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Chair’s AGM Report 2021

This is essentially an overview of 2021 for the HWBKA picking out some of the highlights … and lowlights. More detail can be found in each of the committee members reports which you also have received.

Starting with the ‘lowlights’ we are obviously still being impacted by COVID although not as severely as in 2020 when almost everything stopped.

On more positive notes the Association continues strongly with 247 members, only one down on last year.

Finances are still strong with a healthy balance of ≈£21k although this would have been even greater had we been able to run the course last year in 2020. It is still our hope and intention to be able to fund an Apiary with a permanent Club House and we are slowly building funds to accomplish that.

Despite the BBKA increasing their charges last year, when we had to absorb the cost as we could not do anything about it until the following AGM, we have decided again to maintain our current level of subscriptions and absorb that cost increase once more. Most of your dues do go to the BBKA and for BDI as can see in Peter Halford’s and Rob’s reports. It was for this reason that we changed our rules and constitution to enable us to increase dues by whatever the BBKA impose should we need to, without having to wait for the following years AGM to pass a resolution or hold an EGM.

At the beginning of 2021 it was not at all certain we would be able to run the Beginner’s Course. It represents a major revenue for the Association both financially and in terms of new members. In anticipation of future difficulties, we setup an education sub-committee, an objective for which would be the generation of a comprehensive course manual, and this was completed during the bleak mid-winter and early spring.  Armed with this document we felt that in the worst case we might be able to run the course on a one-to-one basis or in much smaller groups depending on prevailing lockdown criteria at the time. This would of course require a greater number of tutors who may well need the manual for reference. In the event the first 2 classroom-based sessions were held on Zoom and the initial ‘in-the-field’ events one to one with the very much increased number of tutors in their own apiaries. Our tutors did sterling work, and we are very appreciative of their efforts on behalf of the beginners. This all worked well and then in July we recommenced group events. The manual will stand us in good stead for the future and all new beekeepers on the course get a copy to keep so they get our association’s view and are not too confused by all the sometimes-conflicting advice they might get in books and on-line

We held the Taster Day this year in June at my apiary and had a most enjoyable day with 11 participants, including Peter Halford and Talha Dinc who came long to help.

Following on from a laudable initiative from Malcolm 2 years earlier to encourage people through their Basic Assessment, we finally managed to hold the assessment, again in my apiary to better facilitate necessary teas, coffees, brandies etc. 5 people, 4 from HWBKA and one who came up from Hastings and Rother took part. Mike Cullen, a Master Beekeeper from Hastings took us through quite gently. My guilt at not doing it earlier in my beekeeping career finally got the better of me and I too took the test of ‘beekeeping manhood’.

In terms of other events held throughout year they have been quite severely curtailed. Committee Meetings have been held on Zoom as Peter Leswell has had to maintain a strict isolation regime. There were no country fayres we could attend. BeeBanter was off the menu until it re-commenced in the latter half of the year. Attendance at BeeBanters has been somewhat down compared to the past, no doubt because of people’s legitimate concerns over either getting infected or spreading infection. Last month Talha managed to organise a very successful wax workshop which Helen Hadley led, and Sandy Infield hosted in her spacious studio. On the 8th December he has organised our annual Christmas Dinner at the Middle House in Mayfield. We hope you will be able to attend.

Our Association Apiaries are in mostly good fettle, although it has been a tricky year for many beekeepers as indicated in Keith & Steve’s report about Slab Castle. We heard in Jonathan Coote’s Apiarist article about the winter losses. We had a warm February causing the colonies to build quickly and early, followed by a colder dry spell and then a colder wet spell and some colonies never really got up to speed. My own honey crop as with the Associations was less than half the usual.   

Nonetheless Slab Castle is going into the winter with 10 colonies and much work has been done over the year maintaining it and the equipment.

Our lease from WDC for the Horsted Green Apiary was increased to 12 colonies in exchange for which they wanted our assistance with promotion, and you may have seen articles in Ashdown Living Sussex Country Living. I took over from Steve running the Apiary mid-way through the year as the combination of running Slab Castle and Horsted with all the travel that entailed was getting too much. Steve was very largely responsible for setting up the splendid facilities at Horsted for which we owe him a debt of gratitude. There was a very successful queen rearing activity held at Horsted and led by Helen Hadley and Malcolm. We used a particularly vigorous colony of nice gentle bees and produced some 30 or so queens which were given out to various members. We plan to hold something similar next year with more emphasis on teaching the craft. We will also be raising 10 nucs of bees with the very generous assistance of John Miller, to supply future new beekeepers on the course. A small part we can play in reducing the need to import bees from abroad along with whatever plague they might bring in with them.

