“Let’s buy Cris a tropical fish tank for his birthday.” This one sentence, spoken more than a quarter of a century ago by my wife as we lay in bed one Sunday morning, started an involvement that became first an interest in and then almost an obsession with fishkeeping. Most of my hobbies have a water connection of some sort. They started with a keen interest in angling, first with my father on the river Thames and then with friends on the Basingstoke canal. I remember catching Dace, Roach, Gudgeon and Tench. Then other water sports took my interest, first canoeing and then sailing. Many years later, having set up that first tropical tank for my son,   we both joined Tongham Aquarists and soon I was involved in an administrative capacity as Show Secretary. I had one giant danio which resided in my son’s 27” tank!

This was soon resolved with building up my first tank set up; never one to do things by halves this was a five footer. 

Through Tongham Aquarists, I formed close links with the founder members of the Association of Aquarists, gained an interest in showing fish and then enlisted as a trainee judge. I was soon co-opted as Three Counties rep. Following a number of different tank projects, I developed a keen interest in keeping and propagating tropical aquatic plants. Much assistance was given to me by Ron Forder and my friend, Pete Smith. Somehow, I found time for the groundwork that formed the A of A Scientific to Common Name Index and then, after advancement to Senior Judge Status, I was invited to join the Judges & Standards committee.

This led in 1997 to a full revision of the Association Size Guide and finally, appointment as Chairman of this sub-committee.  A garden pond project followed some years later encouraged by close friend and Tongham member, Dave Caesar, opened up new horizons with native and foreign coldwater fishes and plants.  In 2006, I took over the post of Chairman of the Association which I still hold. Shortly after this I took early retirement from the ‘daytime job’. Retirement is now a full time occupation and has allowed me to share my time between duties for the Association, fishkeeping and my other passion of competitive sailing. Somehow I manage to fit in work in our extensive garden and my other hobbies of photography and woodworking. In 2008 I was invited, along with Chris Ralph, to judge at the Malta Aquarist Show. Current projects are Size Guide updates and this new A of A website.