A shrub that will be in flower from the end of March is Daphne mezereum - known simply as Daphne. The lilac coloured flowers come out before its leaves. It has a delightful perfume which is a pleasure to behold on a still day at a time of the year when we are dreaming of warmer weather. Another shrub that is in bloom at this time of the year, in fact is coming to the end of its flowering period, is the winter flowering honeysuckle Lonicera fragrantissima. It is not the rambling woodbine that grows ever upwards and outwards during the summer. It is a small raggy shrub with small green leaves and during the winter small white perfumed flowers. I have seen honeybees working them both but not to any degree. They are both in bloom when crocus and aconites are also in flower.

It has been a funny winter. A couple of days cold, a couple of days warm and few days wet. Nature is all out of sequence with itself. On the 3 January I saw a collared dove with nesting material in its beak – six weeks early. On the 7 January I saw a bumblebee flying – twelve weeks early!

I have in my garden a 4,000 gallon disused cess tank which I now use to collect water off the roof of my bungalow to irrigate my garden during the summer. In normal years it is full by the end of November. Now, at the end of the first week in January, it not yet half full. Towards the end of last year, we heard reports of an impending water shortage in 2004, if we did not get a lot of rain during the winter. It is to be hoped that Pennine areas have had more rain than us, for rain has not materialise in the Vale of York (which is a dry area at any time). If we do not get a lot of rain by the end of March we are going to be faced with water rationing during the summer and the water in my cess tank will be for domestic use.

After a long mild autumn last year, now is the time to be vigilant about the food your colonies have. A lot will have been used in the warm weather up to Christmas, and now that temperatures are rising and the queen has started laying again, food consumption will increase. Get into the habit of going round your bees every couple of weeks during the winter and lift each hive from the back an inch off it’s stand and learn to judge what is "heavy " and what is "light". If you think a colony is light, then feed. At this time of the year you can feed honey, thick syrup or fondant. I would be cautious about feeding thin syrup early in March as the bees may not be flying all that often to get rid of excess water.

At the Association meeting on 19th November, John Bowes reported that greater wax moth larvae, is being produced for bird food. I’ve no doubt the birds will enjoy it. On the face of it this could produce quite a problem for us, but I have been authoritatively in formed that those larvae not consumed immediately will soon die.

It was also reported to that meeting that our President, Humphrey Smith had resigned from his post. Also that Gerald Moxon of Beverley BKA has been nominated for the position of President of the British BKA.

As I mentioned in my report of the committee meeting held on the 3 December, discussion took place on varroa’s resistance to pyrethroids. A test kit is now available for the detection of pyrethroid resistance.

Part of our contractual agreement with the Farming Museum is to man the bee pavilion at weekends during the summer to talk to visitors about bees and honey, with the added perk of being able to sell your own honey at the same time. The price that is recommended is £2.50 per pound. For the sake of standardisation, please go along with that price. You do not have to be an expert to do this job. Colin Hattee is co-ordinator. Ring him on 01430 860972.

The beekeeping season is just round the corner now, so let me remind you again about going to out apiaries. Tell your nearest and dearest where you are going and what time you anticipate returning home. If you have a mobile ‘phone, have it on your person, fully charged and switched on ready for use in an emergency. I know: you have kept bees for a lot of years and never had any problems – but accidents by definition cannot be predicted, but the old saying still holds good - better to be safe than sorry.

While on the topic of personal safety in out apiaries, make a note of grid references of each of your sites, for they are often remote and possibly difficult to give any one directions to get there. Also take your nearest and dearest to your sites occasionally so they are familiar with there locations. David Aston in his Healthcheck reiterates what I have just said.

I would like to remind you that our Secretary Colin Hattee is standing down at the AGM in October and a replacement will be required. Would you like to take his place? If so, please contact Colin or Chairman David Aston.

Colin Hattee our Yorkshire Foundation Offer co-ordinator tells me that only twelve members took up the offer. This I consider to be a poor response. In the past it has been Thorne’s foundation and at prices not to be repeated until next December (assuming Yorkshire considers it worthwhile).

