Big G
Member
Hi All,
just wondering if there’s anyone out there that remembers a couple of fish shops in Elephant & Castle, S. London from my youth.
One was in the ’pink’ , precinct-style shopping centre on the ground floor. It was a fairly small, conventional one I seem to remember but always worth a look. Very nicely kept if I remember.
The other was across the road. A, by my standards of the time, quite huge place on two levels. Now, we are going back a bit (around early to mid 80’s but I remember two floors. Counter on the right, big, I would say 5’ x5’ x3’ display tank with maybe a couple of HUGE Pacu’s and/or Gouramies?
As a new initiate to all things wet and bubbly it was a bit of a mecca for me. Always smelt a little of burst tanks, had some great watermarks on the grey carpet but to me? Almost as good as a visit to the grand and slightly spooky Victorian London Zoo Aquarium halls (which, if still in existence, is on my bucket list to revisit this year).
Of course, at least for me, and I daresay most if I’m not mistaken, is was all about fish keeping back then.
I ask because despite trawling ,somewhat , through the threads, I never see any mention of it (I’m almost certainly wrong).
I can’t imagine any lad or lass, living in or around London with an interest wouldn’t have heard of it along with Tachbrook, Roman and a few little places like in The Angle, Islington.
I guess I’m curious to know as that’s where the fascination with the contents of a large box of water was sparked for me initially. Fast forward …..some years later and amongst other things, the internet, and up pops this decent, well-mannered chap George Farmer talking about Takashi Amano, changing water and glass lily pipes, whatever they may be? and …..click, that young lad I was came back to me and something important slotted into place, you know?
Anyway, sorry for the old man type ramble and much appreciated any recollections, either of the places I mention above or even your own from that sort of era, where a tablet was something one took for a headache, a telephone was generally something plumbed into a Bakerlite box on a skirting board , was used only on pain of death - never before 7pm and Eheim ruled the world.
Best wishes
BG
just wondering if there’s anyone out there that remembers a couple of fish shops in Elephant & Castle, S. London from my youth.
One was in the ’pink’ , precinct-style shopping centre on the ground floor. It was a fairly small, conventional one I seem to remember but always worth a look. Very nicely kept if I remember.
The other was across the road. A, by my standards of the time, quite huge place on two levels. Now, we are going back a bit (around early to mid 80’s but I remember two floors. Counter on the right, big, I would say 5’ x5’ x3’ display tank with maybe a couple of HUGE Pacu’s and/or Gouramies?
As a new initiate to all things wet and bubbly it was a bit of a mecca for me. Always smelt a little of burst tanks, had some great watermarks on the grey carpet but to me? Almost as good as a visit to the grand and slightly spooky Victorian London Zoo Aquarium halls (which, if still in existence, is on my bucket list to revisit this year).
Of course, at least for me, and I daresay most if I’m not mistaken, is was all about fish keeping back then.
I ask because despite trawling ,somewhat , through the threads, I never see any mention of it (I’m almost certainly wrong).
I can’t imagine any lad or lass, living in or around London with an interest wouldn’t have heard of it along with Tachbrook, Roman and a few little places like in The Angle, Islington.
I guess I’m curious to know as that’s where the fascination with the contents of a large box of water was sparked for me initially. Fast forward …..some years later and amongst other things, the internet, and up pops this decent, well-mannered chap George Farmer talking about Takashi Amano, changing water and glass lily pipes, whatever they may be? and …..click, that young lad I was came back to me and something important slotted into place, you know?
Anyway, sorry for the old man type ramble and much appreciated any recollections, either of the places I mention above or even your own from that sort of era, where a tablet was something one took for a headache, a telephone was generally something plumbed into a Bakerlite box on a skirting board , was used only on pain of death - never before 7pm and Eheim ruled the world.
Best wishes
BG
