Michael Potts As A Bairn

[mickypotts]

This is me and my pet Jackdaw, Jack doon at Hartford woods. A photographer for Chronicle took this and sent it to me but I was never able to find the story written with it. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks a lot! [photo attached]

[mickypotts]

I had just got out of the Blyth river after a swim with Jack,  ( he luvved the wettar ) and aah wes just putting on me jarsey wen he tuk the shot,  it wes just a luvvly day an aal nivva ivar ferget it

[Maggie/915]

It would be great if there was an archive.

The library in Newcastle may help but as a public interest story who knows what it would go under.

They have all the old papers.

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

There is a newspaper archive that's available via the library services but it's not something I have ever used.

Archive boosts Northumberland libraries service

·         Jun 19, 2013 11:25

·         By Evening Chronicle

 

 

The British Newspaper Archive is now available at libraries across Northumberland

More than six million pages from historic UK newspapers are now available at libraries across Northumberland.

The British Newspaper Archive (BNA) is a free resource which  allows customers to go as far back as 1741 with new articles, family notices, letters to the editor, obituaries and advertisements.

It provides a  great resource for school homework and research, and for people looking into their family and local history.

Val Tyler, Northumberland County Council's policy board member for community infrastructure and culture, said: "This is a fantastic addition to our libraries. As a council we are working hard to develop services that people love.â€

The BNA was developed in partnership with the British Library and publisher Bright Solid, and has seen millions of pages scanned and digitised. Go to the  website www.  mylibrary.co.uk and click on online resources for more details.

[Vic Patterson]

I used to go to Blyth Library to look up old Blyth news! (not sure if there still is even a library now!)

[keith lockey]

You were lucky to have a jackdaw, Micky, look what I had to put up with.

 

[Tonyp]

Kieth! I thought that was your mate on a pub crawl adventure .....

[keith lockey]

That was my Date, Tony. I've gone out with worse!!!

[Canny lass]

Most universities have a newspaper library on microfilm.

[mickypotts]

Thanks everyone, I,ll check things out,

 

Nice monkey

[Canny lass]

In the meanwhile, Micky, would you like to share your story with us? How did you come to have a jackdaw as a pet and even more interesting to hear would be how you came to be swimming together!

[mickypotts]

Back in about 1962 I was around 9 year auld and I had a paper route with Taits doon at the station, the alarm hadn't gone off but I heard such a clamour outside the window on Hirst terrace, I looked oot and the sky was filled wi jackdaws, mebbees a hundred or so and they wor aal dive bombing this baby jackdaw on the roof across the street and pecking at him, it was still pretty dark but I run outside in me Jarmas an bare feet an tried ti help the poor bugga,... he comes flutterin off the roof and lands on top of the hedge an aah gan ti pick him up when Aal the bords start divin at me an tryin te giv is wot fer so Aah tucks him in me jarmas an runs for my door.

I found a cardboard box and give him some bread and milk, then I dress an hop on me bike te pick up an deliver me papers before school starts.

 

I came yem after school an gan reet te check him out an he,s deeing just fine, day after day I stick with him and he starts growing bigger so I build him a hoose out of aad crates in me backyard and I begin to train him to hop to and then fly to me.....

The strange thing was that every time I took him to fly in the park or doon the Hapenny woods a group of jackdaws would show up and start attacking him, it happened every time,  and then a jackdaw or two would always sit on the gutter at 31 Gladstone terrace across the way and if I left the yard with jack they would start raising the alarm and 20-30 of them would show up.

 

He only liked me and my older brother David was always jealous that jack would not do anything for him at all except fly back ti me!!! I would go swimming in the Blyth river wi him aal the time an he would sit on my hand and flap his wings in the wetta and shake his head aboot and hev a nice drink too.

 

The Sentinel Jackdaws never stopped following us ever and for about 3 years we were best mates and he knew that if he got back on me shoulder I would protect him, we would  gan up ti the market place on Saturdays ti get me comics at Carrs and he would like ti dive bomb the cars in the road an give them a Glif or two, he learned ti talk a little and could say mebbees 6 or 7 words and he had a real personality about him.

 

But then one day I was very late getting out of school and as I came into the back yard jack would usually call to me but not today........ David was standing next to the open cage as white as a sheet and mumbling about how it was an accident!!!!!  I turned and ran like hell down to Wades farm to the tree that was Jacks favorite and as I ran I could see dozens of jackdaws flying back up towards the market place..... I got to the tree and looking down he lay dead at the base of the tree......

My heart broke into pieces that day and I never said a word to David about it until many years later.

 

And I never knew why he was marked for all that time by the other Jack daws

 

True story... Sad but True

[keith lockey]

Checked the reason up on Wikipedia, Micky, and they say if a jackdaw is widowed then the colony will reject it and drive it off. (It must be a mating threat to the other pairs that mate for life.)

 

Fascinating story, pleased you had the guts to save it.

[Canny lass]

A fantastic story!! Thanks for sharing it.

[mickypotts]

Jack was just a baby when I got him so maybe his mother died and so the rest of the " Train or Clattering " of jackdaws had to delete his blood line from their family.

 

That make very good sense Keith thank you, I have always wanted to make a childrens book about it so now I have to soften the ending somehow

[Symptoms]

A great tale Micky.

 

However, the really big question is which petshop did KeithL's blond haired companion come from.

 

Perhaps we should all post a photo of us a kid in the company of an animal, here's mine:

 

Me with Major in 1953

 

 

 

[Maggie/915]

Good idea but may take some time to find a photo.

'You were lucky'

[Maggie/915]

Still have not found the picture.

Sorry

Maybe I could 'fake' a picture.