In Alf Race’s "History of York and District BKA that appeared in the December 2003 edition of "Combings" it was mentioned that Association meetings were held in the Reehabites Hall in Nessgate. I also mentioned that it was also referred to as Recabites Chambers and speculated that it could be a religious organisation. I asked if any of you could tell me more. No-one came forward with information, but by chance, I read in the financial section of a daily newspaper an article comparing interest rates of banks and building societies, mutuals and plc’s. Right at the very end was this snippet - "to be a policy holder with the Rechabite Friendly Society you have to be tee total". We now have a third spelling of the word. I may not have been far off the mark when I said it could be a religious organisation. Judging by what I have just said about policy holders being tee-totalers the Reehabites/Recabites/Rechabites must be a temperance organisation. Such organisations often had religious connections.

At our meeting held on Wednesday 21 January it was reported to us that paid up membership of our Association stood at 86. A copy of the membership list is included along with a copy of our Associations accounts with this edition of "Combings" for your edification.

Regarding our auction to held on Saturday 15 May, you will notice on the bottom of the flyer, a note asking those wishing to sell bees to have them inspected by the Foul Brood Officer BEFORE bringing them to the sale. Bees that have not been inspected before hand will NOT be accepted for sale. Imagine if you will multiple hives of bees for sale from multiple sellers. If one is found to have foul brood, then a standstill order will be placed on ALL of them. None can be sold. None can be moved. Your bees will be quarantined there for a long time. It will cause you and York Beekeepers a lot of bother. So please contact Mike Booth for an inspection prior to the auction.

Swarm Collection

This small piece appeared in the December 2003 edition of BBKA New and, with the new swarming season soon upon us, it is a good time to reiterate it. In today’s litigious society, even the beekeeper helping out a terror stricken mother with her children will be fair game if any one gets stung. Once you approach a swarm with the intention of collection/removal, it becomes your property and your responsibility to 'protect' bystanders. Do not enlist help from bystanders, as they will also assume responsibility. Only full members of BBKA are insured and then only as hobbyists. Charging a fee turns the operation into a commercial contract but you can claim travel expenses. So instead of claiming £5 for travelling and £20 for removing the swarm, claim £25 for travelling and remove the swarm for free. Do nothing for which you are not trained/competent/insured eg building work, poisoning, tree-felling etc. A new BBKA leaflet will be published on the subject in the New Year.

Healthcheck … by David Aston

Bees in the apiary

Depending on the season, by the time you read this you may have had the opportunity to take off roof and look down through the holes in the crown board or even partly remove it to get a better look inside. Wherever possible resist the temptation to start taking out combs and checking the frames because early in the season every fine day that the bees can fly (and it will usually be a fine day when the beekeeper ventures into the apiary) without disruption is a bonus. Instead, using a torch, take a quick look down from above the top of the frames and look for sealed brood.

Take a look at the hive entrance. Is pollen being brought in? A sure sign of developing brood present in the colony. Are there many dead bees clogging up the entrance or on the alighting board? Make sure the entrance is not blocked. If there seem to be very many dead bees tap the side of the colony and place your ear close to the wall of the brood box and listen for the rise and fall of the bees murmuring. If there is no noise and no live bees at the entrance then take off the crown board and check the colony hasn't died out.. If there are no living bees then close up the entrance and remove the colony from the apiary and examine it closely to see if you can determine why it has failed. eck the weight of your colonies. Is the colony light and if it is consider giving it a feed of syrup, but don't place the feeder and syrup on the colony until the bees have stopped flying for the day otherwise you might set up robbing.

Bees in front of the fire – Decide on the strategy you are going to adopt for ensuring your bees remain healthy and productive, especially decide on your monitoring and control strategies for varroa. Be proactive in checking for disease. Find out how the distinguish the tell tale signs. Plan your disease related inspections nto your beekeeping regime.

Beekeeper health – You also need to check a few personal things for your health. Is your beekeeping personal protective equipment sound and fit for purpose? If it isn't spend the money and replace it … don't wait until the bees find its weaknesses. When you go to your apiary do you tell anyone where you are going and inform them when you have returned? Do you take your mobile phone with you? Have it ready switched on and even punch in the number you have agreed to call in the event of an emergency. Stings are one thing, but if you fall, suffer a sprain or break a bone or feel unwell, it is good to have the phone to hand to call for help. It may not be you who suffers but someone or an animal that comes into contact with your bees whilst you are working with them. Beekeeper's back can be avoided by knowing how to lift and move hive parts around the apiary. Place your colonies on stands so the brood combs are at a height where you don't have to bend double to inspect them. Do some gentle exercise warming up your muscles before you start lifting the boxes. Past issues of Beecraft contained excellent articles on protecting your back.

