This image shows the Wright Cup which was a Stockton Pigeon Racing trophy. Courtesy of Tom Collins. 
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
This image shows the Wright Cup which was a Stockton Pigeon Racing trophy. Courtesy of Tom Collins.
Yes you are correct Bill. The houses were in similar positions coming in from Norton Avenue which made me forget about the Greta Road one. It was the corner house on Grassholme/Lune Roads that he finished up in.
Peter lived next door but one to us, we lived at 85. He was a long distance lorry driver and he complained about us kids making a noise while playing out as he worked nights as drivers did in those days. He had a loft in the back garden and I seem to remember that his loft been attacked at some point.
He did live in Greta Rd, and later moved to Grassholm Rd.
Thankyou. Yes it is Peter Conroy. I’m almost sure he lived in Grassholme Road. 3rd or 4th house up on the left from Norton Avenue (but I can be corrected). His pigeon loft was on Blue Hall Allotments. You were very lucky or priviledged if you were invited into his garden on the allotments. When Mr Tomkinson died it was Peter who went down to Mrs Tompkinson and looked after the pigeons.
Could that be Peter Conroy? I think he lived at Norton Ave, end of Greta Rd.
I remember your Dad and his pigeons, Tom. You lived at the bottom of Billingham Road in the houses just before Beaconsfield Road. Your sister was born in North Tees Hospital on the same day as my son on 13th June 1969. Your Mam was in the next bed to my wife. Re. the Cup. I remember Ernie Higginbotham and Keith Crawford. Another pigeon racer I remember was a man called Peter – I can’t remember his other name. Ex long distant lorry driver who could not forget his past. (Is his name on the cup?) Always drove a large van and would take his pigeons along with others upto Thirsk for training runs. What was his surname? He lived in Grassholme Road. He was a very good friend of Mr Tomkinson, retired Headmaster from St Mary’s School in Stockton. Was a breeder in fancy fantail pigeons. Always bread them and introducing them to new colours.
My dad, Tom Collins, won this pigeon racing trophy ‘The Wright Cup’ three times (1970, 1971 and 1972) as a member of the Stockton Invitation Homing Society which, if I remember correctly, was based at the now demolished Wild Ox pub. Previous to this he was a member of the Brown Jug pigeon club. He was well known for his pigeons around the Stockton area and being a joiner even built pigeon lofts for a number of fanciers over the years. I hope the names on the trophy bring back memories for anyone connected to the pigeon racing world that I was brought up in as a youngster, learning many life skills along the way. Other winners of the trophy were in 1962 H Gill, 1963 Christon and Ferguson, 1964 J Purcifer, 1965 E Higginbotham, 1966 R Miller and D Fisher, 1967 H Gill, 1968 K Crawford, 1969 Jobson and Ward.
Eh Up Tom,
I have just came across this, no need for introductions I don’t suppose, I remember you obviously and Dad, he was particularly noted as a good pigeon man. How many hours did you and I spend as kids looking after those pigeons, you with your dad and me with my Uncle Ed Thompson in Beaconsfield Road gardens?, fantastic! I recognise quite a few if not most of those names on your cup too, all prominent in those days of pigeon racing.
regards
Terry
Tom your mother was in the same maternity ward at NT Hospital when she gave birth to your sister. My wife had a son at the same time. This was 13 June 1967.