The students discussed the work they had been doing with Kingsmead member of staff, Mr Chambers.

Previously around 60 students from St Peters had come into Kingsmead to look at the diet of the birds and how the students involved in the project, maintain a healthy balanced diet of Protein, Carbohydrates, Fibre and Fats and what effect this had on the birds during racing and also when they are moulting (Growing New Feathers). As you can see from the pictures all of the students had the opportunity to feed and hold the birds, enabling them to see what a racing pigeon felt like.

During the Primary schools second visit Mr Chambers and Kingsmead students; James,

Mitch and Jordan delivered an introductory lesson to the students on the Genetics of Racing

pigeons and the different colours there are in a Racer. The group was split up into 3 smaller

groups and the James, Mitch and Jordan took a group each. Following being given a description the St Peters Students had to match the description

with the pigeon. They did very well.

We then visited the Pigeon Loft, where we met Mr Mike Lakin, Press Secretary of the Midlands National Flying Club (one of the National Clubs the school races in) and Laura McMullan from BBC Midlands Today. Laura was visiting the school to do a feature for Midlands Today featuring how the Midlands National Flying Club have produced a video to promote the sport of racing pigeons within the younger community.

                                                                During filming James, Mitch and Jordan showed everyone what they do on a day to day basis with the                                                          the pigeons. They showed the children from St Peters how they exercise the birds, clean the lofts and                                                         and get them in via their special bob hole, through which the birds are fed and watered. As the pictures                                                 pictures show, the lads are really calm around the birds and as a result the birds are calm around them. This is very important and research in the USA has found that this interaction with nature can have a very positive effect on the development of young children, this is becoming evident at Kingsmead.

Following the demonstration, Laura interviewed the students from St Peters and Kingsmead, and what a professional job the students did answering the questions brilliantly. It was then time for St Peters to return to school after their morning with us but no doubt they will be back again and hopefully inspiring another generation of pigeon flyers in the area.

The morning was completed with final interviews with James, Mitch and Jordan, Mr Chambers and Mike Lakin and went out to the viewing public on Friday 25^th January 2013.

Thank you again to the BBC and also St Peters who brought their students to the Pigeon Loft and as a result a great morning was had by all.

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