A REPORT OF THE RYEDALE AQUARIST SOCIETY OPEN EVENT
2023
Text by David and Sue Marshall
Photographs courtesy of Dr. David Ford, Stuart Brown, Majid Ali, Nigel Stock and
David Marshall

When the members of the Ryedale Aquarist Society decided that they would like to
resume their annual Open Event, the decision was made to try something a little
different. So, on Sunday 11 th June 2023, the Whistler Room at Pickering Memorial Hall
was chosen as the venue for a Mini-Open Show and Sales Tables event.
The Mini-Open Show consisted of ten Classes which covered the full range of tropical
freshwater and coldwater fishes and was run to YAAS rules and standards etc. YAAS
‘A’ Class Judge Mr. Mick Price accepted the invitation to judge the event.
The Show drew a total of 84 entries with each Class having at least 3 entries. 13 people
brought along fish to show representing Southend Leigh & District A.S., STAMPS,
Preston & District A.S., Bradford & District A.S., Hartlepool A.S., the AAGB, Derby
Cichlid Group, the BKA and Ryedale A.S.

Here we see how the Open Show benches looked at 10.45a.m. and how they filled-out
for the start of judging. Mick had a very busy afternoon and we thank him for all his
work.

Here we see a small selection of the many beautiful fish which appeared on the Show
benches.

Our photograph shows the beautiful Mr. Paul Barrow Annual Memorial Trophy, which
was kindly donated by Mrs. Janice Barrow. This trophy is to be presented to the winner
of the Characin Class and then kept until our next Open Show takes place.
Below we see the beautiful Distichodus decemmaculatus, owned by the Brown Family of
Preston ADAS, which won the Characin Class. Young Oliver Brown was thrilled to
receive the Memorial Trophy from Ryedale A.S. Chairman Mr. David Marshall.

Here are some photographs of other Class winners receiving their prizes -

The Society wishes to thank OASE U.K. and other sponsors for the Open Show prizes.

We had a total of 12 Sales and Information Tables. Business support came from
Aquatic Supplies Teeside (online sales) who hired 2 tables, Tunnel Aquatics (York),
Aquatic Finatic (Northallerton) and The Aquarium Gazette Magazine. The AAGB and
Ryedale A.S. had a sales and information table. 5 aquarium fish breeders hired tables
and brought with them a wonderful variety of fish for sale which included Corydoras
fulleri, L129, Ameca splendens, Channa asciatica, Corydoras guianensis, Common
Goldfish, El-Tigra Endlers, various Badis, Microctenopoma damasi, Black Angelfish and
Calico Ancistrus to name a few. Needless to say, all of these fish were eagerly snapped-
up by our visitors.

As you can see from the photographs, the stands had for sale a wide variety of aquatic
items from aquarium plants to text books to a wide variety of aquarium foods. In fact,
everything for aquariums and ponds that you could wish for.

With a new kind of event, you are never sure how many people will come along?
However, fishkeepers supported us from far and wide and travelled to be with us from
all over the place including Sunderland, Whitby, Durham, Teeside, Birmingham, the
North Midlands, West Yorkshire, Selby area, Humberside and the North-West. This
would lead to the event becoming a real meeting place for fishkeepers to gather and talk
and so many of our visitors appreciated the time that they were able to spend with
friends old and new. Our picture shows our good friends David Ford and Majid Ali
who had communicated for over twenty-five years but had never actually met each
other before today.

Instead of a raffle we had a grand tombola which became a grand, grand tombola as we
had so many prizes (which didn’t all make our photograph). Steve & Trish Jones kindly
ran this part of the event for us. We are so grateful to our members and friends, to
Pond Planet (Stockton-on-~Tees), Tunnel Aquatics (York), OASE U.K., The Aquarium
Gazette and Nunnington Hall for their kind prize donations.

As the world-famous Rex Whistler painting of the Memorial Hall Children’s Christmas
Party, painted in 1943, kept a watch over proceedings, the ladies in the kitchen kept our
visitors well fed. Once again, we were so grateful to the generosity of our members and
friends who brought along a wonderful variety of homemade cakes and savouries.

Finally, we thank everybody who came along for their support and encouragement, our
members and friends for their generosity and help on the day, our table hirers and
showers and sponsors, all who contributed to a successful day.

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