Cold? Yes! Wet? Yes! Miserable? No!

The car thermometer registered 4°C and the wipers were on as I arrived. Saturday 15 Feb. was definitely an afternoon for staying in the warm and watching Bee Keeping YouTube’s, or going to the General Husbandy preparation session in Islip, or a Course on Varroa near Stratford-upon-Avon, beekeeping alternatives that some of our regulars prioritised, but 8 of us were daft enough to turn up for the meeting.

Far too cold and early in the year to open hives properly, but a couple of them have ‘glass quilts’ … Transparent crown boards, so we could take the roofs off and peer down into the hives.

Most were new members who did the ‘What Is Beekeeping’ session and have joined and signed up for the course, so this was, for many, the first view into a bee hive.

After about an hour doing that we went into the hut, and Stef. And Tina demonstrated making frames, and a couple were put together by the beginners.

So, despite a cold, wet, unpromising afternoon, we all had a great time! Oh, and we found some catkins… Spring marches on.

Photos but Anna, to whom thanks.