The King of Rome
 The preserved bird in Derby Museum | |
| Species | Columba livia f. domestica |
|---|---|
| Breed | Racing pigeon |
| Sex | Cock |
| Known for |
|
| Owner | Charlie Hudson |
| Appearance | Blue Cock |
| Named after | Rome-England bird race |
The King of Rome was a successful racing pigeon, winning a 1,001-mile (1,611 km) race from Rome, Italy to England, in 1913. It was the subject of a song and book, both by Dave Sudbury, the former most famously recorded by June Tabor.[1]
The bird
The King of Rome was a racing pigeon that won a 1,001-mile (1,611 km) race from Rome, Italy to England, in 1913. The bird, a blue cock,[2] ring number NU1907DY168,[3] was owned[1] and bred[2] by Charlie Hudson (born early 1870s, died 13 March 1958 aged 84[3]), of 56 Brook Street, Derby (now demolished, 52°55′35″N 1°29′08″W / 52.9265°N 1.4855°W), who was reported as having started pigeon racing in 1904.[1] At the time of the race, he was president and treasurer of Derby Town Flying Club.[1] He also wrote on pigeon-racing matters for the Derby Evening Telegraph.[4] On the bird's death he presented its body to Derby Museum and Art Gallery where its taxidermied skin is preserved with accession number DBYMU.1946/48. Although previously exhibited at Derby and elsewhere, including Walsall Museum and Wollaton Hall in Northamptonshire,[4] as of 2011 it is not on display.[5]
The song
| "The King of Rome" | |
|---|---|
| Song |
The King of Rome and its owner were the subject of a song and book by Dave Sudbury. The song was most notably recorded by June Tabor.[1] It conveys that "On the day of the big race a storm blew in. A thousand birds were swept away and never seen again",[5] indicating the dangers related to the birds races. After hearing Sudbury perform the song at a competition in the late 1980s where she was a judge (he came fourth[6]), Tabor recorded it for her 1988 album Aqaba. Brian McNeill, another finalist at the event, has said:
The King of Rome was head and shoulders above every other song sung on the night, and should have won.[6]
McNeill has subsequently performed the song, and a live recording is available on his 2000 album with Iain MacKintosh, Live and Kicking.[6]
The band Half Man Half Biscuit also recorded a version of the song, which remains unreleased[7].
The book
Sudbury's lyrics have been reproduced as a 32-page book, with illustrations by Hans Saefko.[8]
References
- ^ a b c d e "Museum plea on pigeon". Derby Evening Telegraph. 2001-09-25.
- ^ a b The Racing Pigeon: 139. 1913-08-02.
{{cite journal}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ a b Savage, Andy. "The King of Rome - Charles Hudsons famous Pigeon from the West end of Derby". Derby Photos. Retrieved 11 April 2011.
- ^ a b "Legend of the stuffed superstar". Derby Evening Telegraph. 1996-12-09.
{{cite news}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help) - ^ a b "Natural History treasure - The King of Rome". Derby City Council. Retrieved 11 April 2011.
- ^ a b c Sleeve notes, Iain MacKintosh & Brian McNeill, Live and Kicking, 2000
- ^ "HMHB: Unreleased Tracks from Radio Sessions". Retrieved 22 April 2011.
- ^ Sudbury, Dave; Saefko., Hans (2010). The King of Rome. Simply Read Books. ISBN 978-1894965941.
External links
- Derby Museums page – includes lyrics
- The King of Rome – Dave Sudbury's web page about the song
- Original Sudbury version of song on YouTube