'Apis through the Looking Glass'

Graham Royle - NDB, Master Beekeeper and Seasonal Bee Inspector

Graham Royle is a celebrated national speaker from Cheshire and is very involved with the education of beekeepers at all levels. He has been keeping bees for over 25 years and holds both the BBKA Master Beekeeper qualification and the National Diploma in Beekeeping. Graham was awarded the Wax Chandlers prize by the Worshipful Company of Wax Chandlers for achieving outstanding results in the BBKA examinations. As well as being a Seasonal Bee Inspector for Cheshire and Chairman of Cheshire Beekeepers, Graham runs training events both locally and nationally covering topics including the anatomy of the Honey Bee, dissection and microscopy.
Graham's talk, 'Apis through the Looking Glass', will give us a close up look at Apis Mellifera using many of his own pictures taken using a dissection microscopes with attached digital camera. He will explore the anatomy of the honeybee to help us make sense of its amazing complexity.

'How keeping bees can help alleviate poverty in the world's poorest regions'

Dr Nicola Bradbear – Bees for Development

Nicola Bradbear is an expert in apicultural development. Having worked at the International Bee Research Association and the Bee Research Unit of Cardiff University, Nicola founded Bees for Development in 1993. Nicola works as Apiculture Advisor and Consultant to the United Nations and other international organisations, and has worked in more than fifty countries of Africa, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Central and South Asia, and Central and South America. Nicola has instigated numerous apiculture development activities, including trade, policy, research and technical aspects of apiculture, feasibility studies, training and market analysis.

Nicola is the president of Apimondia's Scientific Commission for Beekeeping for Rural Development. The aim of which is to provide a world–wide forum for sharing information on how apiculture contributes to the development of sustainable livelihoods.

Nearer to home, Nicola is, of course, a beekeeper as well as being president of her local Gwent Beekeepers' Association

In her talk Nicola will explain how beekeeping is helping poor rural communities across Africa and Asia become more self'sustainable. There will be a donation made to Bees for Development from the proceeds of today's Raffle.

'Next Year my Bees will Do Better'

Ivor Davis – NDB, Master Beekeeper and author

Dr Ivor Davis is chairman of the NDB Examinations Board (NDB) and a council member of the International Bee Research Association (IBRA). Ivor holds both the BBKA Master Beekeeper qualification and the National Diploma in Beekeeping (NDB), he is a past President of the BBKA and past member of the BBKA's Examinations Board.

He has kept bees (up to 25 colonies) since 1987 and is keen to improve the education of beekeepers at local and national level. He lectures on a wide range of beekeeping matters from practical management to politics. He is a founder member of the NDB short course team and is keen to hand on his knowledge and understanding of bees and beekeeping to future generations of beekeepers.

Ivor is the author (with Roger Cullam–Kenyon) of the widely respected The BBKA Guide to Beekeeping.

Choice of workshop

This year we are offering three workshops on honeybee related topics. Delegates are asked to choose which workshop they wish to attend

Workshop A: 'The Vince Cook Method of Queen Rearing'

Simon Jones – Regional Bee Inspector for the south–west

The Vince Cook method is considered one of the simplest methods of queen rearing and our speaker, Simon Jones, will be telling us all about it and making it even easier for us all to start the important and interesting process of raising our own queens. Vince Cook's small booklet on the method (Queen Rearing Simplified) is well worth reading and will no doubt be available at the convention from Northern Bee Books.

Workshop B: 'Varroa Control Without the Use of Chemicals'

Ian and Ruth Homer – beekeepers who have many years of experience with bees

Ian with his wife Ruth has kept bees for 35 years in Dorset and in Northumberland. After a career as an Electrical Engineer, Consultant and Project Manager, Ian joined the National Bee Unit in 1999 and was a seasonal bee inspector in Northumberland, Tyne & Wear and Co. Durham, then in Devon, before becoming Regional Bee Inspector for Southern England and later Extension and Learning Officer, retiring from the NBU in July 2011. Ian's major interests are encouraging beekeepers to practice good bee husbandry and attempting to present beekeeping issues in a practical and straightforward way. He feels strongly that if beekeepers can develop a greater understanding of their bees, they will derive more pleasure from keeping them. He is currently an elected Trustee of the British Beekeepers Association and is leading the organisation of the 2017 International Meeting of Young Beekeepers (IMBY) that is taking place in the UK.

Workshop C: 'Make your own Asian Hornet Trap'

2016 saw the first sighting of the Asian Hornet in the UK and it is vital that all beekeepers, especially those in the south, make 2017 the year of the Asian Hornet Trap. This practical workshop, led by experienced beekeepers, will give participants full instructions and an opportunity to make an Asian Hornet trap. At the end of the workshop all will be able to take home their own trap.

Materials will be supplied and each participant will take home a trap.

Trade stands

Holsworthy Beekeepers are grateful for the long-term support of many local beekeeping suppliers.

At the 2017 convention the following traders will be represented:-

• Northern Bee Books

  If you need a book about beekeeping, any book ever published, then ask Northern Bee Books, they will have it or be able to get it for you. For more details see the website at www.northernbeebooks.co.uk

• BeeCraft – 'The Informed Voice of British Beekeeping'

  There will be a representative from BeeCraft, the magazine for beekeepers and Gold medal winners at Apimodia 2015.

Location

Holsworthy Memorial Hall

Holsworthy Memorial Hall, Manor Car Park, North Road, Holsworthy, EX22 6DJ, (map)

• Car Parks

• Memorial Hall, EX22 6DJ

  Next to the Memorial Hall, 60p per hour, free after 12.00 noon on Saturdays

  .

• Well Park Long Stay Car Park, EX22 6DH

  Approx 250m from the Memorial Hall, £1 all day.

Cost – payable on the door

Holsworthy branch members - £16

All others - £18

The cost includes buffet lunch, Tea, Coffee and homemade cakes at break time.

Booking

The booking form is temporarily not available – please try later

If there are problems booking, please contact Graham Jones by email: springconvention@holsworthybeekeepers.org.uk

Note that the link should open your email program with the address completed. If it does not then please copy the address and send an email in the usual way.

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