ends. The roller appears in numerous shades and colours varying from reds, duns, blues, blacks yellows, bronzes, lavenders, tortoiseshells almonds and when combined with white appears in badges, bald heads, odd sides, saddles, white wings, white tails, grizzles, laces, mottles. spangles the list goes on. The Midland Roller Pigeon Club (MRPC) does indulge in showing but it is mainly the flying variety that this club strives to promote. The flying Birmingham roller pigeon is usually flown as one of a kit or team of 20 birds. The birds when liberated should climb to a decent height and then start to roll simultaneously. Video footage of rolling pigeons shows that when performing the bird raises the wings and the tail, arches the spine and pushes the base of the skull into the tail feathers. Once in this position it then executes a series of backward somersaults hopefully in a perfectly straight line with such velocity that when viewed from the side the bird takes on the appearance of a spinning ball with a small hole through the centre. The actual roll can vary from a yard to 10 yards or more sometimes all the way to the ground although this type of bird is best avoided as fatalities can soon have a serious impact on the number of birds owned. The bird should snap out of the roll cleanly, still be facing the same way and return to the kit immediately. A kit of high quality Birmingham rollers is a sight to behold. The birds are usually flown for 20 minutes and are judged for kitting, rolling, style quality and for the number of birds performing simultaneously. With each different aspect of the display being awarded points. The scores are tallied up at the end of each performance and the fancier with the highest score at the end of the competition wins. The competitions are judged wherever possible by the winning fancier/s from the previous year. Where did these amazing creatures come from? you ask, Well.... One fine clear morning when the earth was still very young, somewhere between Mount Birminghus and the Hanging Gardens of Dudley (If you've never seen the Hanging Gardens of Dudley then visit the Black country working museum and take the canal ride)A group of simple peasants sat on a grassy knoll, when suddenly one uttered in a strong black country accent 'What is the meaning of life' In a blinding flash of intense white light the creator appeared before them causing each to shield his eyes. A booming voice resonated all about.. 'A man has only to observe the heavens my children and enlightenment shall be his' Not being the most intelligent of beings the peasants shuffled nervously whispering among themselves until one finally spoke. "What does thy mean oh mighty one' By now the creator was getting pretty agitated. 'Look up into the skies you *%"*ing idiots' Instantly all eyes looked up, for a few moments each scanned the heavens until one finally shouted 'There' High above, a tiny cluster of 20 objects hung stationary, all of a sudden without warning each flipped simultaneously, over and over, racing towards the ground at tremendous speed portraying a tiny hole in the centre. The onlookers, mesmerised by what they saw couldn't avert their eyes as the tiny projectiles raced towards them. On they came until at the very last second as they were about to hit the ground each one seemed to sprout a pair of wings and immediately began to ascend to whence they had came. Unable to apprehend what they had just seen one of the group said 'What is this thy showeth to us oh great one'? "What you see before you my children is my old bird kit of Birmingham Roller pigeons performing a full turn in perfect style" (In those days everyone flew a kit of 20 birds) 'Never hath we seen such a sight' said another 'Very few have' replied the creator 'Although some will pretend to have' 'Where can one purchase such wonders oh mighty one' the creator laughed so much that the earth shook and Mount Birminghus collapsed into the canal. (that's why you can't find it now) 'You cannot buy such birds' said the omnipotent one, you have to spend hours in the field observing grading and then selecting the best that you can. Then you must pair the birds together in order of merit and then hope you will breed birds of a similar standard. If you are lucky you may produce one or two that are the same or even better. For breeding quality Birmingham rollers is not for the faint hearted. Some spend a lifetime in their quest for perfection and fail miserably Others come close, but every now and again one fancier rises above all others and like a shining light leads the way. The creator outstretched his arms called to the birds ('Come on') and instantly they dropped from above and alighted upon him. "Now each one of you take a pair of birds and go forth and multiply" If only it was that simple but with hard graft and dedication it does get easier Now where did these enigmatic little avian athletes really originate. Sadly the origins of this species are limited to the writings of a few with the main benefactor being William Pensom a legend in the USA and revered by some of those pioneering UK fanciers but not all of them.