Pigeon Racing Clocks

Donated by Joe Allan

These beautiful and intricate instruments will be mysterious to many but instantly recognisable to those familiar with the world of pigeon racing.  They are timing clocks used to record the flight times in pigeon racing, a sport waning in most parts of the UK but once extremely popular particularly with men in working communities.  In the 1950’s and 1960’s pigeon lofts or ‘doo huts’ would have been a common addition to the ‘back greens’ of Pilton, Wardieburn, Royston and Granton and membership of local pigeon racing federations would have been a connecting link for men across generations and communities.  For example, Joe Allan who donated these clocks raced pigeons for many years with his father and neighbour as Allan, Son and Burnett.

These clocks could have been in use for 100 years, introduced around 1910 and only superseded after 2000 by expensive digital instruments.  While pigeon racing may be losing its popularity in the UK but in other parts of the world its popularity and competitiveness is growing rapidly, a champion racing pigeon recently changed hands in china for £800,000!

Pigeon Racing Clocks

Donated by Joe Allan

These beautiful and intricate instruments will be mysterious to many but instantly recognisable to those familiar with the world of pigeon racing.  They are timing clocks used to record the flight times in pigeon racing, a sport waning in most parts of the UK but once extremely popular particularly with men in working communities.  In the 1950’s and 1960’s pigeon lofts or ‘doo huts’ would have been a common addition to the ‘back greens’ of Pilton, Wardieburn, Royston and Granton and membership of local pigeon racing federations would have been a connecting link for men across generations and communities.  For example, Joe Allan who donated these clocks raced pigeons for many years with his father and neighbour as Allan, Son and Burnett.

These clocks could have been in use for 100 years, introduced around 1910 and only superseded after 2000 by expensive digital instruments.  While pigeon racing may be losing its popularity in the UK but in other parts of the world its popularity and competitiveness is growing rapidly, a champion racing pigeon recently changed hands in china for £800,000!

Pigeon Racing Clocks

Donated by Joe Allan

These beautiful and intricate instruments will be mysterious to many but instantly recognisable to those familiar with the world of pigeon racing.  They are timing clocks used to record the flight times in pigeon racing, a sport waning in most parts of the UK but once extremely popular particularly with men in working communities.  In the 1950’s and 1960’s pigeon lofts or ‘doo huts’ would have been a common addition to the ‘back greens’ of Pilton, Wardieburn, Royston and Granton and membership of local pigeon racing federations would have been a connecting link for men across generations and communities.  For example, Joe Allan who donated these clocks raced pigeons for many years with his father and neighbour as Allan, Son and Burnett.

These clocks could have been in use for 100 years, introduced around 1910 and only superseded after 2000 by expensive digital instruments.  While pigeon racing may be losing its popularity in the UK but in other parts of the world its popularity and competitiveness is growing rapidly, a champion racing pigeon recently changed hands in china for £800,000!

Pigeon Racing Clocks

Donated by Joe Allan

These beautiful and intricate instruments will be mysterious to many but instantly recognisable to those familiar with the world of pigeon racing.  They are timing clocks used to record the flight times in pigeon racing, a sport waning in most parts of the UK but once extremely popular particularly with men in working communities.  In the 1950’s and 1960’s pigeon lofts or ‘doo huts’ would have been a common addition to the ‘back greens’ of Pilton, Wardieburn, Royston and Granton and membership of local pigeon racing federations would have been a connecting link for men across generations and communities.  For example, Joe Allan who donated these clocks raced pigeons for many years with his father and neighbour as Allan, Son and Burnett.

These clocks could have been in use for 100 years, introduced around 1910 and only superseded after 2000 by expensive digital instruments.  While pigeon racing may be losing its popularity in the UK but in other parts of the world its popularity and competitiveness is growing rapidly, a champion racing pigeon recently changed hands in china for £800,000!