Standards in Honeybee Husbandry … by David Aston

This is David Aston’s second contribution to this edition of "Combings".

Many beekeepers pick up their knowledge through trial, error and experience. Many aspiring beekeepers are put off keeping bees early on in their beekeeping because they come across problems. Many beekeepers, usually unknowingly, cause problems to their neighbours, their bees, themselves and their families and other beekeepers through their inadequate beekeeping practices, and this can lead to a public that is scared. Bees and beekeepers then get a bad reputation. But by becoming more knowledgeable about your bees instead of trials and tribulations you experience pleasure in being able to work with your bees rather than against them and they in turn reward you in greater productivity and you have a greater sense of achievement. I would like to see many more members of the YDBKA achieving their BBKA Basic Certificate.

What's involved? – It involves showing the assessor how you can handle bees and answering some questions about bees, their life cycle, diseases and the preparation of bee products. The assessment takes about one hour and can be done either at your own apiary or at a central location. It is usually done in the period April to the end of August. It is open to all those who have kept bees for one full year.

Where can I find out more? – If you are interested then contact David Aston. He is prepared to hold a couple of classes covering subjects in the syllabus and go through the practical part of the assessment with a prospective candidate to show you what is involved. So why not have a go! It is one way of being able to demonstrate your competence and perhaps it will trigger you to want to find out more about honeybees.

Editor’s note: It was reported to our meeting on 19^th November that only 12 candidates entered for the Basic Exam in the whole of Yorkshire in 2003.

History of York & District Beekeepers Association … by Alf Race (continuation)

The financial position was also deteriorating during these years with subscriptions amounting to about £15 and the expenditure sometimes exceeding this. The balance was also in the region of £15.

Miss A Thornton of the Bide-a-Wee Cafe, Malton Road, (now the Tanglewood) was an enthusiastic member and was helped by Mr Lockwood. She provided demonstrations and hospitality on numerous occasions. During the 1939/45 War, when rationing was severe, some of her hives not occupied by bees, were very useful hiding places for hams etc, which made it possible for her to supply meals for favoured customers just a bit better than usual in those war time days. It is easily understood why the membership of the Association increased during rationing periods when empty hives provided such a safe hiding places and also, in many cases, enabled the owner to apply for an extra ration of sugar. I believe it was about 20lbs of sugar per hive over the year, and I remember bringing my ration home in barrow loads.

After about eight years as Secretary and Treasurer Mr E W Wright resigned and Mr Eric Goodall was elected in his place and it was about this time (1952) our Foul Brood Fund, later Bee Diseases Fund, was started and the venue for our meetings was changed to the Cross Keys Hotel in Goodramgate. The rates for foul Brood on the Foul Brood insurance scheme were four shillings up to four hives and onwards in multiples two at one shilling. "Bankers" or members who volunteered to supply bees under the scheme were Messrs Child (Knapton), Cecil Etherington and G Potter (farmers at Wilberfoss), Bernard Leafe (well-known honey show cup winner), J Howard (Ouseburn Avenue) and Brigadier MacPherson. The frames and hives were covered by the fund. For quite a few years the capital of this insurance fund was only £30 to £40, and it is quite interesting to know that it eventually rose to £354 even though subscriptions have not been made for many years, as there have been no claimants. There was an outbreak of foul brood in our district about 20 years ago, and the Committee noted a certain member who was not very popular and had 20/30 hives, would ruin the fund under its existing rules, if he got the disease. After a hastily convened Committee meeting the rules were altered safeguarding the funds against such an occurrence.

Mr Goodall's work necessitated him moving to Leeds and it was at this time in 1952 that I took over as Secretary and Treasurer with Mr Boatfield as Chairman. Mr Boatfield and I spent quite some time straightening out the affairs of the Association. These were very lean times and I remember meetings at the Bay Horse hotel in Gillygate and later at St William's College when the attendance at the meetings was as low as five or six including Messrs Leafe, Cass. Graham, Boatfield and myself when apologies had to be made to the lecturer and when perhaps the first three mentioned attenders knew more about beekeeping than the lecturer.

Amendment to the Constitution

Secretary Colin Hattee has sent me this notice to bring to your attention.

The success of all businesses and organisations is due to competent leadership and efficient administration. We at YDBKA are all trying to achieve these goals, and, I am pleased to say, with increasing success. The basic essential of an Association is an up to date register of its members. This enables members to communicate with each other, and Officers of the Committee to contact the membership as required. It is pleasing to report, at the time of writing, that we have 85 members. We have the addresses of all these members but several telephone numbers are missing. 25% of the membership is now on e-mail.

