YOU may have seen the Memories ten days ago telling the definitive story of the Prince of Rome, probably the North-East's most famous homing pigeon. Given that pigeons have been such an integral part of the County Durham culture, it was surprising that the story wasn't better known - or perhaps more widely published - and the role of a column like Memories is to prevent these stories fading away with the human memories that sustain them.

The story was completed by Brenda and David Simpson of Shotton Colliery who found the pictures of the Prince in the 1914 Homing Pigeon Annual, which belonged to their late father, Maurice Simpson. Maurice and his wife Agnes were keen fanciers and won many races in their day.

Brenda and David have checked their father's records and come up with two other notable achievements from the Spennymoor/Tudhoe area:

1. In a race from Chimay in Belgium on July 8, 1913, a Mr Armstrong of Spennymoor owned the first Up North Combine bird home out of 3,300 birds competing.

2. In a race from Cormeilles in Normandy, France, on June 25, 1957, Mr G Foster of Tudhoe had the first Up North Combine bird home out of 8,587 birds competing.

David Simpson adds: "In a race from Bourges in France on July 8, 1958, Messrs Howells and Partners of Ferryhill were first home with 6,625 birds competing. The distance was 554 miles. This is one of the best performances ever in the Up North Combine as only two pigeons returned the same day."