TTAA Aquarist Conventions

THE Aquarist Convention, inaugurated in 1974 by the TYNE-TEES AREA ASSOCIATION of the FBAS was planned as a two-day event with a variety of speakers from outside of the local fishkeeping scene. The convention attracted speaker from all over Britain and abroad. These conventions were highly rated in the hobby, and convention managers such as George Liddle and Colin Enright were rightly praised for their excellent work. First-class venues, such as the Conference rooms of the Crowtree Leisure Centre and Eldon Square, were chosen. At the time, the TTAA could afford the considerable expense of these conventions due to the high ticket sales and the success of their festivals. In the early years of the convention, as many as 6 lectures, with as many speakers, would be held over the weekend. Professional people such as Gordon Howes of the British museum would talk on subjects such as structure and function of fish, while hobbyists like Mr. A. Charlton of the Fancy Guppy Association would impart knowledge on Guppy genetics. Other notable speakers in the first years were: Bob Esson on Goldfish, Mr. W. Pearson talked on water conditions and Miss S. Turner from the Hancock Museum, Newcastle, was a regular speaker. This mixture was very successful for some years but the expense of holding these conventions soon outweighed their importance because of dwindling audiences. One-day conventions were tried to reduce the financial burden, and in this form they continued into the mid-eighties. The last remnants of this tradition being in 1995, when Derek Lambert was the  guest speaker and gave a talk on livebearers at that year’s TTAA Open Show at Darlington. The final conventions in the 80s were managed by Paul & Merial Conway, and the final one in 1995 was arranged by Jane Bell