This year the membership application form was completed fully and correctly in almost every case and this has made my job as Secretary much easier. Hopefully the odd three or four members can contact me to provide me with the omitted information. The delay in gathering this vital information is made worse by giving the members a full 6 months in which to pay their annual fees. During these 6 months they receive all the benefits of the Association, at some considerable cost, and can then decide not to renew their membership. This is unreasonable for the administration of the Association and unfair on the Association finances.

The Committee decided at their last meeting to propose an amendment to the Constitution, which would require members to renew their membership within 3 months. Details of the proposed amendment has been circulated to all members and will be voted upon at the April meeting.

What you all wanted to know …

Have you ever come across a jar of honey where you have two colours of honey with a distinct dividing line? I have come across it perhaps three times. The first occasion was soon after I started keeping bees when I had the reddish colour of bean honey with a paler colour. The last occasion was our Honey Show last October when Judge Ivor Flatman pointed out a jar of honey showing this phenomenon. Why this happens I do not know as I would expect different honeys to mix together quite readily. This phenomena is known as Inhomogeneity.

The Bible and the Bees … by Stuart Bamforth

As a priest I have to read the Bible often. As a helper in my wife's hobby of beekeeping I am interested in what it says about bees and honey. Having been stung several times I appreciated the comparison expressed in psalm 118 when the psalmist was speaking of his enemies and said that they surrounded him like bees. There are other references to the hostility of bees. Isaiah spoke of the threat to Israel from the foreign powers of Egypt and Assyria and said that "the Lord will whistle for the fly that is at the sources of the streams of Egypt and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria". Deuteronomy said that an enemy in the hill country had chased the people of Israel as bees do.

More often, however, the Bible speaks of bees in terms of praise. There is the utopian description of the land flowing with milk and honey, a description that still resonates with many even today. It is also interesting to come across Jonathan's account of eating honey and his claim that it had brightened his eyes. King Jeroboam told his wife to take honey as a gift to the prophet at Shiloh when they wanted some help from him.

The Bible associates some of its great figures with honey. The Old Testament speaks of Samson turning aside to see the carcase of a lion and finding honey in it, of which he ate. The New Testament twice refers to John Baptist's food as consisting of locusts and wild honey. Some manuscripts for Luke's gospel contain an interesting addition to the usual text - they say that the risen Jesus was given not only a piece of broiled fish to eat but also a piece of a honeycomb. The Bible contains a sensible warning about not eating too much honey because it will make you vomit. The Bible does, however, give honey a high spiritual accolade. The food that the Lord gave the people of Israel to eat in the wilderness tasted like honey. Isaiah speaks of Immanuel eating curds and honey by the time he know how to refuse the evil and choose the good - the idea of curds and honey as the food of the gods is also said to occur in Babylonian texts. Ezekiel refers to the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord and says that the scroll he was given to eat was as sweet as honey in his mouth. The last book in the Bible, the book of Revelation, speaks of a voice from heaven telling the author to eat the little scroll in the hand of an angel; and it was sweet as honey in his mouth - the subsequent bitterness in his stomach was because the scroll also spoke of the bitter sufferings of God's people.

Thus, the Bible contains many references to bees and honey. It knows how hostile bees may be and Proverbs warns that the lips of a loose woman drip honey. On the other hand and far more often, the Bible reckons honey to be one of the good things in life and certainly associates honey with some of its greatest figures. It also uses honey to emphasise spiritual importance. What a seal of approval!

Horoscopes … by Madam Debbie

PISCES (20 February – 20 March)

You are dreamy and mysterious and like to wander off into your own little world! Pisces people make good artists, writers and musicians. You are very emotional and there is a very strong intuitive side to you, showing compassion to those less fortunate is a common characteristic. At your worst you are scatterbrained and weak willed! Creamy Canadian clover set honey, sweet enough to chase away the blues in those emotional moments.

ARIES (21 March – 20 April)

Sexy Aries! You love action and adventure. Pioneering and competitive - natural born leaders. Confident, quick witted and direct in your approach. Dynamic and impulsive. At worst you can be a little selfish and quick tempered. A sexy strong leatherwood honey reflects your personality. With flavours reminiscent of the heady scent of flowers on a hot summer's day and a highly perfumed aroma, this honey can't fail to calm your temper.

