Sundays were a day of rest for the pigeons left to do whatever they wanted.

Bath put down and doors left open all day. Way back when we had no hawk problems that we have today. Sunday morning I would put my eldest son in his pushchair and visit a couple of local pigeon fanciers and talk about Saturdays race and various other pigeon topics. I was gone all morning and only went home when the little fella got hungry.

One Sunday the chat got on to the subject of cats. Now remember this happened over 40 years ago. My mate Jimmy was having problems with a cat that was tormenting his birds. Every time he went out to his lofts the next door neighbours cat was either sitting on top of his lofts or hanging on the front. Now for pigeons to race successfully pigeons have to feel safe in their environment. Jimmy was at his wits end no matter when he went into his garden there was the cat. He had a Jack Russell that was getting on in years so was no real deterrent. Jimmys solution was to catch and take it on a road trip. The cat was duly caught and put in a box and taken about 30 miles away. His pigeons were basketed and taken as well to his favourite training spot. Pigeons released and Jimmy watched them disappear towards London. A quick scan round to make sure no one was watching he released the cat into the undergrowth thinking it was a long way for a cat to find it’s way home and would probably find a new home in the locality.

For the next few weeks Jimmys pigeons started to win races and settle down to their cat free location. About 6 weeks later Jimmy was in his garden tending to his pigeons when his neighbour popped her head over the garden fence and after asking Jimmy how his pigeons were doing enquired “You train your pigeons from Bishop Stortford. Don’t you”? To which Jimmy replied “Yes I go there quite often” “Would you do me a favour” the neighbour asked. “Of course” replied Jimmy. “Would you pick my cat up – it’s been found there” The lady asked with no mention of how she thought it got there but knew full well. What could Jimmy say but “Yes next time I train my pigeons”. Jimmy racked his brains on how it had got reported until he handed the cat back to his neighbour. As she got it out of the box there it was for Jimmy to see. He had left the identification tag around the cats neck!

I can’t remember if it continued to harass Jimmys pigeons or if the neighbour ever mentioned it again.

Until next time…