As mentioned above, it is an awful lot of work running the association apiaries and we hope next year to be able to enlist some permanent or semi-permanent assisting teams to help share the burden and perhaps as a teaching experience too for those less experienced, to learn from the likes of Steve and Keith. There will be a form sent out and at the AGM for those who would like to express interest.

The Apiarist is going out quarterly ‘jam packed’ thanks to the sterling work of Paul with his expertise in DTP

AHAT - fortunately there has been very little activity on the Asian Hornet front, due in no small part to the continuing vigilance of beekeepers nationwide and of course FERA.

The website continues to support our activities and membership very well. The advent of booking forms for events and the eR2 system making life much easier for our Membership Secretary Peter …although it is still a great deal of work he does behind the scenes to keep our Association running smoothly.

SBKA has been quiet and similarly impacted by CV-19 and holding meetings on Zoom. There was no Bee Market this year but the Autumn Convention which was a hybrid live /Zoom meeting had some interesting talks particularly from the folks at Buckfast Abbey.

Having overstayed my statutory three term year as Chair by one year in extremis to get through the COVID crisis this has been my last year …honest!


It’s been fun, an honour and a privilege. I will still be around, however, looking after the little darlings at our Horsted Apiary.

How Kate Humble’s move to the country inspired her to get back to nature and give beekeeping a try – exclusive

30-Nov-23 – Hello!

https://www.hellomagazine.com/celebrities/508065/kate-humble-big-give-exclusive-getting-back-to-nature-working-with-bees-for-development/

Are Percy Pigs Vegan? A Closer Look At The Iconic Treat – The problems with beeswax

28-Nov-23 – Plant Based News

Honeybees cluster together when it’s cold – but we’ve been completely wrong about why

24-Nov-23 – The Conversation

https://theconversation.com/honeybees-cluster-together-when-its-cold-but-weve-been-completely-wrong-about-why-218066#:~:text=But%20my%20study%20shows%20that,)%20colonies%20don't%20hibernate.

Lawyers warn watchdog over UK government's approval of bee-threatening pesticide

17-Nov-23 – Client Earth

https://www.clientearth.org/latest/press-office/lawyers-warn-watchdog-over-uk-government-s-approval-of-bee-threatening-pesticide/

12 animals that help people and the planet – (No.10)

15-Nov-23 – IFAW

https://www.ifaw.org/uk/journal/animals-help-people-and-planet

What You Should Know Before Heating Honey

11-Nov-23 – TastingTable

https://www.tastingtable.com/1443951/reason-never-cook-honey/

Glyphosate

30-Oct-23 – DrugWatch
https://www.drugwatch.com/roundup/glyphosate/

The London Bee Situation: How Sustainable Is Beekeeping in London?

17-Apr-23 - Biological Recording

The first coins to be struck include the £1 featuring British Bees

02-Nov-23 – The Royal Mint

https://www.royalmint.com/aboutus/press-centre/the-royal-mint-begins-production-of-new-1-coin-featuring-british-bees/

Pet medicine chemicals banned in agriculture found in English rivers

01-Nov-23 - The Independent

https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/english-environment-agency-europe-government-spain-b2439421.html

Researchers to build hive of data from bee projects to drive biodiversity conservation efforts

01-Nov-23 – Carbon Pulse

Everything You Should Know About Honey Production and Why It Matters

31-Oct-23 – Intelligent Living

https://www.intelligentliving.co/everything-you-should-know-about-honey-production-and-why-it-matters/

Whoopi Goldberg wants to send the Pope some bees

13-Oct-23 – NME

New AI algorithm will hopefully save ‘hopping’ bee from extinction

12-Oct-23 – Envirotec

Immersive exhibition on bees and their fight for survival is coming to National Museums Liverpool

12-Oct-23 – The Guide Liverpool

https://theguideliverpool.com/immersive-exhibition-on-bees-and-their-fight-for-survival-is-coming-to-national-museums-liverpool/

Bees from the trees go into deep freeze thanks to UON

09-Oct-23 – University of Northampton

Are Avocados Really Not Vegan? The Truth Behind The Claim

04-Oct-23 – Plant Based News

One in six species at risk of going extinct in Great Britain

27-Sep-23 – The Narural History Museum
https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/news/2023/september/one-in-six-species-at-risk-of-going-extinct-in-great-britain.html

Invasive Asian hornets nets destroyed in Kent as sightings rocket

30-Sep-23 – Kent Live

https://www.kentlive.news/news/kent-news/invasive-asian-hornets-nets-destroyed-8791582

How to report Asian hornets as nest found in Southend

29-Sep-23 – Echo News

https://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/23824709.report-asian-hornets-nest-found-southend/

Syrian beekeepers battle both war and climate change

28-Sep-23 – Arab News

https://www.arabnews.com/node/2382171/middle-east

'Active operations' underway after Asian hornets spotted on Teesside and nest located in Yarm

