Saturday, 21st November saw the 2015season finally put to bed with the BBC’s annualdinner and prize presentation held at TheMarsham Court Hotel, Bournemouth, with theAnnual General Meeting taking place on thesame day. The evening was again a veryenjoyable occasion with just over 140 guestsattending. It was lovely to see members from allof our sections making the trip to celebrate ourprizewinners of the year.

Our host for the evening was President NigelRigiani, who began by saying grace before wesat down to an outstanding four course mealserved by the staff from The Marsham CourtHotel. After the meal Nigel went on to introducethe guests on the top table Mike & Jade

Shepherd-Palomares from Countrywide feeds,Steve & Nettie Richards, Peter & Sue Bennett,who all deserve our thanks and gratitude fortheir continued support of the Club.Unfortunately our Patron Mark Gilbert wasunable to make it, but on behalf of the BBC Iwould like to thank Mark for his sponsorship ofthe Palamos Section Winners engraved glassdecanters. Personally, I would like to thankChristine White for all her help with thetrophies, Anne Hooper for organising the lovelyflower arrangements and Robbie Hooper forferrying Anne around on my behalf.

To present the cups and trophies we calledupon the ladies from the top table, up first wasJade Shepherd-Palomares followed by Sue

Bennett and finally Nettie Richards who allcarried out their duties perfectly. For our BlueRiband winner we normally call upon ourPatron to present the awards but as Mark wasabsent it seemed fitting for a very special ladywho has attended these dinners for manyyears, to step in and take the reins, Mrs MarilynWeaver from Ludlow in Shropshire, wife of DonWeaver who very sadly is no longer with us.

Our Blue Riband winners Corey & RogerOwers’ performance from Palamos this yearwas an exceptional one which will probably godown in the history books of the BBC. Not onlydid they manage to record the only bird on thewinning day but to take 1st and 2nd Open withthe only two birds on the winning day flying 684

British Homing World, December 11th, 2015 21

The BritishBarcelona Club

DINNER AND AGM REPORT

The 2015 BBC Race Winners with Nigel Rigiani.

miles is a great achievement. Also that the birdswere mother and son, Corey Boy being timed at5.58pm and his dam Gilli at 9.29pm.

The cups and trophies winners collecting onthe evening were as follows

Carentan National: Garnett, Moore &Withers – 1st Open winning The Norman FyshMemorial Trophy, The Hyatt Trophy, The PeterBennett Special Presentation Plate and TheSection B Medal; B. McAllister – The Section JMedal.

Messac National: Mr & Mrs L. Cowley – TheDorset Cup & The Section B Medal; S. Slade -The Section C Medal; Mr & Mrs Beckett & Sons– The Section E Medal; M. Bulled - The SectionJ Medal.

Fougères OB National: Mr & Mrs J. B.Langbridge – The Section G Medal; B.McAllister – The Section J Medal.

Bordeaux National: M. Hope – 1st Openwinning The Master Jason Rigiani MemorialTrophy, The Jane Witts Memorial Trophy, TheJason & Naomi Hart Memorial Trophy, The DonWeaver Memorial Trophy and The Peter

Bennett Special Presentation Plate and TheSection E Medal; Mr & Mrs A Shore – TheGuernsey Silver Can Trophy and The 2nd OpenMedal; P. Newton – The Trevor Dodd &Grandson Trophy, The Mr & Mrs Hooper Trophyand The Section C Medal; Mr & Mrs J BLangbridge – The Section G Medal; Mr & MrsD. J. Newman – The Trevor Cox Rose Bowl; R.L. Spooner – The Sue Bradshaw MemorialTrophy.

Coutances YB National: S. Slade – 1st and2nd Open winning The Petlife International

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P Entwistle & Dtr with Nettie Richards. Mr & Mrs D J Newman.

D Melinte with Marilyn Weaver.

Mr & Mrs J B Langbridge with Sue Bennett.

M Bulled with Jade Shepherd-Palomares. W Stribling.

Corey & Roger Owers.

Harkers Trophy, The Mr & Mrs F. SoppChallenge Trophy, The Bilco ConsolationChallenge Cup, The Major BuckinghamChallenge Trophy and The Section C Medal; Mr& Mrs N. Smith – The Section B Medal; P.Entwistle – The Davis Challenge Trophy.

Coutances OH National: A. P. & S. M.Lucas – 1st Open winning The Crowley &Green donated Trophy and The Section CMedal; Mr & Mrs A. Shore – The Nigel Rigiani

donated Trophy and The Section E and The2nd Open Medal; P. Priddle – The Section AMedal.

