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165 Years After the Publishing of Origin of Species 24th November 2024

 

It only seems like yesterday we celebrated the150th anniversary of Origin of Species in 2009. There was great interest in Charles Darwin’s work all around the world. It also coincided with the refurbishment of the upstairs rooms at Darwin’s home, Downe House, Kent, England by English Heritage.

On the actual anniversary publication day date 24th November, I was lucky enough to be part of John Murray’s Publication Celebration in Albermarle Street, London, the exact building where the book was published in 1859. [see other pages on the site about that event]

 

Now 15 years later maybe there is not such a buzz of excitement but let’s not diminish the great work and its importance to science.

My interest is in the pigeon side of Darwin’s studies during 1855 to 1858 and I was very pleased to be given permission by the Natural History Museum in Tring to handle his donated pigeon specimens and immaculately labelled pigeon skeletons.

 

The following year 2010, I assembled over 20 live pigeon breeds in the laboratory at Down House which backs onto the greenhouse in the grounds. I borrowed such breeds from South East fanciers as Giant Runt, English Pouter, Frillback and the diminutive English Short Faced tumbler to name but a few of the breeds Darwin immersed himself into studying in great detail. However could all these breeds be assembled today in the South of England from local fanciers?

 

When I first started showing fancy pigeons in 1991 there where lots of pigeon fanciers, Pigeon Clubs and Championship shows in South and South West of England but what of today in modern Britain? How has the pigeon hobby fared? And if Charles Darwin had sought help and valuable hands on pigeon knowledge today, as he did in 1855 would he have found it? The sad truth is probably not as many of the older Fanciers have gone to the pigeon loft in the sky, most taking their fancy pigeon knowledge with them, especially as Pigeon men mostly are not great at sharing their knowledge with all but a few until it is lost forever. Darwin found fanciers in London that were able and willing to help him with their knowledge and his insatiable thirst for knowledge on the subject. There are precious few younger Fancy Pigeon fanciers taking up the hobby today with modern life and short attention spans due to electronic gadgets and social media being far more interesting than being out in all weathers 365 days a year.

In my time we have lost Cornwall Fancy Pigeon Society, Devon Fanciers Society, South Coast of England Fancy Pigeon Society and Kent & Canterbury Pigeon Society, all a great loss to the Fancy. The latest one to disband was London & Essex Show Pigeon Society, this club had its roots in East London before moving to Corringham, Essex for over 25 years. Charles Darwin would have visited Southwark Pigeon Club which London & Essex was spawned from. Darwin said he met with very peculiar people there, members at that club back then would have been very much working class pigeon fanciers. This was portrayed in a scene from the film “Creation”. Paul Bettany starred as Darwin which was filmed in the lovely old town of Bradford on Avon in Somerset, England. Myself and others supplied pigeon breeds and old baskets and had bit parts in the pub scene which was great fun to take part in. [see Creation page on the site]

So Fancy Pigeon clubs in the South of England have all but disappeared with only a new club for flying breeds such as West of England Tumblers and Show Racers emerging from the ashes based in the Maidstone area. However one club that is doing very well and is still very strongly supported is Reading Fancy Pigeon Club. Based in the small village of Bradfield South, Berkshire where it has regular smaller club shows throughout the year with the jewel in its crown being the ‘Gold Cup’ Show, held every January, just off the M4 at Theale Village, Berkshire. The show attracts up to 1000 pigeons, the Gold Cup is awarded to the Best Young pigeon in the show, replicas are awarded to the top 10 finalists from the various breeds. The original Gold Cup is so valuable it makes it’s annual appearance on the day of the show and then safely returns into bank storage for the rest of the year. During late Victorian times and up to almost today clubs up and down the country had fantastic silver and sometimes gold cups on offer at shows. My particular club the National Modena Club of Great Britain still has a glittering array of old silver trophies donated by its wealthy members over the past 114 years it has been in existence.

 

In the north of England there are several very well supported shows with Lancashire having the largest entries with circa 1500 birds entered each year, with Egremont Fancy Pigeon Society in Cumbria, Newcastle Columbarian in Tyneside, possibly the oldest remaining society in England, all doing well and further south in the Midlands Newark Showground Show in early October is always a good one. For me the show highlight of the year is the British Show Pigeon Society Show held at Barnsley Metrodome. Entries of around 1400 pigeons on show at the two day event in a well lit and comfortable, modern building. The Peristeronic Society, under the umbrella of BPSS has a class of matched pairs and a team of 6 all one breed, exactly as the original shows that were held, the Society is still going strong and celebrated its 175th anniversary in 2022. An anniversary booklet was produced and Charles Darwin features in the booklet as he was once a guest at the annual dinner held in London at the time. Traditions are still upheld at the formal dinner with speeches by the President and guest of honour exactly as it was all those years ago. When I first started showing, back in 1991, the BPSS held their show at Doncaster racecourse and had entries of 4000 pigeons however with so many of the regular exhibitors no longer with us let’s just enjoy the shows while they are here with the fantastic variation of size, shape, colour and feather adornments of our fancy pigeon breeds.