BEE FRIENDLY CHAPMANSLADE BUZZING EVENTS

Report by Melanie on behalf of the Bee Friendly Chapmanslade Group. Den Picton of West Wiltshire Beekeeper Association, very kindly came along to our ‘DIY Bee House’ stall at the Swap & Repair event at the Village Hall on 3 August (for FREE) to exhibit his bee display cabinet containing over 10,000 bees, together with honeycomb samples and information boards. There was lots of keen hacksawing, hammering and drilling by enthusiastic children making Bee Hotels, abetted by our older members and willing helpers from the Chapmanslade Chaps group. One of the completed hotels can be seen in the photo above.

BEE FRIENDLY CHAPMANSLADE BUZZING EVENTS

UPCOMING ‘BEEKEEPERS AND BEES’ EVENT Building upon enthusiasm shown at the 'DIY Bee House' stall, the Bee Friendly Group will be holding another family-friendly bee-related event in September which we’re calling ‘"BEEKEEPERS AND BEES". Make a note in your diaries for

SATURDAY 21 SEPTEMBER, AT THE VILLAGE HALL

Two sessions

10.30-12.30 and 2.30-4.30. At this very hands-on event our own local beekeepers Ian and Sue Ridley will be giving an illustrated talk about bees and beekeeping, and some of their delicious honey will be available to buy. There'll also be a bee kit on display, including frames and honeycombs, and honey-extracting centrifuges to spin, plus a chance to try on beekeepers' protective clothing and hats - something that has proved very popular with children! A variety of honeys - from local to international, amateur to commercial - will be on hand for taste testing, and our BFG bakers will bring honey cakes and honey biscuits to sample. And for those of you who've not yet tried it, we're offering another opportunity to build your own bee house, this time using...tin cans! So make a note in your diaries, and we'll look forward to seeing you in September.

Sue and Frank Lake chatting with Den Picton at the Bee House event