Average Winners: D. Melinte – The F. E.Griffin Memorial Trophy for best averagelongest OB and YB Nationals; Corey & RogerOwers – The Tony Hustler Memorial Trophy forbest average Messac and longest OBNationals and The Tommy Rae MemorialTrophy for best average two longest OB

Nationals; P. Newton – The E. G. BraceyTrophy for best average Messac and BordeauxNationals in to Section C.

Palamos National: M. Bulled 3rd Openwinning The Bert Wiffen Memorial Shield, TheHillside Greater Distance Trophy, The RonBissett Challenge Cup, The John ParishMemorial Trophy, The Mark Gilbert engraveddecanter for Section J winner and The SectionJ Medal; W. Castledine – 5th Open winning The

British Homing World, December 11th, 2015 23

Mr & Mrs L Cowley. The New Team Jim H, Clare, Roger Hurst.

W Castledine.

P Newton.

B McAllister.

Mr & Mrs N Smith. S Slade.

M Hope.

Willcox Trophy, The G. Stubbs MemorialTrophy, The Spanish Trophy, The GazetteChallenge Trophy, The Mark Gilbert engraveddecanter for Section A winner and The SectionA Medal; W. Stribling – 6th Open winning TheJack Edwards Memorial Trophy, The HoraceBaker Memorial Trophy, The A. G. Mullholland& Son Avon Trophy, The Reg & Myrtle VennerMemorial Rose Bowl, The Mark Gilbertengraved decanter for Section C winner andThe Section C Medal; K. Young – TheFrederico G. Vaccaro Cup, The Mark Gilbertengraved decanter for Section H winner andThe Section H Medal; D. Melinte – TheMiddlesex Trophy and The 10th Open Medal.

Winners of the Palamos National 2015:Corey & Roger Owers – 1st and 2nd Openwinning The Harkers Challenge Trophy, TheRon Michieson Challenge Trophy, The SpanishChallenge Trophy, The Woodsider Trophy, TheDoug Horwood Memorial Salver, The L. A.Bartlett Trophy, The Eileen Bunn MemorialChallenge Trophy, The Ron MichiesonMemorial Rose Bowl, The Arthur BartlettMemorial Trophy, The Albert Padfield BlueRiband Memorial Trophy, The Peter RigianiMemorial Trophy, The Cyril Medway MemorialTrophy, The Mr & Mrs Ken Hine MemorialTrophy, The Bert Bryant Challenge Cup, TheRon Youde Memorial Trophy, The BarcelonaOlympic Challenge Cup, The BBC AppreciationChallege Trophy, The W. Gale Challenge Cup,The Tony Hodges Memorial Trophy, The RoyHanney Memorial Trophy, The Frank LloydMemorial Trophy, The Peter Bennett SpecialPresentation Plate, The Mark Gilbert engraveddecanter for Section B winner and The SectionB Medal.

The 2015 AGM was opened at 2.30pm.

Apologies were given for those Committeemembers who were unable to attend.

The minutes of the 2014 AGM were passedand any matters arising covered.

We received 104 resignations which wereaccepted with regret.

As it was the end of 2015 business all officeswere declared vacant and Tony Whitehurstkindly stood in as temporary Chairman. The2016 BBC Committee and Officials are asfollows: President – Jim Hooper; Chairman –Roger Hurst; Life Vice Presidents as before,Jim Hooper, Mrs Hazel Hooper, Mrs Ingrid Jurd,Roger Hurst and Richard Green; Life VicePresidents serving on Committee – DaveWhitefield, Chris King & Nigel Rigiani;Committee – Martin Norman, Jill Rogers,Stephen White and Clive Merrills;Secretary/Treasurer – Clare Norman;Auditors – Jill Rogers and Dave Whitefield.

Proposition 1, proposed by A. E. Shepherd(A620). Delete Race Rule 2 and insert newRace Rule 2 to read: ‘Birds will have an earlymorning liberation except the longest old birdrace when the liberation shall not take place

24 British Homing World, December 11th, 2015

Corey & Roger Owers.

K Young. P Priddle. Garnett, Moore & Withers.

Mr & Mrs A Shore.

R L Spooner.

before 08.00 hours on the appointed dayshould the Club be liberating on their own. Inthe case of a holdover the liberation will be leftto the Convoyers discretion.’

There were 20 For, 28 Against and 1Unsigned. Proposition failed.

Finally, permission was given to destroy olddocuments and the AGM closed at 3.10pm.

