Inspired by stories of my maternal Grandfather, Uncles and the Central Lancashire Combine - a community of pigeon racing clubs and federations from the North West of England. Over the last six months I have been undertaking a project on Pigeon Fancying, this series of photographs captures the passion, tension, energy and beauty of Pigeon Fancying
The Central Lancashire Combine's love and appreciation for the birds is unparalleled. Their dedication to the sport and the birds is inspiring and I wanted to document this before it is too late, before pigeon fancying is a sport of the past and to try to use the photographs as an aid to try and regenerate the sport.
With such an amazing bird, it is saddening that the sport has seen something of a decline over recent decades. The sponsorship that has been poured into other sports has not materialised, although loyal benefactors still help to keep it alive. Many fanciers are now in their senior years and attracting new talent into the sport is difficult, although away from the larger urban conurbations, some clubs still manage recruit younger generations.
