Newent Branch of the Gloucestershire Beekeepers Association

Newsletter December 2000

Two years ago there was a plague of varoa mites and I remember commenting that it had been a bad year for bees but a good one for honey. This one may well have been the reverse, at least in this district. Some of our honey also seems to have suffered in quality from the bees’ difficulty in evaporating surplus water from it. If any good has come out of it it is the increase in the recommended price of honey here which now goes some way to reflect the time and care which bee keepers spend to obtain and process it. Some of the honey also seems to have suffered in quality from the bees’ difficulty in evaporating surplus water from it.

In spite of all this we had a good honey show again; a fitting last event for Alan Davies as organiser. We had the largest mead section of my limited) experience. Alan will be sadly missed as show organiser and it is a pity to lose him to bee keeping. We were grateful to our judge, Mike Hunt, who enabled all our tyros to compete instead on one being judge.. congratulation go to the winners of the Branch trophies: to Robin Hooper winner of the Best Mead trophy; Sylvia and Dick Voyce who won the best in show cup; Donald Stuart won the Amateur’s Cup. The Beginners Plate was not awarded this year but serious competition for this is expected next year. Another vacancy to be filled is that of the Newent delegate to the GBK executive committee as Gordon organ is standing down after several years’ active contribution.

Our lectures have been entertaining and informative, well worth attending. Possibly an alcoholic expedition is becoming an annual event, wine last year, but cider this year and very tasty it was. Perhaps we shall find a mead venue for 2001. The Bee Keeper stall at the Newent Onion Fayre was a success partly because of the Church Street site, partly because of Roger Houldey’s display hive which was much appreciated. There was more interest in bees than in previous years and a greater profit for branch funds, much appreciated by the treasurer.

We have, as usual, lost members this year but we have also gained and retained promising new members and are preparing to make more efforts to spread the word in 2001.

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