CAMERA Stories: Birdmen Audio - Newbiggin-by-the-Sea 2010 - Zak Waters

Warning: Expletive Language (lots of it).
The following audio footage was recorded in Newbiggin-by-the-Sea in 2010.
This audio is of a group of Geordie pigeon men congregating in a pigeon loft (shed) chatting over their ritualistic daily cup of tea where they reminisce and laugh a lot from times past.
The pigeon loft is an integral part of the pigeon man’s community. It’s a roof with 4 walls that offers them a private sanctuary from everyday life, and where they can focus on their birds and hang out with their mates.
It's often a place where great debates are held, quantities of tea are drunk, and their humorous take on life takes place.
Subjects covered:
Falconry - big heads - heart attacks - snake bites - ferrets - chickens - dog shit - charities - bird semen - old age - pigeon racing - sea coal - ferrets - old friends - black scorpions - iguanas - Sultan of Qatar - marriage - dog sick - RSPCA - the Toon - dying - ferreting with princes - broken cars - drinking tea - hospitals and a lot more.
Pigeon racing is a unique sport with its roots deep within traditional working-class communities. it thrived among Britain’s miners, shipbuilders, and iron and steel workers.
Reaching its peak by the early 1970s with over 2,000 societies and 130,000 members, as the decade progressed and heavy industries collapsed, communities were torn apart and the number of Birdmen fell to under 60,000. Zak Waters realised that the sport was changing and began documenting the fast-dwindling community with all its humour, anxieties, and passion. Birdmen is his record of the slow death of a culture that has changed almost beyond recognition. Rod Adams, legendary writer on all things pigeon, has contributed witty and insightful stories about the sport and the characters that made it so special.
Buy the book at Bluecoat Press: bluecoatpress....
Text by Rod Adams
ISBN 9781908457448
Hardback with printed cover
Duotone: 270 x 290mm (landscape) 156pp
Zak Waters
Web: www.zakwaters.com/
Music by kind permission Martin Stephenson:
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To buy the song We Are Storm: daintees.bandc....
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Thank you for all your support.
#documentaryphotography #photography #photobook #pigeon #audiostories #geordies #england #blackandwhitephotography #camera #photos

[@juliemaddern]

Great Video🤣Thanks! Enjoyed that lads X

[@DavidAppleton-vm1qe]

Absolutely brilliant video the old ones the best great craic lads

[@user-uf6uz9yz6t]

Been a long time not hearing dad's voice ..absolutely brilliant broken me heart but smile off the stories xx

[@Camerasnaps]

Bless ya. I am pleased it as brought back happy memories.

[@AngelaBrown-n6f]

Absolutely brilliant hearing Neil's voice again brings back memories and hearing some of those stories again

[@Camerasnaps]

It was a magical find. I had forgotten I had recorded it. I think at the time I just uploaded it onto a hard drive and meaning to get back to it. He was a character and welcomed me with open arms. RIP Neil.

[@KeithHodgkinson]

Great stuff.These places are far and few between now.Cheers.This was a great project.

[@scott1973ish]

Brilliant, he could always tell a good story. Lovely to here him again ❤