John Lewis, Secretary

The club was founded in 1926. The earliest written record we now have is minute book dated Friday, January 30th 1931. By this it would appear that the club had not got off to the best of starts. On this day 30.1.31, a meeting was held to reform the Grenfell Park Tumbler & 'Tippler Flying Society. T. W. Kern taking the chair. Minutes recorder, Mr. Kern, gave precise history of club from its formation. At this point I would like to remind all club secretaries of the importance of recording all points of interest in their minutes. So much more could and should have been put on the record for future generations benefit in our old minute book.

The club was reformed at this meeting, The officers elected - T. W. Kern as Chairman, F. D. Clifford as Secretary, W. H. Nelmes as Treasurer and on the committee were Griff Passmore, Horace Day, Tommy Steel, L. Barnes and F. Davies. The Club adopted the rules of the Swansea United Club. The Club also affiliated to Welsh National.

Membership was 2/6 (now 12~ pence). Meetings were fortnightly at 7.00 p.m. on a Friday. A sweep fly was flown every fortnight, entry fee 1 /- (now 5 pence). Contributions 6d. (now 2 ~ pence). These fees remained without any increase until 1940.

First sweep flown : March 1931. (lst: Horace Day, 4 hours, 6 mins.). In addition to prize money, he received 14 lbs. of pigeon mixture and a bag of health grit; this was kindly donated by Mr. Capus corn stores. Mr. Kern donated 2/6 (12~ pence) as second prize to F. Davies.

September 1931, a junior section was formed. After address by Mr, Kern, six juniors were enrolled. Contributions were 3d. a fortnight. This venture was not a success. Minutes of March llth, 1932: Junior section was disbanded and the funds in hand were shared among junior members present.

Some items of interest from sparse recordings of minutes: The membership fluctuated from ten in 1931 to thirty two in 1939. Some good years, others not so good. Items of finance - in 1932 the income was ,E14.4.9d; the egpenditure was ,E12.10.Od. It appears on balance sheet that a good proportion of the income was derived from Punch Board! Long Day silver cup to be purchased, price not to exceed ,~4.0.0! 100 rings 6/-; 100 Welsh National rings 7/6d. Fire for heating the meeting room 2 /-. To Hawk Fund 1932 - 5 / 3d.

April Meeting 1935. Owing to dire unemployment, unemployed members were allowed to compete for club trophies free. The brothers, Fred and Joe Stafford were allowed to contribute junior subscriptions but had to pay the full 2/6d membership fee. Opportunity was given them to pay by instalments!

1938, Clarke brothers applied to be allowed to fly their birds from their place of employment on the river bank where they worked the penny ferry boat. This was the only incident where permission was granted to allow a member to fly his birds from other than his place of residence. This rule is strictly observed today. At this time in 1938 there was much talk of a second bridge being built across the River Tawe. I understand work will commence on this second bridge in 1984, although it will now be placed lower down river than where Clarkes ferry boat operated.

At this point I would like to mention that over the years the Grenfell Park has produced some illustrious sons. To mention a few: Tommy Briggs, who broke the Welsh record in 1954 with a time of 19 hours, 6 minutes and with a 4,15 a.m. liberation. Griff Farley and Raymond Burrows both commenced their Tippler flying with the Grenfell Park. The February minutes of 1931 record condolences being expressed to the family of Griff Passmore. Griff Passmore was a renowned tippler fancier. He obtained birds from many of the top English fanciers in his time. He had birds given him by the late Norman Govier which had been brought to Swansea direct from J. Cockayne.

Griff's son Syd was taken into the club shortly after his fathers death. Other than his military service he has been a constant member. He was made a life member of the Grenfell Park in 1981 in recognition of his outstanding contribution and egample to the sport in general. Syd Passmore is the only one to have been so honoured in the clubs long history. Though now retired it is our hope he will long continue to be our guiding light. Another of Griff's sons, Philip, also enjoyed some time in the sport during the thirties and forties but unfortunately Phil's birds were always first choice of the peregrine. Many is the time when peregrine would take a bird out of flock of some 30 or 40 birds on competition day, that bird would be one of Phil's kit.

After the outbreak of war, the last meeting was held on 24th May, 1940. Meeting called l9th April, 1948 to re-open the club. The secretary must have been a most economical fellow as he drew a line under minutes of the May 1940 meeting and commenced his minutes on the same page!

The 1950's saw great revival in the club with membership up to 36. The clubs boundary is little more than a mile in length. During this period the club used to pay one of the members to act as scout on competition day. The most famous being Freddie Macfarlane. He travelled miles on his bike keeping everyone informed how fellow competitors were doing. Several competitors saw the approach of Freddie as being a jinks. Invariably his presence would bring about collapse of their kit. Freddie also acted as `knocker up'. Invariably Tom Sheppard would over-sleep unless given a knock by Freddie. At this time many of the younger members stayed up all night and played cards until it was time to prepare their birds for liberation. A delight was also taken in shouting through letter boxes of competitors who had over-slept telling them they were disqualified.

In the late 1960's many of our members left the district to live in new housing estates that were being built. Our membership dropped to an all time low. Syd Passmore, Tom Sheppard and myself being the only members. We kept the club going and only competed for prize cards.

1984 - we have eight members. All keen and looking forward to good competition. We have two young fanciers of whom great things are expected. Philip Arcari and Ian Passmore, both have achieved some very creditable times already. Ian Passmore doing 16 hours with young birds in his first year. This is a classic example o£ `one sows and another reaps'. Ian's grandfather Syd took 30 years to achieve 16 hours with young birds. A life times work and knowledge is now available to the would-be tippler fancier. The quality of birds bred today must be near the ultimate of perfection. Today most clubs are known as Flying Tippler Society's. Gone is the name Tumbler, and the birds that tumbled. Until fairly recent times all solid coloured birds, i.e. blacks, blues, reds, badges etc, were known as Tumblers. Tipplers being solely white birds with flecked head and necks with black, red or blue tips to flights. Generally speaking all our competition birds today are known as Tipplers. So be it. The Grenfell Park club records are held by Syd Passmore with old birds, 19 hours 30 minutes and John Lewis with young birds 17 hours 21 minutes. The Grenfell Park sends its regards and best wishes to Tippler men and their clubs everywhere.

NTU Yearbook 1984

Zeljko Fajdetic - Croatia