Harry Heal Part 1

Harry Passed away suddenly on 9th February 2003 aged 62 Harry was a true pigeon man and for many years was Secretary to the Bristol TTSS and prior to his death President of The Federation. I had known Harry for over 40 years. If Harry could do you a favour then he would. He will be sadly missed by all who knew him in the pigeon fraternity and at the shows, where over the years Harry has been a great showman. Our sympathy goes to his family. The pigeon scene has lost a great man that can never be replaced.

Bristol Tippler & Tumbler Society have put up a Memorial Trophy for Harry awarded to the ‘Best in Show’ each year. The National Federation has also put up a Memorial Trophy in memory of Harry awarded to the ‘Best Yellow or Red Spangle’ a colour which Harry kept in the later years although throughout his life he has kept every colour you can think of.

We would like to thank Monica - Harry’s wife for giving her permission for Harry’s profile to be published.

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THE FEDERATION WESTERLY PROFILE

This month I travel the shortest distance to compile a profile on the person that I have known longest within the current pigeon fraternity Harry Heal. Harry lives one mile from me where he is landlord of the Public House known as The Happy Cock (I can sense your minds already working overtime). It is surprising to a lot of you that I have not done a profile on Harry before now but as they say all good things come to those that are willing to wait. Harry runs the pub with his partner Monica which they have been doing now for 11 years and although Harry doesn’t make a fuss about it he has turned this pub from one of the most run down pubs in Bristol to a place that people look forward to having a night out and enjoy their Sunday lunches (always fully booked). It will surprise a lot of you to know that Harry wasn’t born in Bristol; he is the eldest of five having four sisters two of whom work at the pub along with two nieces and Harry’s youngest son Shaun. A real family affair you could say. A lot of you may know of Shaun he keeps Voorburgs but no matter how much battering Harry or I give him we cannot convince him to keep West’s although he does have a licking for Exhibition Tipplers so you never know. Harry’s other son Dean has given him the biggest joy of his life presenting him with a granddaughter called Ellie who is now four. Harry spends, as much time as he can with Ellie but running a pub spare time is not in abundance and because of this Harry has no other hobbies besides his pigeons. Like us all as we are getting older (Harry’s 62 – don’t let on I said so) he’s not keeping the best of Health and if he were honest is really looking forward to his retirement and who could blame him, I know I couldn’t put in all the hours he does.

It was with a lot of sadness that we accepted the resignation of Harry from The Federation as President and also Secretary to The Bristol Tippler and Tumbler Show Society, which he had done for over thirty years, but the good news is that Harry has no intention of getting rid of his birds.

It will not surprise you to know that Harry comes from a Rugby Union family with his Grandfather and Uncle playing for England and Harry followed the tradition by playing tight head prop forward to a very high standard for Bristol United and The Quinn’s (Harlequins for the none Rugby Union readers) for five years. Harry also won a County Cup playing for Somerset County. Harry kept playing the game he loves so much right up until he was 42

Before coming into the brewery industry 25 years ago Harry worked as a Shuttering Carpenter. He started for the brewery (Georges in those days now Greene King) as a Doorman or as he preferred to be known a Company Director’s Aid. This is an insight into the man I met some 35+ years ago longer than we both care to remember. Sorry Harry but it’s down to the questions.

A. My family moved from Worcester when I was three years old to settle in Bristol where my four sisters were born. We lived in a district called St Werburgs before moving to Knowle, which borders Whitchurch where the pub is situated.

A. I have kept pigeons since I was eight years old when I came across a racing pigeon in the street. I housed him is a box on top of an air raid shelter and when I let him out he kept coming back this is what gave me the bug for pigeons and I have never looked back since. We lived as I said in a suburb of Bristol call St Werburgs and you could say this was the epee centre of West’s in the Bristol area and in my dinner hour from school I would go to the home of Jack Spratt (true) who had I would guess over 200 West’s. Initially he would throw stones at me to chase me away but eventually realised I was just interested in his birds and how could you not like the West, then and even today I think the West is the most beautiful pigeon around and I suppose living in Bristol I am proud that this is where it originated all those years ago. In those days everyone flew their pigeons and I would just stare out of the classroom window at these beautiful creatures, which as far I was concerned were just putting on a display for me. I then met this person that kept West’s and all he had was Duns. He gave me a pair and this was my introduction into keeping West’s. In 1960 I got the bug for showing pigeons after going to a local show but I had the same problem then as I have today nobody would let me have quality birds. It took me two years before I won my first card and that was a commended when John Keepin was judging. I didn’t win anymore for a twelve-month spending time building up a stud of Reds and Yellows. I then went to the Bristol show with these birds and won 7 out of the 8 classes only taking a 2^nd in the eighth class, unfortunately this upset a lot of the local lads and they spent most of their time telling me that my birds were too long in the neck, too deep etc but undeterred I carried on breeding my birds until one day I met up with a guy called Dave Walters (DW - never heard of him) who lived at Manor Farm, Bristol and the birds were completely different type of pigeon to what I had known, super creams the like of which you just do not see today they are just not as good as they were then, silver bars and a couple of spangles and I found out that they were acquired from Cliff Hole, one of the top men in those days keeping West’s. Over the years Dave and I became very friendly and went to a lot of shows together including Norwich which when you think of it without motorways in those days and with some old banger was quite an achievement.

