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How long have you been keeping fish. Explain how you got started etc.

I started keeping fish around 25 years ago. My girlfriend soon to be my wife kept a goldfish in a bowl. I started with a 24x12x12 tank in my bedroom & it all expanded from there. In all, I have only had a couple of years without fish.

After the spell without fish my wife & I were out for a walk & I casually mentioned to her that I would like to get a tank & thankfully she agreed. Remember it is a good idea to mention it to your partner than them coming home one day to find a tank where the wall unit used to be.

I keep a varied selection of Tropical's from Dwarf & Large Cichlids, Anabantids, Killies, Danios, plus many more.

I have a fish house with 30 various sizes of tanks & all my fish are kept in different water conditions depending on their requirements.

I started breeding fish purely by accident, as with most aquarists one day I noticed fry swimming about in the tank & this gave me the bug. This then started me off with requiring another tank, & on & on to my first fish walk in cupboard. Over the years I have many, many different types of Livebearers, Cichlids, Anabantids & Killies just to name a few.

I am fairly new to the show scene stretching over two years. I have shown at Fair City, U.S.A & Kirkcaldy Open shows with varying degrees of success.

I have done very well with the number of fish I have shown & managed to win Best Fish at one of the shows with a beautiful Apistogramma Agassizii which qualified my to enter The Jimmy Gilbert, Champion of Champions which unfortunately I did not win. “But there is next year”

Other interests outside fishkeeping. If its is another club etc, give details so we cane advertise them

I am very busy being a dad & grandfather but I love doing D.I.Y, going out on my motorbike, going to the cinema, eating out & holidays.

Do you have any person or several persons that you admire/respect. This can be in the hobby or family or others, give reasons why etc.

In the hobby I admire our old coalman called Jack Moyes. Jack was very well thought of in K.A.S & not only was he a member but he was awarded an Honorary life member by K.A.S.

Jack often opened the doors to his fish house in Lochgelly where he specialized in Killifish, he was a gentleman & very interesting to listen to.

Jimmy Gilbert, who had a great knowledge of fish & was a natural talker at weekly meetings as well as having the gift of the gab for the club auctions at Balwearie & Perth.

My wife, Christine who got me interested in fishkeeping all those years ago & who was the canteen manager for a while at K.A.S. She still has an interest in fish & enjoys checking out the fish I keep.

What is your future outlook within the hobby. What are yours goals within the hobby.

To help keep the club going & to enjoy my fishkeeping. I would like to get my breeders certificate & get it hung on the club room wall. Then maybe go on to do the masters & then the supreme certificates.

I would like to see more youngsters involved in fishkeeping otherwise it might be that you will only see tropical fish at public aquariums.

How long have you served on the K.A.S committee & what posts have you held in the past up to the present.

I started on the committee as the club Editor & when the job as secretary can available I stood for the post & was successful & this is the post I am still doing after 4 years.

I have helped cover the canteen post sometimes as well as helping to cover the presidents post whilst we tried to elect a new president.