Queen sends pigeon to Legion's auction

6:00pm Saturday 17th November 2012 in News

Organiser and pigeon keeper Keith Shipperley. Picture: OX55599 Mark Bassett Buy this photo » Organiser and pigeon keeper Keith Shipperley. Picture: OX55599 Mark Bassett

SOME call pigeons “the rats of the sky”, but one is being sent to Oxfordshire with the Queen’s blessing this weekend.

She has donated one of her homing pigeons to be auctioned in aid of the Royal British Legion.

More than 70 birds will go under the hammer, although not literally, on Sunday. All have been donated by prominent homing pigeon owners.

Organiser and pigeon keeper Keith Shipperley said he was delighted the Queen had agreed to donate a bird.

He said: “It’s very rare to get one from her. We’re more than delighted. The person I spoke to had to go over and above to get it.

“Some of the other names on the list are top flyers, so it’s going to be interesting to see how it goes.”

He said it was hard to work out what the pigeon would fetch at the legion’s base in Edgecombe Road, Headington.

He said: “You sometimes get the rings being given away, but they’re obviously a lot more valuable if they’re attached to a bird.”

One of the rings, which identify birds, fetched more than £350 on eBay.

  • Viewing is 11am to 1pm on Sunday, followed by the auction, with Tony Cowan. For details call 01865 769738.

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Comments (3)

9:07am Sun 18 Nov 12

Myron Blatz says...

It's kind of nice to think that HRH has a pigeon loft at the bottom of her garden., like wot thousands of ordinary working-class people do - though obviously not one of the 'birds' wot Phil-the-Greek has been infamous for taking such a keen interest in, over the decades!
It's kind of nice to think that HRH has a pigeon loft at the bottom of her garden., like wot thousands of ordinary working-class people do - though obviously not one of the 'birds' wot Phil-the-Greek has been infamous for taking such a keen interest in, over the decades! Myron Blatz

6:02pm Sun 18 Nov 12

Pavinder Msvarensy says...

With the Chinese paying over £200,000 for a pigeon recently, if they have internet bidding on this one who knows how much money The Queens one might make for them.
With the Chinese paying over £200,000 for a pigeon recently, if they have internet bidding on this one who knows how much money The Queens one might make for them. Pavinder Msvarensy

11:44pm Sun 18 Nov 12

Myron Blatz says...

And a mega-expensive pigeon pie, too!
And a mega-expensive pigeon pie, too! Myron Blatz

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