24-Sep-23 – Gazette Live

https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/active-operations-underway-after-asian-27778354

EU executive proposes 10-year glyphosate approval extension

20-Sep-23 – Reuters

https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/european-commission-proposes-10-year-approval-extension-glyphosate-2023-09-20/

Extinction Rebellion: Sheffield protestors visit Garden Centres dressed as Bees to protest weed killer sales

20-Sep-23 – The Star

https://www.thestar.co.uk/news/environment/extinction-rebellion-sheffield-protestors-visit-garden-centres-dressed-as-bees-4261866

‘Massively concerning’: 2023 sees record number of Asian hornet sightings

19-Sep-23 – ENDS

https://www.endsreport.com/article/1837797/massively-concerning-2023-sees-record-number-asian-hornet-sightings

Huge killer Asian hornets nearly wipe out beekeeper’s business after tearing through hives

19-Sep-23 – The Independent

https://www.independent.co.uk/tv/news/asian-hornets-kill-bees-business-b2412267.html

We asked a beekeeper how to get the best from your honey

14-Sep-23 – Jewish Chronicle

https://www.thejc.com/life-and-culture/all/we-asked-a-beekeeper-how-to-get-the-best-from-your-honey-2uROewummt1C7DBuSIkg28

Glyphosate herbicide is ‘absolutely fine’ to use, says environment secretary

13-Sep-23 – The Independent

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/therese-coffey-glyphosate-government-monsanto-union-b2410653.html

New Forest: Warning as Asian hornet nests spotted in garden

10-Sep-23 – Daily Echo

https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/23779956.new-forest-warning-asian-hornet-nests-spotted-garden/

Dealing with hornets, wasps and bees helpline

06-Sep-23 – ITVx

https://www.itv.com/thismorning/articles/dealing-with-hornets-wasps-and-bees-helpline

Beekeeper helping protect the disease-free status of Manx bees

04-Sep-23 – EnergyFM

https://www.energyfm.net/cms/news_story_795984.html

Scientists fear future of UK bees as Asian hornet sightings rise

04-Sep-23 – ITVx

https://www.itv.com/news/2023-09-04/scientists-fear-future-of-uk-bees-as-asian-hornet-sightings-rise

Fears over record sightings of Asian hornets in UK - most of which have been in Kent

01-Sep-23 – Kent Live

https://www.kentlive.news/news/kent-news/fears-over-record-sightings-asian-8720714

Is Beekeeping Wrong?

21-Aug-23 – The New Yorker
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/08/28/is-beekeeping-wrong

Toronto drivers warned 'bee alert' as 5 million bees fall off truck and spill onto road

31-Aug-23 – itvX

https://www.itv.com/news/2023-08-31/toronto-drivers-warned-bee-alert-as-5-million-bees-fall-off-truck

Extinction Rebellion: Sheffield protestors visit Garden Centres dressed as Bees to protest weed killer sales

20-Aug-23 – The Star

https://www.thestar.co.uk/news/environment/extinction-rebellion-sheffield-protestors-visit-garden-centres-dressed-as-bees-4261866

Honey Sector Blasted For ‘Greenwashing’ By Creator Of Bee-Free Alternative

17-Aug-23 – Plant based News

‘Murder Hornet’ Cousin Found In US For First Time

16-Aug-23 – The Weather Channel

https://weather.com/science/nature/video/murder-hornet-cousin-found-in-us-for-first-time

Why moths might be more efficient pollinators than bees and butterflies

16-Aug-23 – The Conversation

https://theconversation.com/why-moths-might-be-more-efficient-pollinators-than-bees-and-butterflies-204214

UK Gardeners Warned Against Viral Sugar Hack For Saving Bees

14-Aug-23 – Huffington Post

https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/bee-sugar-water-good-or-bad_uk_64da0bb5e4b077b577037653

Top London hotel with rock & roll history twins rooftop honey farm with hives in Tanzania

08-Aug-23 – Evening Standard

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/royal-lancaster-hotel-london-bees-abroad-honey-guest-b1097151.html

Police in Wales hunt thief who stole 14 hives full of bees

03-Aug-23 – Evening Standard

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/beehives-stolen-wales-police-welsh-north-wales-twitter-ford-b1098598.html

Habitat rarer than a tropical rainforest could be restored in Cornwall

02-Aug-23 – itvX

https://www.itv.com/news/westcountry/2023-08-02/habitat-rarer-than-a-tropical-rainforest-could-be-restored-in-cornwall

Ground Control supports recolonisation of London bees after ‘harsh’ winter

02-Aug-23 – Pro Landscaper

Great Taste 3 Stars for Hive Mind Wye Valley Traditional Mead

01-Aug-23 – ResponseSource

https://pressreleases.responsesource.com/news/104332/great-taste-3-stars-for-hive-mind-wye-valley-traditional-mead/