Norwich was an all breed show all those years ago and never had the Flying Birds in the quantity they later became known for. We befriended Mel Brooker and Barry Flat and it was when Mel and Barry visited one of the Bristol shows that they were amazed at the quality of the birds on display and wanted to visit some of the fanciers the day after the show. I took them to see the top Tippler men who in those days were Ernie Bates with his Colours and Tony Williams with his Prints. There were several very good West fanciers in Bristol at that time but as they were restricted for time only visited Colin Hawkins who in those days kept Spangles they went back to Norwich with 50% of his stud and Tipplers from both Ernie and Tony. The rest as they say is history this is how West’s and Tipplers took off in Norwich from birds acquired in Bristol. Mel added to his stock with birds he purchased from Stan Lock and Freddie Squires from Bideford both master breeders. Stan of not only West’s but Print Tipplers a real gentleman who would breed you anything that you required with Freddie the Coloured Tippler man.

Dates elude me a little these days but in the early seventies when you decided due to personal reasons to let your birds go Dave, I managed to purchase your whole stock including the baskets, which I still have today. With these birds I just went from one success to another developing the birds I had from you. The birds were out of this world lovely type Cock birds, wealth of Feather, length and shape correct, plenty of back cover and beautiful pearl eyes some people made an issue about thigh markings but as the West is a flying breed this was never an issue in my books after all there is no standard. I kept your stud for about ten years wining nearly everything when I decided I needed a new challenge so I let the stud go to a relatively newcomer in those days in the form of Terry Gerrish who continued to have great success with the bars. As spangles were always a favourite of mine I decided that this was the challenge I needed and acquired a couple of hens from Gary Bennett who still lives in Reading breeding with them to produce badges which I eventually put back to each other to produce not only spangles but more badges and I must be honest some of the best birds I bred were badges but judges were reluctant to put badges over balds for some reason always remembering there is no standard when it comes to markings. When Colin Monelle through personal reasons asked if I would look after his birds for him for a while I was only to pleased to do so as he had some of the best spangles in the country built up from stud of Jack Jones in Bristol who in my opinion had the best stud of Spangles ever! Imagine my surprise not having heard from Colin for four months to come home from work to find Colin had taken his birds and sold them to Mel. Every one knows the success Mel had with the Spangles he was top banana a master breeder and master showman no one could knock him but what is pleasing is that his stock came from the Bristol area over the years. Unfortunately the stud disappeared when they were passed onto other fanciers in the Norwich area. Having established a good line in Spangles taking my fair share of winning I still have the love for Spangles and today building my stud back up after having a bad bout of Salmonella five years ago loosing some of my key birds.

A. The original loft that I had was 42ft x 8ft but because of restrictions associated with the public house I now have three lofts one is 18ft x 10ft the other is 12ft x 6ft and I also have an 8ft x 8ft penning loft.

A. In the past I have had all sorts of birds but don’t be misled my first love and will always be are my West’s. I have kept in the past Modenas, which I had championship status with, I have kept Reverse Wings, Dutch Croppers, Birmingham Rollers and I have flown Tipplers in competition in the seventies but only with limited success but I am a believer that you may as well be last as second. I kept the Flying Tipplers for around eight years but I did find a lot of discontentment with the members in those days and decided I didn’t need the aggravation so gave my Tipplers away to Dave Nicolls who lived in the suburb district of Bristol called Hartcliffe. I have also kept Exhibition Tipplers with a moderate degree of success and hope to be getting a few more this year.

Harry I have enjoyed doing this profile but I never realised you could talk so much so I think we will end it there and continue next month. I would urge our readers not to miss next month when Harry gives his thoughts on not only judging but the Federation. I think that’s enough to wet your appetites. Now for the biggest kept secret, (no one knew and that includes me) I have just got back from seeing Harry after his holiday in Spain to be told that he and Mon got married whilst in Spain, I am sure all of you that know Harry and Mon would join me in congratulating and wishing them all the best for the future.

I expect by now most of you will have taken down those nest boxes for another year or will be thinking of doing so fairly soon. I hope you have all breed that champion but if you haven’t then I fear it may be a bit late for this year but never despair there is always next year and of course all the shows to enjoy this year. I have written under separate cover an article on Federation news so I will leave it there until next month.