A hobby that will give you a buzz.
12 Dec 2018
Dear LPG,
I first met Gary at the turn of the 21st century, when our flat was invaded by bees, or at least, the ventilation block just above our ceiling. I was all for leaving them alone but my wife said we ought to do something. So I phoned Lewisham Council pest control, only to be told that they did not deal with bees. They did not say why and it was left to Gary to explain that bees, unlike wasps, are not considered pests but feral creatures. Gary's answering service, his wife Michelle, had already told me that only in extreme circumstances was Gary prepared to destroy the bees' colony because he liked bees. And when I met him it was easy to understand why.
Gary is an urban bee-keeper, and he follows his hobby because he loves bees. He took up his hobby because of his neighbour, the legendary Eddie Freeman, of Woodyates Road, Lee, twice world champion honey-producer, and Gary was a champion in his own right and a producer of Lee Green Honey.
He quickly put my mind to rest, saying that the colony of bees we had acquired would not harm anyone, unless their territory was threatened - something I had no intention of doing - and that there was no danger that their honeycomb would cause damage to our ceiling because the bees would manage their 'hive' very well and ensure there was no honey left to drip through anywhere.
To illustrate he told me an anecdote from his early days of bee-keeping when a guest of his had inadvertently left open some honey in his conservatory and one stray bee had returned to the hives in his garden to inform the other bees, via the so-called waggle-dance, that there was honey to be had. Thousands, literally, of bees invaded his home.
His mentor's advice was not to panic and wait for dusk. Sure enough, at dusk the bees returned to their hives. Further, he told him that after he had 'processed' his honey there was no need to attempt to clean up the honey that had 'got everywhere'. The bees would do that. And they did.
Gary is a member of the Bromley Branch of the Kent Beekeepers Association, and if you think that's a long title, just consider that it testifies how popular this hobby is, all over the country. The Association's web-site says that beekeepers are 'most welcoming and friendly…always willing to help beginners' and that's certainly true as Gary took time off from giving lectures to a variety of organisations to talk to me about his passion, a hobby 'that really gets hold of you'.
He talked to me of 'starter strips', 'supers' and 'hives', as well as the protective gear, but recommended that the best way to get involved was to visit the Bromley Apiary and Clubhouse, which has open days, at The Kent House Leisure Gardens, 91 Kent House Road Sydenham. He told me that anyone interested is always welcome and that beekeeping equipment can often be found very cheaply. He did add the proviso that he was once told that if he wanted to calculate what his hobby would bring in he should "reckon on something like 6d per hour!" [Of course, that's the pre-1971 6 pence in real money, you know, the tanner as was.] That's why he called it a self-financing hobby. The honey which he sold from his home and to a local herbalist covered the cost of basic equipment and maintenance to his hives.
Garry is now in the process of moving house and moving bees is a risky business so he is a resting beekeeper just at the moment but still promotes his passion for a really satisfying hobby and he cannot wait to start from scratch once relocated. Even though a lot of older people enjoy the hobby, Gary is happy to spread the word to younger people and on one occasion had to give way to his own daughter who in 1997, at the age of 10, produced honey judged Best in the World at the National Honey Show in London.
For more information about beekeeping take a look at the Bromley Branch of the Kent Beekeeepers Association’s website where you will find information about their open days, or email them at: [email protected].
Anonymous
LPG received this information some time ago and never used it because it was not signed but it occurs to us owthat there are always pensioners looking for a new direction this is surely a possibility. You will find the link to the Bromley Branch of the Kent Beekeepers Association’s website below and short videos on beekeeping and the celebrated waggle-dance that we found.
