And Now For Something Completely Different…
 
‘RADAR’
 
Stuart Wilcox my friend, auctioneer and style guru recently asked me to update our website to reflect the current new breeders.
I also decided to re write the ‘About Us’ and ‘Breeders Profiles’ feature that will now be replaced with a Online Published magazine in four parts on our website.
This will take a number of months to complete as I underestimated the content in our ‘About Us’ feature. It is currently over 30 pages long and goes back to when I was nine years old!
 
One of my stand out memories in the sport and without doubt the bird that gave me the greatest pleasure and pain was ‘Radar’ of Gerard Brothers in Liverpool.
 
Here is a paragraph or two relating to him that is included in our future publication………..
 
‘I further supplemented Albert’s bloodline direct from himself over the following years and further through Albert’s protégé’s Gerard Brothers, John and Dennis of Knotty Ash. In 1987 I was very lucky to buy Gerard Brothers ‘Radar’ their talisman and champion racer at auction in Kirby organised by Brian Maguire. This cock was one of the greatest pigeons I have ever owned in my life and one that gives me probably the most regret. Through my own neglect, I clumsily lost the bloodline. ‘Radar’ was a real individual and he never properly settled into my loft. He was simply homesick. I kept him and bred off him for two seasons before having to return him to Gerard Brothers. I never felt that he was really my pigeon. Busy with our business, busy with a wife and young family, and before I knew it, I had no direct fertile children anymore and lost the line!! I should have had that blood in my loft today. It taught me a very valuable lesson. That lesson was, if I valued the bloodline so much I needed to plan ahead, plan the mating’s, blend suitable other lines in to maintain the quality. ‘
 
GB82D73779 Bred and raced by Gerard Brothers, Liverpool. Radar’s’ racing record was :
12 x 1st Club
15 x 2nd Club
3 x 4th Club
4 x 5th Club
3 x 6th Club
8 x 1st were won in the West Derby Club in Liverpool with a membership of 105 members. A record that still stands
Club birdage was 350 to over 600 birds each race with no duplication’s.
Liverpool Amalgamation results:
2nd Amal Gloucester 6890 birds
3rd Amal Dorchester 5587 birds
3rd Amal Dorcester 5919 birds
4th Amal Gloucester 6295 birds
5th Amal Wincanton 5790 birds
6th Amal Dorchester 5346 birds
7th Amal Wincanton 5874 birds
7th Amal Wincanton 4775 birds
12th Amal Hereford 5226 birds
22nd Amal Dorchester 5328 birds
26th Amal Gloucester 5623 birds
37th Amal Wincanton Hereford 5698 birds
37th Amal Hereford 5443 birds
50th Amal Hereford 5334 birds
 
‘Radar’ had a nest brother ‘Sonar’ that was almost his equal mostly with the two brothers arriving together from a race to win 1st and 2nd. ‘Radar’s 15 x 2nd clubs often had ‘Sonar’ beating him into 1st.
 
On the occasion when ‘Radar was 2nd Amal from Gloucester against 6890 birds both ‘Radar’ and ‘Sonar’ arrived together and were missed clocking. Both rubbers were clocked in one thimble winning equal 2nd Amal. They were beaten that day by Albert Tarletons ‘Skyleader’ by 20 seconds!
 
It must also be noted that these were the days of some extraordinary fanciers in Liverpool and some legendary birds that all raced at the same time.
 
Albert Tarleton with ‘Skyleader’ ‘Young Fox’ ‘Junes Red Pied’ and many more…Pauline Ackers …Les Kilshaw…Brian McGuire and ‘Super Gift’ ….some of the best in Liverpool’s rich Pigeon history.
 
As for Radars breeding. His father ‘The Tic Eye Cock’ was an egg from Albert Tarleton found on the loft floor. Radars mother ‘Princess’ also had a colorful background. She was bred by Frank Cully from Dark Cock a Dutch Stray with a Red German rung stray hen that was caught on one of the boats being unloaded on Liverpool docks.
I never knew that pair but but I have heard many times about the sheer class they bred. In fact I also had two hens from that pair and they were indeed fantastic.
 
Radar one of the greatest birds I have ever owned in my life.