The Plymouth Fishkeepers Society is celebrating its 70th Anniversary in 2018, having been founded in 1948 by a local school teacher who placed an advert in a local newspaper.
It was for anyone interested in the aquatic hobby to attend an inaugural meeting on June 22 to form a Society. From these small beginnings the present Society has grown over the 70 years and has seen many changes in the hobby.
That is not to say that the Society itself has experienced its ups and downs in terms of membership, but at the present time it is doing well with 43 members.
The society celebrated the event with a dinner at the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club on June 22 when present and past members enjoyed the humour of the after dinner speaker Peter Randle from the Marine Biological Society.
Finding a suitable meeting place at a reasonable cost can be a problem for any group or society. In Plymouth, the Fishkeepers Sociery are fortunate to have the Hyde Park Social Club for their meetings on the first and second Wednesdays of each month.
The first meeting is the more formal, consisting of visual lectures given by either Society members or by guest speakers. The second meeting is centred on the Table Show where members hope to win trophies which are presented at the end of the year.
A short talk on an aquatic subject is presented by a member while the fish are being judged, allowing time for members to be able to mingle and chat about the hobby. At the end of the evening there is a Questions and Answers slot for members who may have a fishkeeping problem. At each meeting there is a raffle and auction of fish bred by Society members and other aquatic items.
…‘Fishy News’ is produced four times a year … a diverse array of articles on aspects of fish and fishkeeping
The Society aims to produce a varied programme throughout the year which will appeal to both the beginner and the more advanced aquarist. The current programme includes lectures by guest speakers with talks by Maidenhead Aquatics on the aquatic trade, Emperor Tropicals on planted aquariums and Dr Peter Burgess presenting an illustrated talk about the Berlin Zoo Aquarium.
Interests among members are diverse, and there is always someone in the Society who can answer questions covering most aspects of the hobby. There are members who belong to specialist societies such as the Catfish Association of Great Britain and the British Killifish Association.
Aquatic plants are not forgotten: one of the trophies in the Home Aquarium and Pond Competition is for the best plant. Within in the Society there is an active interest in aquatic photography and members can show their photos in an annual competition.
It goes without saying that in such an active Society there is also keen interest in breeding fish and fresh water shrimps. Again some people specialise in one group, whereas others have a more general interest.
The Society magazine ‘Fishy News’ is produced four times a year and contains a diverse array of articles on aspects of fish and fishkeeping written by members, while a monthly newsletter is also produced to cover forthcoming events and Table Show results.
There is a good cross section of members ranging from fairly newcomers to people who have been in the hobby for a long time. Visitors are welcome to attend one of the Society’s meetings to find out more. If you have just bought your first fish tank then Plymouth Fishkeepers Society is the place to be. The Society is also on Facebook.
John Rundle, Chairman.
