Every so often I discover an apiary at a surprising location, and one such place, albeit in a photograph, was in the back garden of a railway-crossing cottage at Compton, Berks. This article tells the story of C W Dyer and his wife Sarah, their beekeeping activities, and the railway which served the Berkshire Downs. I finish by considering why Charles Dyer was able to adopt the modern version of the beekeeping, when so many in the countryside were abandoning the craft.
Christmases At Beedon As Described in Mr Woodley’s Journals
Christmas is once again upon us, so I thought it would be a pleasant diversion to revisit Christmases At Beedon As Described in Mr Woodley’s Journals. The passages below are taken from his writings both in the British Bee Journal and the Bee-keepers’ Record.
Around William Woodley’s Apiary, Worlds End, Beedon
‘Around William Woodley’s Apiary, Worlds End, Beedon’ is an update of a blog post I did in 2014. The purpose of the post was to review the features in the photo (see above) and to discover what remains today. Back in 2014, I had just discovered the above photo in the British Bee Journal via the … Read more
Saddleback Farm Shop – Honey Label Review
This is a honey label review of the Saddleback Farmshop‘s honey-shelf. This farmshop is located on the edge of the village of Farnborough in West Berkshire and is adjacent to the B4494. # Saddleback Farmshop Honey If you stumbled on this blog because you are looking for LOCAL HONEY, then hop over to my online shop. … Read more
Printing Bees on Tissue Paper Using An Adana Printing Press
Printing Bees on tissue paper, using an adana printing press, is tricky because the paper is so thin and the ink very thick. Nonetheless, it is possible and here’s how. In addition, here is a photo showing the anatomy of the adana press. It explains the printing jargon I use below. Prepping the Adana Put as … Read more
Honey Label Review – Galloway Honey Farm
This blog is a Honey Label Review of Galloway Honey Farm Scottish Heather honey. This blog follows on from my honey label style review of London Honey Co. As an aside, the taste of Scottish heather honey is wonderous, although it might be a bit too strong for some palettes. Finding local honey in Scotland proved … Read more
Deconstructing The Style Of London Honey Co – What Beekeepers Can Learn
By deconstructing the style of London Honey Co (LHC), I hope to show how beekeepers can raise their game in marketing honey.
Why Should Beekeepers Trap Wasps in Spring
Why should beekeepers trap wasps in spring? The problem I am hoping to address happens in autumn which is a squadron of yellow jackets attacking your weakest colony of honeybees. You can mitigate the problem by narrowing the hive entrance to one bee-space. If the wasp-attack is still persistent, place a clear material at the front … Read more
William Woodley (Beekeeper) – An Introduction
I will be publishing a series of posts about William Woodley (Beekeeper) in the forthcoming weeks and months. To set the stage for this endeavour, I summarise below William Woodley’s life-story. William Woodley (1845 – 1923) [1,2] was a pioneer in ‘Modern Beekeeping’, a champion at the show-bench, the owner and operator of Britain’s largest bee-farm … Read more
Honeybees Living Inside A Tree
The photo above is a paulownia tree in East Hanney with honeybees living inside it. Tree cavities were the original home of the honeybees.