London Freshwater Group landmark anniversary report
15 January, 2024
Carl Sayer and Steve Kett report on the London Freshwater Group’s 50th birthday bash!
Carl Sayer is a Professor in the Department of Geography at University College London, as well as a Freshwater Biological Association Fellow, and Steve Kett is a Senior Lecturer in Environmental Science at Middlesex University. Both are stalwarts of the London Freshwater Group; a specialist group of the Linnean Society of London.
For over 50 years, the London Freshwater Group has prided itself in being welcoming to early career speakers, natural history enthusiasts and practitioners in a context of warmth, humour and friendly comment. Here, Carl and Steve report on the Group’s recent landmark fiftieth anniversary.
The assembled masses at the London Freshwater Group’s 50th anniversary meeting, 5th May, 2023.
Background to the London Freshwater Group
The London Freshwater Group does not need much of an excuse to party but, on 5th May 2023, it had a good reason – a 50th birthday!
Way back in April 1973, its first meeting was held at Westfield College, University of London, where “42 members attended a varied programme and were guests of the Department of Botany for tea and later, for sherry” (Denny, 1973). Once a little tipsy, those assembled decided that the group should be called the London Freshwater Group, with a 50 pence annual subscription for members. It was also decided that the main aim of the group should be to “have informal social gatherings with lively discussion and exchange of ideas in matters of mutual interest” (Denny, 1973).
After 50 years, and well over 100 meetings, it can surely be said that the idea to form the London Freshwater Group was more than successful and that the ethos and principles of the founder members have been upheld.
How many Jammy Dodgers?
The 50th anniversary meeting was an all-day affair at the Natural History Museum in London. As always, the meeting was well attended by a wonderful mix of students, university and Natural History Museum staff, natural history experts and practitioners.
The event was kindly sponsored by cbec eco-engineering and the contribution from cbec, as well as London Freshwater Group accumulated funds, allowed for a banquet of food and drink.
The meeting was opened by Secretary, Carl Sayer, who read out some important statistics and notices. A careful look at London Freshwater Group meeting books revealed that, since 1973, 639 curries had been taken, as well as 785,624 post-meeting beers and approximately 959,423 Jammy Dodgers! Well wishes were then read out from founder members, Alan Steel and Patrick Denny.
The 50th anniversary meeting saw 14 speakers hit the Natural History Museum stage. The honoured speakers spanned the generations and many subjects, from rare fishes and crayfish, ponds and dragonflies to citizen science and environmental activism.
The speakers were Mike Chadwick (King’s College London), Sam McArthur (cbec), Eleri Prichard (University College London - UCL), Les Ruse (University of Roehampton), Lucy Roberts (Aarhus University; UCL), Viv Jones (UCL), Steve Brooks (Natural History Museum; Riverfly Partnership, Freshwater Biological Association Fellow), Reagan Pearce (UCL; Kings College London; Queen Mary University of London), Luca Marazzi (Thames 21), Lynsey Harper and Trine Bregstein (Freshwater Biological Association), Rick Battarbee (UCL; FBA Fellow), Gordon Copp (Centre for Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture Science) and Steve Kett (Middlesex University).
The online talk by the now late Gordon Copp, the London Freshwater Group’s most frequent speaker, was particularly poignant, as he was very ill at the time. Typical of Gordon, however, he was utterly determined to support the London Freshwater Group and he went ahead anyway. His brilliant talk on ‘Fishy stories from London and its Environs’ was received with deafening applause.
Back to the future
The final talk was by Steve Kett, who gave a somewhat tongue-in-cheek potted history of the London Freshwater Group’s ‘First Fifty Years’. Steve revealed key facts regarding the past, present and future of the group, employing several methods to analyse temporal trends in London Freshwater Group presentation topics. Eventually, TWINSPANA (Title Words IN Speech ANAlysis) revealed that the major influence upon presentation topics was changing London Freshwater Group secretaries.
Notwithstanding the perils of prognostication, predictions were made regarding the global future of Earth’s freshwaters and, more specifically, of the London Freshwater Group committee members and of the group in general. The latter employed artificial intelligence and Steve asserted his willingness to stand or fall by the accuracy of his predictions in 50 years’ time when he delivers ‘The First Hundred Years’ summary.
A surprise ending
At the meeting’s close, Steve convened the London Freshwater Group AGM where Carl Sayer gave thanks to the Natural History Museum (especially to Ben Price) and to the magnificent Linnean Society for their constant and essential support.
Thanks were also directed to cbec for sponsorship, Eleri Prichard (Publicity Secretary) for endless hard work promoting events, Steve Kett for always being there as a London Freshwater Group champion and to Phil Renton, London Freshwater Group Treasurer from 1981, for being continually amazing. That Phil had been rugby tackling meeting fees out of London Freshwater Group attendees for more than 40 years drew a standing ovation!
Izzy Bishop led London Freshwater Group members when they accorded Carl Sayer, the longest-serving Secretary, special thanks for his years chasing speakers and organising events. It was noted that, under his benign auspices, the London Freshwater Group had survived pretty well.
As it seemed like the right time, all of the committee members announced that they were resigning, and the AGM saw a new committee voted in. Out with the old and in with the new. But let the London Freshwater Group live on, and see you at the 75th birthday bash!
References
Denny, P. (1973) London Freshwater Group. Report of the First Meeting 1st May, 1973.
The London Freshwater Group has no formal membership and all are welcome. If you would like to receive meeting invitations, please add yourself to the group’s mailing list by contacting us at: thelondonfreshwatergroup@gmail.com. In addition, the group’s website gives details of forthcoming meetings.
