A PLAQUE commemorating the North East’s most famous pigeon has been unveiled in a pub within a wing-flap of the loft into which it dropped at the end of its record flight 110 years ago.
Amazingly, descendants of both the Scurr and Vester families who bred the record-breaking pigeon in Tudhoe Colliery were present.
“It has been fascinating,” said Alison Harrison, from Altrincham, whose great-grandfather’s brother Richard Scurr was one of the breeders of the Prince of Rome. “I have done so much of my family tree, but these stories about their lives turn them into real people. To think they would have come to this pub is extraordinary.”
READ MORE: THE FULL STORY OF THE AMAZING PRINCE OF ROME
Unveiling of the plaque: Jonathan Woods and daughter Alice, Christine Gallimore, Cllr Dean Ranyard, the mayor Spennymoor, Alison Harrison and Kal Singh Dhindsa
Richard, a firebrick maker, lived with his son, William, in Attwood Terrace, just a couple of doors from the Black Horse pub where the plaque was unveiled. There appears still to be a pigeon loft behind their house.
The Black Horse, Attwood Terrace, where the plaque has been unveiled
Richard was born in Northallerton in 1843 and after he died in Tudhoe in 1916, William emigrated to New Zealand to work on the land and he died in Taranaki in 1974.
The third pigeon handler was Henry Vester, who was a Co-op butcher, and freemason, in Tudhoe. He also lived in Attwood Terrace, a little further from the pub. His great-niece, Christine Gallimore of Witton Gilbert, was at the unveiling with his great-grandson, Jonathan Woods of Cambridge. Jonathan’s five-year-old daughter, Alice, helped reveal the plaque.
Henry Vester, William Scurr and Richard Scurr
The three men owned J5093, a blue checker, which, in its fourth season of international racing, was released on June 29, 1913, in Rome, along with hundreds of other birds from across Europe. The birds flew into an Alpine snowstorm and most were killed.
Of the 106 British racers, it was thought that only one, crowned the King of Rome, had made when, after 31 days and 1,001 miles, it returned home to Derby.
But then, 20 days later, J5093, dropped in at Attwood Terrace, having spent 51 days covering 1,093 miles. It was crowned the Prince of Rome, and the two birds became such northern celebrities that when they died, their bodies were stuffed and presented to Derby museum. The King of Rome, as the fastest flier and race winner, has always been on display in the museum, and has even inspired a song which has been recorded by artists including The Unthanks and June Tabor.
Kal Singh Dhindsa with the Prince of Rome in Derby museum
But the second-placed Prince has languished forgotten in the storeroom for decades until it was recently rediscovered by Derby historian Kal Singh Dhindsa.
He contacted Memories and the scheme to commemorate the historic coalfield pigeon grew wings.
The mayor of Spennymoor, Cllr Dean Ranyard, was at the ceremony a fortnight ago. “It has been absolutely amazing,” he said. “I thought it was a bit of a wind-up at first when I got the invitation to the unveiling of a plaque for a pigeon but when I read the articles I realised what an incredible story it is, a historical moment that has been forgotten about.
“Pigeon racing was a really traditional working class pastime and we shouldn’t forget the great achievement of travelling that distance.”
Kal releasing a dark checker, similar to the Prince of Rome, to fly home to Redcar
Kal, who has already placed a pigeon to the King of Rome near its loft in Derby, said: “As soon as the family members turned up little bits of the jigsaw fell into place – this plucky little pigeon has brought so many people together.
“It has been a great day. If we hadn’t celebrated the story, it would have been forgotten.”
The unveiling was filmed by Darlington’s Nova Mundi Studios. They have spent three years making a feature-length film about the passion of the pigeon fanciers in which the story of the Prince of Rome will feature. The film, called Home, is due out this year.
But Kal has one further project before the commemorations of the Prince are complete.
“We have got the plaque up and the film will be released soon, but the icing on the cake is to bring the pigeon home so people can celebrate its existence,” he said.
Anyone with any ideas about how we can return the Prince of Rome to Durham is most welcome to email chris.lloyd@nne.co.uk
READ MORE: ANYTHING MORE OUT OF PLACE IN A PARISH CHURCH IS UNIMAGINEABLE - BUT WHAT WAS IT?
Henry and Ann Vester
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