70-year-old Oxford fishkeeping shop closing to hold goodbye party

The award-winning, independent fishkeeping shop in Oxford said it has been a ‘remarkable journey’ when it announced its closure last month after 70 years of business.

The Goldfish Bowl, a long-standing and popular shop in Magdalen Road, will close its doors for the last time on July 31 this year.

Owned by Barry Allday, the shop has served East Oxford not just as a shop where people could find equipment, tanks, food and a variety of exotic fish to keep, but also as a community hub.

Now the shop is celebrating its 70 years of business and the “end of an era” with a goodbye party.

The Goldfish Bowl in Magdalen Road, 2008 (Image: Jon Lewis)

A spokesperson for The Goldfish Bowl said: “We’re so excited to invite you to a community event to celebrate the end of an era at The Goldfish Bowl Oxford.

“Come drop by between 4pm – 8pm, where we’ll have loads of activities for kids and food and drink as a thank you from us to our customers and the East Oxford community.

“The shop will be closed during this time but please do come by. Be aware that parking will be a challenge so you may want to stagger your arrival.

“Thank you so very much for the lovely heartfelt messages. We are completely overwhelmed and touched by your kind words and stories of your interactions with us past and present.

“The Goldfish Bowl has always been more than a business to me.

“The team and I love what we do and have enjoyed serving you and chatting to all of you over the years.

“A big thank you to all the fishkeepers that have shopped with us over the years, as it is your support that helps us to remain a valued community asset.

“To all the ex-staff that had been in touch, thank you for all your help and support and I hope we have made a bit of a positive influence to your life.

“I’d also like to thank the residents and fellow traders on Magdalen Road for putting up with us over the years!”

Barry Allday, then a partner at The Goldfish Bowl, pictured with a fish in 2008 (Image: Jon Lewis)

When it announced its closure Mr Allday and the team said: “This decision has not been taken lightly, and I am aware that The Goldfish Bowl has played a central role for many in their fishkeeping journey.

“Much more than that, we have always been very much part of the Oxford landscape and the very vibrant East Oxford Community.”

The Goldfish Bowl has won awards as a destination worth visiting and was selected as an ‘outstanding leader in its field’ in the Parliamentary Review in 2019, the first aquatic specialists to be recognised in the industry for its entrepreneurship and customer service.