Crikey. This was to be my third hive. I’ll soon have to bump up my BBKA insurance! Hmmmm … and I’d better start making some honey. Or maybe I just shouldn’t blog for a few years and start writing again … Continue reading
“Every man needs a workbench”
Or do they? Do we?? The memories of Heidi going through six days of labour were still very fresh, but the memories of building my last flat pack hive had faded enough that I bought another one. So either I … Continue reading
On being a Dad
And now, the questions you have all been asking. Q. How is it being a Dad? A. It’s alright! It’s pretty good. (Heidi – this is an understatement, I just don’t want to tell everyone how brilliant it is) Q. … Continue reading
My Dad – The Swarm Catcher
It wasn’t meant to be like this. I was meant to be The Man, or better yet, The Beeman. But The Old Man is taking all the glory. To be fair, he is far more relaxed around the bees than … Continue reading
An encouraging(?) email
Sometimes I am not sure if friends are encouraging or just a bit too jubilant when things go wrong. This email arrived a few days ago … “It seems bees are all the rage, the National Trust is selling a … Continue reading
I inspected my TWO hives on Sunday with some trepidation. Hive A: My hopes were raised when I looked in the old hive (the one that swarmed 5 weeks ago) and I saw white “stuff” at the bottom of some … Continue reading
Hive envy – according to Freud
I braced myself and decided it was time to check out Darren’s hives. I’d showed him mine so, you know, it only seemed fair. Like most of my friends, Darren is more manly than myself. He likes making fire, snowboarding … Continue reading
I want a second hive, because for some reason, for me, one just isn’t enough. I’ve tried explaining this to my wife but she just thinks I’m mad (and sometimes she thinks I’m just greedy). There is some logic about having … Continue reading
Photo sent to me from my neighbour, of my newly-hived bees just before they swarmed again and left me: What’s more annoying than someone who’s told you your hive has swarmed is someone who’s seen and told you twice. I … Continue reading
Bees on the outside of the hive – is this normal?
I confess, I am a very nervous beekeeper. My wife is in awe at my supposed bravery in taking on such a ‘scary’ hobby – but the reality is, I still don’t feel comfortable beekeeping unless I have a professional … Continue reading
In his new book, Religion for Atheists: A Non-Believer’s Guide to the Uses of Religion, Alain de Botton argues that religion has important things to teach the secular world. He believes religions are packed with good ideas on how to … Continue reading
Manliness – Learning to use a hammer at the age of 39
Renting flats and house shares for 20 years has meant that I have not needed to do any DIY or look after a garden EVER in my life. Despite having an engineering degree, the only hand tools I have used … Continue reading
I Am Not A Beeman
Unlike me, Jonathan is a real beeman. He knows stuff. He knows useful stuff about the weather, bees and plants, whilst I have a couple of theoretical GCSEs in Geography and Biology. He’s got dreadlocks. I’ve got a short back … Continue reading