TAURUS (21 April – 21 May)

Solid as a rock! Faithful and reliable, you have a strong sense of values. Warm hearted and loving. There is an artistic side to you and a fondness for food and beautiful things. You desire emotional and material security. At worst you are extremely stubborn, inflexible and possessive. A blend of set honeys reflects your warm hearted temperament, and if it is thick enough, it too can be solid as a rock! A mouthful of this honey is bound to mellow and satisfy your craving for security - so don't let go of it!

GEMINI (22 May – 22 June)

You are a chatterbox! Communicative, witty and sociable. Intellectual and quick minded. With a youthful outlook and a lively personality you demand constant change and variety in your life. At worst you are a terrible flirt and an awful gossip. The sunny yellow colour of French Sunflower honey suits your bright disposition. A strong flavoured, set honey it will get your day off to a cheerful start.

Past Events

Wednesday 19 November

Our regular monthly meeting was held at Murton where 39 members plus two prospective members turned out to hear Phil Askern from Barnsley speak on "Marketing Honey". Mr Askern spoke to us in February this year. He is a good speaker and knows his subject well. He started by observing what we all must have realised – that the general public think – that all Yorkshire Honey comes from the same source, so he went on to design his own label. If you buy in the quantities he does, then they can be got for the same price that Thorne’s charge for their standard labels. He uses 12 ounce hexagonal jars throughout except for some special lines that he does, and charges £1.90 retail for them, heather £2.50 and £2.25 for eight ounce cut comb. His cut comb is sold with a cardboard sleeve over it to improve its eye appeal. He demonstrated this by showing it with and without the cardboard sleeve, and I must admit, the sleeve improved it no end. Ten frames to a super give the right thickness to fill a cut comb tub. Once packed, they can be frozen. This prevents granulation and kills wax moth larvae and eggs should any be present.

Most of what Mr Askham said was common sense. Be wary of tubs from bakers and the like, (even though they may be free) as they vary in size and you finish up with an odd assortment. They hold the flavour of what had previously been in them which can transfer to your honey. Quality always sells. Most of the public buy by sight, and if your jars are clean and your honey bright, it will sell. Having found yourself an outlet, continuity of supply is most important. So don’t stretch yourself and have to go back after six months saying you have run out, as buying honey in is not cost effective.

He then went on to enumerate the different honeys and combinations of honey’s and additives that he has or does produce – apricots, walnuts, strawberries and whisky are some. The possibilities are endless. All you need is plenty of honey, time and imagination.

Mr Askham runs 90 colonies of bees and averaged 150lbs per colony last season. That is just over 6 ¾ tons or 564 × 28lb tubs. What’s more he sells it all.

Wednesday 3 December

The Committee met at Murton and among the issues raised were:

replacing the "Alf Race" honey show trophy, as the current one has no space to enter the names of future winners;
the new honey regulations – do we have to label our honey as being filtered?
next season’s beginners course;
testing kits for varroa’s resistance to pyrethroids;
changes to the Constitution.

Russell Carey reported that our website has had 380 visits since its inception. Ken Barran reported that the large observation hive in the bee pavilion at Murton had been cleaned out. Discussion also took place on a replacement for President Humphrey Smith who has resigned.

Wednesday 21 January

There was a good turnout to hear this evening’s speaker, Gill Partridge NDB. Gill has recently moved to York from "down south", has kept bees for 30 years and, with her husband ran Riverside Apiaries in Sussex with 400 colonies and 100 mating NUC’s until 1990. She spoke briefly on bee diseases including acarine where the parasite acarapis woodi infests the first thoracic spiracles. This makes the bee have breathing problems, shortening it’s life, thus shortening it’s foraging potential. This is a bigger problem in winter when there are no bees coming on to replace those dieing prematurely. Apistan/Bayvoral are effective against acarine. Acarine is more common down south than it is round here. Gill also mentioned the spores of AFB can survive for 100 years. I have always believed that 25 years was the limit. She then went on to show us slides of her days running Riverside apiaries including the hurricane (what hurricane ! ) damage in 1978.

Thursday 29 January

The Auction Sub Committee – Messrs Coleman , Fuller and Johnston met at Murton to discuss our May auction with a view to giving Members as much information as possible in this edition of "Combings".

Friday 30 January

This was our annual beano. It was held at the Kexby Bridge Hotel on the York to Hull road. 37 members, their spouses and friends attended. It was a good informal gathering that I enjoyed. I think the Hotel looked after us better this year than last.