A note from your new PresidentThe very welcome news that Mrs Clare

Norman had decided to stay on as Secretary ofThe British Barcelona Club was just the boostthat the Club needed. To lose Clare would havebeen a serious blow for all concerned as thesecretary is without doubt the heart of anyorganisation. Her action also persuaded me toput myself up for nomination as President. Nowduly elected as the BBC President I am soproud and honoured to have that positionentrusted to me and also to be able to workalongside Clare, a Secretary who, has provento all in the past that she is a person that putsin a great deal of effort in all that she does, atrue asset to any club, and having beensecretary of the Club for 13 years I definitelyknow what is required, Clare certainly fits thebill.

To have Roger Hurst of Romsey as ourChairman, a BBC man through and through isanother very big plus for the Club. Roger has avery long association with the Club, acommittee member for a number of yearsRoger has also been a President of the Club. Iknow his feelings for the Club run parallel to myown, we both love the Club and will do our verybest for the club and its members in the future.The Club and members will always comefirst,of that you can be assured.

We also have a very good committee whohave also shown strong feelings for the Club,that is why they are all willing to put in as mucheffort as required for the Club and its long termfuture and will be more than willing to listen toany suggestions and or ideas that may be putbefore them by the membership. If any goodnotions come about they will, if practical andbeneficial to the Club, put them into being. Thatis the aim of us all, a good working relationshipwith officials and the members.

The British Barcelona Club has always amembership that could be considered in thewho's who in the pigeon world, I know that wehave lost many good members through thempassing on but the bedrock of such asuccessful membership still exists and it isgoing to be a pleasure for us all to work on theirbehalf to right any wrongs that may havecaused some members to leave the Club. Weall hope that they will with the above promiseshaving been made return to the club, you arewelcome to do so. The British Barcelona Clubstands second to none, it is a very special club,

a prestigious club with a very long history ofperformances that have been the talk of thetown so to speak and to be a member of sucha club is also something so very special, Socome and join and look to the future with us,youknow it makes sense?

JIM HOOPER

A note from your new ChairmanMy thanks to the members present at the

AGM for having the confidence to vote myselfin as Chairman again to what is one of thegreatest clubs in the United Kingdom, namelythe British Barcelona Club. I use theterminology ‘again’ as I have served the Clubas Chairman and President in the past, it reallyis an honour to be back here again. When Istate serve I feel it is just that for at the end ofthe day any club belongs to the members notthe officials or committee. To this end after theAGM we held an informal chat between thosepresent in an endeavour to get the feel of thosemembers present as to where they want theClub to go in the future and its current position.This certainly provided food for thought andwhat was said has certainly been taken onboard. I would ask all members throughout theyear to talk to the officials and voice youropinions and thoughts on what is after all your

club! Thankfully Clare as Secretary decided tostay and she must rate as one of the best in thecountry. What can I say about the newPresident Jim Hooper, he brings with him vastexperience of the Club and an inbuilt love for it,indeed I am sure if we cut him in half round theoutside like a stick of rock would be printedBritish Barcelona Club! For my sake I only hopethe Welsh do not beat the English in the SixNations Rugby tournament.

Anyway sincere thanks again and pleaseplease do not be afraid to talk to any of us nomatter how trivial or unimportant you mayconsider it as we can only go forward with yourhelp. To all members a successful forthcomingseason.

ROGER HURST

Your £20 subscriptions for 2016 are now dueand must be paid before 1st April. Gold Rings forthe Young Bird Gold Ring nomination scheme areavailable at £5 per ring. Prizes are awarded forOpen and Section positions on a pro rata basis.Application forms for new members are availableon the website or by telephoning me and I will putone in the post for you. Clare Norman. Tel: 0238057 3919 Email: secretary@britishbarcelonaclub.com, 133 Laundry Road, Shirley Warren,Southampton, SO16 6AR.

British Homing World, December 11th, 2015 25

Mr & Mrs Beckett & Sons.

A P & S M Lucas.

To: Brando Carenza on your 80th birthday,16th December. Best wishes.

PAM, PETE AND ALL THE MEMBERS OFEVESHAM & DFC

To: Ray Knight and everyone involved in thefirst NRCC Day of Champions. The show waswell attended at a great venue, which resultedin a lot of money being raised for the NRCCfrom the auction. The day was a credit to youall. Well done!

MICK WILSONBrinsley

To: Eric & Liz who were recently married andare now enjoying life as husband and wife. Eric& Liz were all smiles after the weddingceremony and everyone who attended thewedding and reception at night had a great

time. This was the biggest day of their lives anddon’t they make a lovely couple. We all wishthem many happy years together.

JIM GALLOWAYCongratulations...

The happy couple Eric & Liz