As a Boy Scout in April 1967 in Helmsley Yorkshire at the age of 13 we had to take part in “Bob a Job” week
Doing small tasks for friends & neighbours in return for a shilling, known as “a bob “. To raise funds for the scouts funds
I knocked on the door of a near neighbour on Carlton Road, Helmsley a dour Yorkshire man by the name of John Grayson
Who in his broad Yorkshire accent said ” nowt for a bob son, come back on Saturday and I’ll keep thee busy all day ”
On the Saturday we spent the day tiding up an abandoned apiary at the rear of his house , he’d kept bees there for years but as the village expanded, houses had grown ever closer and he’d moved his bees .
As we sorted through frames hives etc keeping the good stuff , burning what couldn’t be used I asked lots of questions, I found it absolutely fascinating.
On the Sunday John lent me a veil and I accompanied him to one of his apiaries to do an inspection, I was hooked !
John was a small bee farmer with about 50 hives , all Steele & Brodie “Wormit ” hives with “Williamson ” heather floors, these were national sized hives with a rebate that locked them together similar to the Abelo poly hives I use today.
He had pollination contracts with various farmers , putting hives in pea fields, bean fields where farmers paid him for that privilege!
He had a Morris Minor pickup & with the tailgate down we could get 6 hives in & 4 more on top.
One of his contracts was pollinating the orchards at Ampleforth Abbey which is where I collected my first swarm in the summer of 67.
John had given me 2 homemade non standard hives which I’d kitted out with new frames & wax , I was now a beekeeper!
Our local,GP Dr May Downie who lived on the street bought a brand new WBC hive from Taylors of Welwyn for her garden for me to manage …I was expanding.
I spent four years with John helping with inspections, moving hives around different sites , finishing up on the moors above Helmsley for the Heather crop and then in the winter, I would sit at his dining room table, making up frames and sections ready for the coming season.
John was the Yorkshire Agent, for Steel & Brodie, from Wormit in Fife, so that were always people coming and going buying equipment.
I went along to the Ryedale beekeeping association,( https://ryedalebees.co.uk) where I was the youngest by about 40 years.
Although I don’t remember doing it, I did get a certificate in Beekeeping.
The highlight of the Ryedale Beekeeping year was a visit to the President’s apiary in Hutton-Lee- Hole . Dr Theakston kept several WBC hives in his garden which were inspected on the day , his wife laid on a fabulous cream tea but I think everyone enjoyed the free beer !
A keg of beer ” Old Peculiar ” supplied from the family owned brewery ” Theakstons of Masham”
We moved away from the Yorkshire due to my father’s job, but I kept Bees in Northumberland . Then in Dumfriesshire . I had a break for a few years but got back into it as I retired. Now living in Inverness I currently have 10 colonies and I still practice the migratory. beekeeping the way John taught me.
For ease of overwintering management I have the bees at home.
I start relocating as soon as OSR starts to show colour. Then they go to an orchard, then Phacelia , finally heather before they come home again for winter.
While they are away , I use my Home apiary to isolate any swarms I recover.
David M Edes
