BRAMBLINGS
The occasional
newsletter of NCBKA
It was with great sadness
that we received the news that Alan Wheeler passed away on 4th April 2001. Alan, who has been described as a gentle
beekeeper, kept his bees near his home in Lower Slaughter. None of us is sure when Alan first joined
North Cotswold Beekeepers, for the simple reason that his membership pre-dates
all others! Records show that he was
active in 1975. Eric Drinkwater
attended the memorial service in St. Mary's Church on 12th April and represented
the Association there. I am sure that all members join in sending sympathy and
best wishes to Alan's son Andrew and the rest of the family.
On 5th April the talk on
swarming was well attended by 12 members.
Michael Hunt lived up to expectations and shared his wisdom on the
subject. This talk will soon be written
up and added to our website. For those
(like me) who do not have a PC connected to the Internet, don't forget that
possession of hardware is no bar to access.
Free Internet time can be booked at Gloucestershire libraries, and I
understand that there is an Internet Cafe in Stow. Failing all else I guess there is a chance that you might win
Internet time and a cup of tea if you called on one of our better-connected
members!
Since writing the last
RAMBLINGS the weather has confounded all my attempts to do the Spring
examination of my remaining hives. All
my colonies have over wintered on a brood and a half. I sometimes have doubts
about this system, but at least I know that there is space for expansion even
though I have not been able to visit. I was tempted to go and open hives
several times during these recent cold North winds, but decided to leave all
well alone. Given limited opportunities
for foraging, colonies may be relying on the last of their winter stores to
allow workers to feed and generate heat to maintain brood temperature. If I open the hive in a cold wind when there
may be a wintry squall, I run the risk of chilling the brood and setting back
colony development. How I wish my hives
were all by my back door!
Next weekend is bound to be
excellent weather for opening hives. On
Saturday 28th April is the Beekeepers' Spring Convention at NAC Stoneleigh. Most
exhibitors will be there despite foot and mouth. The usual bargains will be on hand and NCBKA will be collecting
£190 worth of new books for our branch library. Our bundle will include a complete set of Beekeeping in a
Nutshell (55 booklets), Eva Crane's World History of Beekeeping and Honey
Hunting, Hooper’s Guide to Bees and Honey, De Bruyn's Practical Beekeeping,
Cooper's Honeybees of the British Isles, Waine's Background to Beekeeping, and
Wedmore's Manual of Beekeeping. At five
titles per member we should become the most well read bunch of beekeepers
around! Jeremy should be giving details
of the Shipston Beekeepers' "Walk in Wolford Woods" on Sunday 29th
April. New members may not appreciate
that we maintain links with our Warwickshire cousins and share information on
our activities. As a member of both
branches, take my word that Shipston gatherings are always very sociable and
well worth turning out for. Wolford
Woods are private and little known.
Much of the woodland is an SSSI and is home to John Castle's bees. See you there?
Will Messenger, 21st April
2001
