Kevin Barnes, 66, served in the Royal Navy for 17 years. His right leg was amputated two-and-a-half years ago as a result of circulation problems. A keen pigeon racer in his younger days, Kevin has recently rekindled his passion for the activity thanks to a grant from Blesma...

Tell us about your military career… I grew up in Birkenhead and joined the Royal Navy in 1972. I was 15 years old. My grandfather, father and brothers had all served, and I needed a proper job. After my training, I worked on nuclear submarines and was then drafted to surface ships. I went all over the world – the West Indies, the USA and the Gulf. I liked the camaraderie and seeing different ways of living, but the poverty I saw often shocked me – I quickly realised how good I’d had it at home. And there were hairy situations at sea, sometimes I didn’t know if I’d survive the night! It stood me in good stead for the rest of life, though. I left the Forces in 1989 managed pubs, then I worked around the country on mobile phone masts.

But you had some health issues? Yes. I had to have my right leg amputated due to poor circulation. I noticed something was slowly going wrong, but two-and-a-half years ago my leg went really numb. I was rushed to hospital and was woken up on the operating table; the doctors had been trying to sort the problem out but when that failed they needed my permission to amputate. I wasn’t at all happy, as you can imagine! I asked to see a consultant I knew, but when I did speak to someone I trusted I was told I had blood clots through my leg and that my foot was dead because blood wasn’t circulating. He said without the amputation, I was going to die.

If I didn't have my pigeons, I don't know if I'd have a reason to get up in the mornings. They need me for their care.

But then it got even more serious… For six weeks last year I was having heart attacks without even knowing about them. One day, I had pains in my back and my neighbour told me I didn’t look well, so I called 111. They soon had an ambulance around. I was told I needed a triple heart bypass; I had veins that were 94% and 87% blocked. Getting veins from my leg proved too difficult at first, and I was in hospital for 16 days before the surgeon decided to clean the veins out by drilling them.

How has your rehab been? It’s been alright. I feel very lucky not to have had the experience that some poor lads and lasses have had – standing on an IED. With the help of the NHS, Blesma and the British Legion I’ve got through it. I’ve needed to stay positive. I do get blisters and various other problems with my stump, but I recently got a new prosthetic ankle which has helped.

How did you get involved with Blesma? I was visited by my Support Officer while I was still in hospital – just a couple of days after the amputation. We had a chat and he said to give him a call if there was ever anything I needed. He asked what I’d like to do when I got out, and I told him I liked the idea of starting to race pigeons again. When I got a council bungalow, Blesma sorted me out with the shell for the pigeon loft as well as for an extension to put all the bird feed in. The Association has been fantastic.

How did you originally get into pigeon racing? As a young kid, people had pigeons on our street and they’d let us have a look at them. I started keeping my own at the end of my naval career. When I got married we bought a house and there was a pigeon loft in the garden. I said to my wife: ‘You look at the house if you like, but I’m already happy.’

How has getting back into the pastime helped you? If I didn’t have my pigeons, I don’t know if I’d have a reason to get up in the mornings. I live alone and the birds are something to look after, something to be responsible for. They need me for their care and cleanliness. There’s the breeding, the feeding, the training… it takes up a lot of time. I sometimes wonder what I would be doing without this.

Would I be lying in bed, feeling sorry for myself? It doesn’t matter if it’s pouring down outside, I have to sort the birds out. I’ve got the loft so clean and organised, it’s brilliant.

What do you love most about it? I’ve joined a club in Plymouth that has 30 members. You really get to know your pigeons and notice small differences in them. You learn which ones to pick for races, and the training is satisfying. What the birds can achieve is amazing. You build up to long races – the furthest I can race this year is from Barcelona. That’s 680 miles! They go out on a transporter and can fly back in a couple of days. I’ve raced before from 548 miles away – they were let go in the morning, and one got home at 7.30am the next day! Imagine taking all the road signs away and a person trying to do that.

What are your hopes for your birds this year? I’ve got about 70 pigeons, including some young ones. I’ve bought some and I’ve bred some; it’s nice to see them coming through. I’m hoping we don’t have any problems like last year when hawks were killing a lot of them. I’ve got some club races coming up in Devon, so I’m really looking forward to those.