[pilgrim]

That takes me back!!!!

must have been about early 60's - I had a jackdaw also called 'Jack' (what else could you call one??)for a couple of years maybe 3. He would come down from the trees when called and sit on my shoulder. I got him as a very young chick that had fallen from a nest. A wonderful companion and never had any problems with other birds but he died because, as they did, he sat on the chimney stack and I think he was overcome by the CO/CO2 and just fell off.

I had a golden retriever at same time and they had a sort of grudging mutual respect.

[pilgrim]

strange how you recall things -  I was just thinking about the jackdaw and recall a man had a fox as a pet (that would be about early 60's as well) - he used to walk it on a lead - Im not sure if he lived at Barrington or Scotland Gate, or even possibly on one of the farms on the way to Bedlington from the 'Station' anyone any ideas ??

[HIGH PIT WILMA]

Hi folks!

Mickey,your story is really sad but fascinating at the same time.

I wouldn't want to steal your thunder,but can I relate a very similar story?

Around 1954,when I was aboot 10 years aad,my older Brother,born on the same day,was aboot 13 yrs aad.

One day he came in wi a babby jackdaa [as yi dae like..],and we caaled him "Jackie".

He was put in a cardboard box under the kitchen table,for a few days,ti get he's strength up,and he's feathers sorted oot.[they were aal scraggy and wet wi being blaan aboot in thi wind and rain.]

As time went by,he quickly grew inti adulthood,being fed aal thi time from me Faatha digging the big back garden,at Hollymoont Square,and feeding him

wi worms etc.

He went oot in the early mornin' when ma Faatha went ti thi pit,and used ti come back and forward aal day lang,as soon as yi went inti thi garden.

Noo!...wa neighbours used ti [smiling........!],tell me Mutha "wi had ya bord in wa bedroom again this mornin...on the dressing table....tryin ti pinch trinkets..."![gaan in through open windaes in the summer days!]

A bet they were really narked,but didn't waant ti faal oot wi me Mutha!

Jackie came in ivry neet and went inti he's box hese'll

When aboot a year and a haaf went by,me Brother decided he wud mek a wood cage for him,wi plenty room ti move aroond in,and perches ti stand on.

Away aroond ti Smail'ey's shop,and one plywood tea-chest later,he started wi a pit hammer and pit nails,ti mek the cage.

Me,in the meantime went wi thi lads doon ti the Barn'tn tip,ti get bullrushes,ti sell aroond thi neighbours,for ornamental purposes.[we got nae pocket money so we had ti work for owt we got!]...a was aboot 11 yrs aad...a bit more.....maybe!

Wat 'rushes we had left,we used ti soak in parrafin,and light them,and throw them up in the air,etc etc...generally just playing with them.

Whey,this day,aa came yem aal excited,wi a greet armload of bullrushes,the most we'd ivvor gotten,cos ye were risking ya life in the slecky waata,ti get thim,when yi couldn't swim!!

A remember throwin' the wesh-hoose door oppen,and shoutin' in ti me Brother,[who was on the floor hammerin away at the cage..],"Youngin',luk wat aav got...!"

A also remember vividly,HIM,shoutin'..."shut thi door man...."....then me glancin' up ti the shelf,and seeing Jackie taking flight,at precisely thi same moment that he kicked the door shut,with he's foot.

Aam shudderin reet noo,recalling seeing Jackie being trapped by his neck,near thi top of thi door,and falling lifelessly,to the floor.

A ran like a rabbit,inti the hoose,up thi stairs,and inti thi bathroom,locking the door behind me,wi me Brother screaming at me he was going to kill me...

A stayed there till me Mutha came and made me come oot.

We buried him at the bottom of the garden,beside our other pets that had gone.

As thi years passed,and my two sons were very young,living at Stakeford,we had another Jackie,for about a year,and I canna mind what happened to him....we had countless birds of all breeds,brought to us by the local kids,cos they knew we looked after them.

At one time we had a baby song thrush,and a babby sparrow,at the same time ,kept in the same cage.

As they started to grow,the thrush used ti cuddle up ti the spuggie,wi it's beak open,thinkin thi spuggie was it's mutha!

When it was fliggyin' time,we had to gradually stop the hand-feeding process,and take them roond ti thi allotment,ti try and get them into the wild,safely.

They stayed in thi hedge for weeks,and every time me Wife went roond wi thi weshing,ti hang it oot on the line,they would both fly doon ti me Wife's feet,

beaks open,and chirping away like hell!

Noo,we've had a handicapped herring gull,who has one deformed wing,[canna straighten it oot],for nearly two and a half years.

He's gone through two moults,and is just startin his third moult noo,smaal feathers aal owa wa garden...yi cud mek a duvet wi thi amount he chucked oot last year!!

He struts aroond thi garden,chases the sparrow-hawk ,the neighbours cat,and the crows and jackdaws oot,but leaves the small birds alone.

He feeds cheap dog food off wa dog's food knife,by hand,wi his head aboot a foot off little black Jess's head,[wa labrador /cross],who feeds at the same time![one for him........and one for him......!]

It's better than telly-watching,when yi see the antics of these two in the garden!

It's very committing looking after animals and birds like this.

A think we must be crackers!!

[HIGH PIT WILMA]

Hoo can a post a pic of wa gull and Jess tigitha.....please?

[John Fox (foxy)]

HPW, I've sent you a PM. 

[Maggie/915]

It is good to hear your stories HPW.

I grew up with the folks rearing pigs and chickens.

Our pets were a dog and a cat.

I can still remember the day the dog died.

He had a long life and is still remembered by me.

Animals and birds can bring out the best in people.

[pilgrim]

totally agree Maggie ( must stop doing that!!!) I had dogs, a jackdaw, and a sparrow. I also had a goose - but thats another story - he was called TED and neither me nor mum ate Christmas dinner that year!!