The King of Rome
 The preserved bird in Derby Museum | |
| Species | Columba livia f. domestica |
|---|---|
| Breed | Racing pigeon |
| Sex | Cock |
| Born | Derby, England |
| Resting place | Derby Museum and Art Gallery |
| 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. As of 2011, it is on display,[5] and has previously been exhibited on loan elsewhere, including Walsall Museum and Wollaton Hall in Nottingham.[4]
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. It tells how:
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 bird's races.
The song was most notably recorded by June Tabor.[1] 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]
American folksinger Vance Gilbert recorded it for his 1994 album Edgewise and Canadian folk musician Garnet Rogers recorded it for his album Summer Lightning (2004). 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 2011-07-08.
- ^ 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 2011-07-08.
- ^ a b c Sleeve notes, Iain MacKintosh & Brian McNeill, Live and Kicking, 2000
- ^ "HMHB: Unreleased Tracks from Radio Sessions". Retrieved 2011-07-08.
- ^ Sudbury, Dave; Saefko., Hans (2010). The King of Rome. Simply Read Books. ISBN 978-1894965941.
External links
- "The King of Rome". Derby Museum site. Derby City Council. Retrieved 2010-07-08. – includes lyrics
- "The King of Rome". Retrieved 2010-07-08. – Dave Sudbury's web page about the song
- "The King of Rome, A true inspiring story about a famous Derby Pigeon. Dave Sudburys original version". YouTube. Retrieved 2010-07-08. – Original Sudbury version of song
- "Half Man Half Biscuit - King of Rome". YouTube. Retrieved 2010-07-08. – Half Man Half Biscuit version of song