SCCRS Open Show 2010
Show Report

The 2010 SCCRS Open Show was held on Sunday 25th July at Mytchett Centre. The show is an annual event and was re-located to Mytchett due to the normal Kempshott hall being fully booked for this year. Although this was unfortunate the Mytchett Centre is an excellent venue located close to the M3 with good access and a spacious hall with loads of natural light – no excuse for the judges there! The main hall doors open into the rear car park so it is very user friendly. It is simple to unload and just wheel your entries in on trolleys as several of the regular exhibitors found.

The hall was set up by the advance guard – thanks particularly go to Paul Jordan who was waiting in the car park when I arrived at 8.30 and who helped with the tables and preparations. By 9.30 we were ready for the first exhibitors and waiting for our first coffee from the Pink Elephant Café – our own catering department currently run by the very helpful Maisie and anyone she can press into service on the day! This time it was the turn of an un-suspecting Sandra the wife of one of our good friends from Bracknell Keith Sollitt.

Due to traffic constraints – we were double booked on the day by the very local Farnborough Air Show – exhibitors trickled in over the next two hours. With a very positive pre-entry it was clear that there would be a good number of entries if everyone succeeded in getting through. In spite of the delays everybody made it in time. The start of judging was slightly delayed as the Red Arrows were scheduled for a 12.30 performance! Good company, lively competition, friendly atmosphere and free tickets to the air show! Beat that if you can. Some exhibitors were more than happy to take in the air performance as judging commenced.

Red Arrows

Red Arrows

A judge short on the day, the show team were under pressure from the start but still found time to talk to exhibitors between their deliberations. The general quality of the fish exhibits was exceptionally good and we once again saw species new to the bench. With a total of 40 show classes the SCCRS show is the largest in the A of A calendar featuring particularly an extra number of sub-divisions in the catfish classes. This inevitably increases the work load for all but as a specialist event it is definitely a show with a difference.

As the results started to come through and more and more classes were completed it was hard to tell whether the larger share of awards would be taken home to Wales or would stay in England. Yes the guys from Port Talbot were doing well but Roy, Peter and Keith were also packing in the results. Ably assisted by two juniors England finally carried the day but it was a close contest. Maybe we will see some juniors from Wales next time!

The A of A superbowl round was won by Roy Chapman with John Egan in second place and Steve and Debbie Edwards a close third. The junior competition was won by Eleanor Ralph with Hazel Kinder in second place.

The Best Fish in Show was judged to be the Chalinochromis bifrenatus exhibited by Steve and Debbie Edwards. The Odessa barb owned by Roy Davies was runner up followed by John Egan’s Gold Nugget plec. It seems all the best fish currently come from Wales!

Chalinochromis bifrenatus

Odessa barb

Golden Nugget Pleco L085

With show awards and raffle prizes well distributed we all headed home for a well earned rest and time to reflect on an excellent day and to plan for the next event.

Danio-tinwini

Cofertail guppy

Hemigrammus ulreyi

Japanese blue-red guppy

Melanotaenia boesemani

Melanotaenia parkinsoni

Microglanis iheringi

Parotocinclus maculicauda

Yellowtail Rasbora

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All Photo's By Alan Dunne