On the weekend of the 1st & 2nd December 2007 an International Beauty contest took place at the Queen’s Hall. A total of 864 stunning birds from around the UK arrived in Dunoon to participate in the biggest pigeon show in Scotland.
This is the 10th show to be held in Dunoon and local man Terry Markwick is responsible for making sure the show runs to plan. Terry has a lifetime of experience keeping pigeons, his grandfather had a loft and introduced him to the world of pigeons when he was just four years old. Nowadays, you will find him writing articles for the ‘British Homing World’ and ‘Racing Pigeon’.
Terry and his wife Liz Markwick (Treasurer) along with Paul Chatterton from Ireland (Secretary) put a lot of time and effort into organising the event. The funds for the show are raised from a telephone auction of donated birds and prices vary depending on the bird. Blackpool holds the record for the highest amount of money paid for a pigeon, when ‘Invincible Spirit’ sold for a staggering £162,000.
The Judges travelled from far and wide to attend the Dunoon show, including Dennis McKane from Guernsey and Roland Thresher and his son David Thresher from Somerset. They were keen to tell how welcome they had been made over the weekend and how impressed they were with Dunoon. Next year they are hoping to ask the Queen’s own loft manager Carlo Napolitano to take part in the judging.
Supreme Champion Winners JK & JD Lynn From Darlington
Terry Markwick
Dennis McKane
Peeps writer Susan Watling (left) with Liz and Terry Markwick and Paul Chatterton
Winners of the Eye-sign class, Mr and Mrs Ronney
Showing an early interest in pigeon keeping
Shannon Dennis (left) with Veronica Byrne
Robert Wiggins (right) with his Step Dad
Catch that pigeon!
The boys from Greenock had to wait until Sunday evening to get their pigeon back after the bird decided it would rather be a spectator than a contestant.
A bird’s eye view of the show
The McCurdy’s from Greenock with show steward, William Montgomary (centre)