For Sale

1lb squat honey jars are available from Colin Hattee at £28.00 per gross. These will be brought to meetings or can be collected from his home by prior arrangement. 1lb screw lids are available separately. Contact Colin on 01430 860972.

Forthcoming Events

Saturday 13 March

YDBKA Spring Conference at the Buckles Inn on the A64 road between York and Tadcaster. The speaker will be Ian Molyneux.

Wednesday 17 March

This evening we will be holding another "Open Forum" where senior members of the Association will form a panel and answer questions from the floor. The last Open Forum was most successful and had to be cut short because of lack of time.

Saturday 3 April

Lincolnshire Showground Sale of bees and equipment - this sale has the advantage of being conducted under cover. The Lincolnshire Show Ground is on the A15 a few miles north of Lincoln. There is ample free parking. Further details ‘phone 01522 522679.

Saturday 17 April 2004

Yorkshire BKA One Day Conference to be held at the Bishop Burton College on the A1079 approximately three miles west of Beverley. The price for this event has been reduced this year to £19.00 including lunch. Registration starts at 0830 hrs and the programme at 0930 hrs. The speakers are David Charles – Past President of the BBKA, John Pollard- Kent BKA and our own David Aston – PhD, NDB. Booking forms can be obtained from Dudley Gue, 87 Park Grove, Beverley, HU17 9JU. Telephone 01482 881288.

Wednesday 21 April

Vera Rider, an officer in Cleveland BKA and Secretary of Yorkshire BKA will be talking about "Cosmetics and Bees" - making cosmetics using bees wax and honey. A must if you are thinking of doing it yourself. There is always a market for such products but you have to be careful as to what ingredients you use. Also at this meeting we will discus a change to the Constitution. You will have received notification from our Secretary regarding the amendment of the Constitution. It is proposed to reduce the period of grace for paying subscriptions from six months to three months. This is to simplify administration for the Secretary and Treasurer. Please make every effort to attend and make your views known.

Thursday 22 April until Sunday 25 April

Harrogate Flower Show at the Great Yorkshire Showground.

Saturday 24 April

BBKA Spring Convention at Stoneleigh – Speakers include Professor Robert Picard, Professor Francis Ratnieks and Professor John Bryant. They are among thirteen speakers on fourteen topics. Whether we run a bus trip or not will be discussed at a Committee meeting to held on Wednesday 3 March. Take up in the past has been poor. Last year the Association finished up subsidising the trip. I believe that the trip should be self financing.

Tuesday 4 May

The first of this year’s "Introduction to Beekeeping" lessons will be held at the YDBKA Pavilion at the Murton Museum of Farming starting at 1830 hrs. There will be nine lessons at a cost of £30.00. This includes membership of YDBKA until the 30 September 2004. Contact co-ordinator Sue Hesp on 01904 489449 for more information. At the time of writing (end of January) Sue has had a lot of enquiries from people interested in keeping bees. So much so that a second course is being contemplated to commence on Tuesday 6^th July. To start beginners off, Sue will require five frame NUC’s for those wanting them. If you can supply any on 8½ inch National frames please contact Sue. The price is £40 for five frames, the recipients will supply the brood boxes to put them in.

Saturday 15 May

YDBKA will hold their 5^th Annual Auction at the Yorkshire Museum of Farming, Murton, York. Full details are included with your "Combings". Helpers are always required at such events. If you can spare some time, please come a long and lend a hand.

Tuesday 25 May until Friday 28 May

Royal Horticultural Society Chelsea Flower Show

Saturday 5 June

Yorkshire BKA Field Day. Hosted this year by Richmond BKA will be held at Foxglove Covert Local Nature Reserve. This is former Ministry of Defence land and is situated behind Cambrai Barracks in Catterick Garrison. Apart from beekeeping activities, there will be scheduled guided walks in the Reserve. Pond dipping and moth trapping will also feature. There will be a book stall and two equipment suppliers present. A ticket is required for this event. These can be obtained from Donna Parker on 01969 650550.

Wednesday 21 July

Driffield Show at the Driffield Showground.

Thursday 5, Friday 6 and Saturday 7 August

Pickering Traction Engine Rally – for more information ring Ray Hurdus on 01929 257196. This will be a good day out for steam fans.

If you would like to advertise a local event - a gala, bring and buy sale, church fete for example, then drop me a line with the details and I will endeavour to include it in "Combings".

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