My first contact with honey bees was 55 years ago when my father swapped pheasant rearing for beekeeping. I helped him from time to time and went with him to conferences at Newton Rigg College. My father tolerated angry bees in the belief they were more productive and that rather put me off. I studied farm management at Harper Adams and spent 11 years in Tropical Agriculture in Papua New Guinea. On returning to the UK I became involved in the world of logistics eventually joining a logistics training company based in Carlisle.

My father passed away in 1997 and after a lot of thought I decided to take up the hobby. My father’s bees were still angry and I nearly gave up. Fellow beekeepers encouraged me to stay and with a bit of re-queening and selective queen rearing I now have bees that are pleasant to work with and bees are now my main interest.

After 10 years as Cumbria delegate I decided to stop throwing brickbats and start catching them! 

Email here

Link trustee for:
Alnwick; Durham; Hexham; Isle of Man; Kendal; Newcastle & District; Tyneside