Have you got the BUZZ yet?
March Newsletter
Dear Member,
As we head towards a rather late Spring I am sure that everyone, new students and new members, as well as the more experienced (I would never say old), will be looking forward to cleaning up their apiaries and restocking with foundation and hive parts ready for a busy season ahead.
This is a good opportunity then for me to remind you that there is a Maisemore agent living in Shaftesbury which should be very convenient for most people.
I circulated an email to this effect recently but not everyone will have received it so here is the detail again;
Ben Goodman, Forge Cottage, Haimes Lane, Shaftesbury. (Turn left from Bell Street , just past the Library ).
Ben is a member of Shaftesbury & Gillingham BKA and has taken over from Edward Gunner who has recently retired. Ben is part time from his home and so would appreciate a phone call first so that he can be sure to be at home if you need him. Call him on 07734 602 755.
Gilly has very kindly offered to pick up any orders on behalf of members when he is in Shaftesbury and if you would like him to help please ring him on 07840 762 564
The Maisemore catalogue is available at www.beesonline.co.uk and I will bring a few with me to our next meeting on 25th March.
I hope you will be able to join us at that meeting when Sarah Weaver will be talking to us about physiotherapy and her talk is entitled ‘Bee kind to your back’. As many of you will know, Sarah is not only an experienced physiotherapist but also teaches the intermediate classes for the BBKA exams.
She fully understands the difficulty of lifting lots of supers full of honey – which some of us only dream about !
You will all know that we will have a very busy Open Day on 3rd April which is yet again fully subscribed.
We would be very grateful to anyone who can join us on the day to help out in guiding students around, helping with tea and making our guests feel generally welcome. Please give me a call if you can help.
There are several non-bee related events coming up which you might like to put in your diary.
The County Plant Fair will be held at Athelhampton House near Puddletown on 2nd May.
I hear that there will be 20 Nurseries selling great value plants, some of which will be National Collection holders. Opening times are 10.30 am to 3.00pm and entry is £9.00 but Tony Moore will be able to provide tickets at £4.00 -less than ½ price- for members, including associate members of course.
Athelhampton House is signposted from the A35 and there is free car parking.
Refreshments will be available in the Stable Restaurant.
Email Tony on mandtmoore@btinternet.com or ring him on 01305 848024 to obtain a voucher.
Bridget Bowen will also be opening her garden as part of the National Gardens Scheme on Sunday 2nd May between 2.00 and 5.00pm and since she lives at Piddletrenthide (in Ivy House), which is not far at all from Athelhampton, a visit to both locations would make a great day out.
If you can’t make it to both locations on the same day, Bridget’s garden will also be open Monday 5th April and Sunday 30th May. There will be plants for sale and home made Teas
If you use Sat Nav to find your way around, Bridget’s post code is DT2 7QF.
There will be another visit to Stuart and Geoff’s apiary at Pumpkin Island on 8th May and later on in the Summer I also look forward to welcoming you once again to visit my apiary in Iwerne Minster. However I have changed the advertised date to avoid clashing with a local event and, instead of Saturday 17th July, the visit will now be on the following day, Sunday 18th July. Would you please alter your diary entry.
Speaking of diaries, I hope you all have the visit to Twickenham and Thames Valley in your calendar.
This will also be on a Sunday, (20th June), and has been organised as our association’s ‘County’ apiary visit for this year.
Lesley has arranged a 57 seat coach which will only cost £10.00 per person so you will be assured of a reasonably priced, hassle free journey to see one of the country’s best apiary complexes.
The coach will ‘pick up’ from several locations to suit most people, one of which will be Blandford. More details will be advised later but, at this stage, we don’t know if we can accommodate member’s partners. We will let you know later if numbers allow it.
Please would you let Lesley or myself know if you are going to be there – and if you would like to be able to take a guest.
It would help if you would tell us sooner rather than later please so that we can organise the details in good time. In the meantime dust off your thermos flask and be prepared to take a packed lunch.
At the AGM last November a number of significant issues were raised (apart from Mike Whittick becoming President and Lesley taking on the job of Chairman).
The Committee was asked to consider the purchase of equipment which would be available for use by members and the following purchases are being pursued;
A portable observation hive for use at shows and presentations.
A refractometer. This measures the water content in honey.
A ‘course in a box’ (A training aid)
A projector for use at open days and other presentations and shows.
If any member would like to recommend the purchase of anything else, please let me know so that it can be properly considered.
We were also asked to consider reimbursing exam fees and, since the association actively supports beginners and encourages success at the basic exam, it was agreed that we will reimburse the exam entrance fee for the basic exam in the future.
Further discussions took place at our last committee meeting regarding Mike and Lesley’s teaching apiaries.
As you know, the association’s public profile is growing steadily and we have become much more professional in our approach to training and in publicising those training events which has resulted in a steady flow of students and potential beekeepers and, of course, more beekeepers means more bees which is a prime object of our constitution.
To enable students to take the basic exam successfully, after completing the beginner’s course, we have radically changed the course prospectus with a substantial increase in the cost of the course to reflect the extra work and time commitment involved.
Nevertheless we know that we remain highly competitive in the marketplace for training.
To consolidate and enhance this progress we decided that the two apiaries needed a face lift, with emphasis on health and safety, and £1,000.00 was allocated for this purpose.
Costs were greatly reduced by the generous offer of Stuart and Geoff to provide much of the work (as well as the necessary heavy equipment) free of charge and the work has been completed ready for the open day and commencement of this year’s training courses.
To conclude, if you are hoping to get hold of a swarm this year, do please let Lesley have a note of your interest so that she can let you know if something turns up.
All the best for a good season ahead.
Terry
