by Dave Black [For PDF Version Click Here]

Hi all…

I’ve just had one of the best life time experiences, a trip to Canada for 9 days, through the love of English tipplers. Who could ever of thought it? I was introduced to a guy named Harpreet Bal on the old T.T email forum through Davey Warrener. We seemed to hit it off right away, got on really well and kept in touch ever since like we knew each other for years. Harpreet promised one day he would actually come and pay me a visit. I thought he was nuts. No way will he come this far to visit. Sure enough he’s a man of his word and turned up last year and stayed with us, even timed my kit. I could not believe it having him here, he was like one of the family. The next thing I know Harpreet said I’m coming to collect you Dave. He actually was coming to pick me up to go to Canada. I couldn’t believe my luck as we touched down in Toronto.

We were greeted by Sikandar Bal who picked us up at the airport. What a nice bloke he was. We were off to his place where I seen my first kit of young ones of the visit. It was great seeing his wife doing a good job dropping the kit as we turned up. Then we were off to Harpreet’s home to meet his family who took me in like one of their own. His house is massive, out of this world. His wife Rajinder is easy going and easy to get along with as well as his parents. Hapreet’s kids Chetan, Tina and Kirn are really nice spending all that time with them and I’m really going to miss them. The food was amazing, the massive barbecue on the decking at the back of the house was great along with the other many food places I was taken to, and I was stuffed. We watched dvds in the huge basement of his home. Can I tell you how I would kill to have the space, I got to see many good things at Harpreet’s loft, young birds into the night and we just learned from each other. I think we have a really good understanding and I really enjoyed his company. I feel we can chat with each other on tipplers for hours.

Harpreet took me to see Oskar and it was a privilege to meet such a great person . He is the encyclopaedia of tipplers over there. His understanding of tipplers is second to none as demonstrated by some really quality tipplers I seen in his loft and other tipplers in other lofts throughout the visit. Harpreet took me to some great places to see some great lofts of people who I’ve never heard from before. One guy by the name of Mladen had the kit drop on the 10th floor of a building onto his balcony. Amazing to see. I’ve learned a lot from the experience of the trip. The weather is really hard on tipplers as well as all the falcons, coopers, racoons and other things running and flying around demonstrated by one bloke (Bengy) which his name escapes me now. He had them all stuffed and on show in his house – it was great and I took many pictures there.

Harpreet took me into a parking lot where we just sat and watched falcons sitting around the buildings and nest boxes. The wildlife there is something to see which I will remember forever. One of the days was a surprise visit to see Kemo . Harpreet tricked him big time, he knocked on his door whilst I covered my face a little, he obviously did not know I was in Toronto. He said come in then noticed me after a while, I think we gave him the shock of his life. What a friendly person also his wife Louise made me really welcome. What can I say about his house…outstanding home also a really amazing place to fly birds from and the scenery of his place was great. I took many photos of his loft and birds.

I was also to see Kemo later on in the trip. It was at Luka’s home that the meeting took place. What an honour it was to finally meet this man. I think of Luka as one of my best mates in tipplers. I find Luka a really nice genuine person who has helped me loads. I’m sure we will stay in touch for many years to come. He also had a fantastic home and a little tidy loft with not too many tipplers but what he did have were absolute quality, those cheques are amazing looking , At Lukas place it was a pleasure being in the company of the likes of Kemo Oscar Harpreet and Nino. It was all set up with a few beers, the sun shining and a beautiful spread laid out. To top it off a cake with “Welcome to Canada Dave”. I felt like royalty. We all talked tipplers and shot some good photographs, I cant thank you lads enough, it made my trip, I loved it.

I then found time to go to Nino’s place and was welcomed with more beers. This was something else, I could not believe what I was seeing a massive swimming pool with a diving board a great garden and then a fantastic tippler loft and tipplers. You have to be there to appreciate this. I find Nino a straight talking guy he tells you how it is whether you like it or not. It was again a pleasure to meet up with another great tippler man from the FT site. It was such a shame Michael Beat missed my trip by only a few days, he had just left Toronto. I’m sure I will meet him in the near future as well as my other good mate Danny boy…Danny Kinnear. Mladen Stojanovic Dave and Bengi Franklin Dave and Kemo Basic Nich Durlov and Dave Luka and Dave Dave and Sikandar Bal

The trip seemed to just fly by, we covered so much in a short space of time. Niagara Falls is something I always wanted to see, Harpreet even took me there. This is a place I will never forget as long as I live , Harpreet you must be commended mate, I will never forget the trip you made it happen, hope to do it again real soon – THANK YOU

Dave Black

Thank you Dave from all of us at the Canadian National Tippler Union Members, you can go to YouTube and type in the following subject to view the video of Dave’s visit to Canada with some fun footage along with nostalgic photos and music. You can also view the video on… Tipplers.ca and Tipplers.com