TIM ADDIS WRITES: Midlands Charity Auction cancelled

Midland Charity Fish Auction - December 5th - Lodge Park - Redditch

Weighing up all the weather reports & the freezing temperatures, I have decided to bow to the power of nature & cancel the charity auction on Sunday 5th December. With so many areas of the country under deep snow & sub zero temperatures I am sure we will not get our usual sized attendance to buy fish. Also the welfare of the fish would not be best served in taking them home in these temperatures.

I hope you will understand why I made this decision & understand it was cancelled only under extreme weather conditions. This is the first December auction I have had to cancel & hope this is just a 'freak' year.

What is your opinion?

The BKA auction is scheduled for March at the same venue. Some BKA members have given me fish lists containing rare Anabantoid or newly collected livebearers - maybe we could work something out regarding a sales table at the venue. As you know we are keen to keep the auction killies only.

I have been working hard for some weeks to promote this event & believe it would be crazy to carry on with so much of the country in chaos. I'm sure those buying could have arrived home with dead fish & I don't want to promote a meeting where fish suffer.

Tim

TIM ADDIS WRITES: Midland Charity Auction

The next Midland charity auction in Redditch is Sunday, December 5th 2010. Only 3 weeks to go & many are starting to request auction letters. Last year's December do raised £755·74 & was well attended. Signs are this one will be similar.

This year the viewing rack is extended from 90 to 150 bags to give those viewing a better chance of seeing the fish. A new PA (Public address) system will be installed with radio microphones, which worked really well at the last Cichlid auction. Dave has generously volunteered to set his gear up for this do. It will be a great improvement. Currently this venue is now home to 5 auctions a year ( 2 x charity - 2 x Cichlid Association - 1 x BKA/charity ).

The new BKA auction in March will be a great do & 50% of money made on the day will go to charity. Personally, I'm looking forward to an old-style Killie-only auction. I'm hoping those who have voiced an opinion for this will support it!!

With Remembrance Sunday yesterday perhaps it's a good time to say the charity donations to the 'Help for Heroes' fund amounted to over £500 from the last 2 auctions. Personally, I am over the moon that we can all come together a couple of times a year & sell a few fish to help support our 3 charity causes, including the Air Ambulance & MacMillans Cancer fund.

On this note I would say that we have had to tighten the admission arrangements & the bottom door will be shut. Only the main entrance will be open. Bright stickers will be issued to those who pay the £2 admission fee. Those not wearing it will be asked to prove payment or leave, basically. I'm sure everyone will understand we are a charity fundraising event. Last June those that didn't pay cost us the profits from 2 racks of fish, which isn't going to happen again.

It's difficult to get everything together on the day where everything happens in a very short time. We are all volunteers to this event & God bless everyone who helps out on the day.

Breakfasts are available so anyone arriving early should pre-book with me via the webpage to ensure they get an early feed.

Please see the website - http://www.ta-aquaculture.co.uk/ & click link to auction page in top left yellow box.