KENT BEEKEEPERS` ASSOCIATION
Orpington Branch Newsletter October 2003

Don’t forget the special session we are running at Gordon and Jackie’s house on Saturday September 27th when we will be showing the various designs of hive and how you assemble the bits and pieces. All are welcome, but it is specially aimed at anyone planning to start beekeeping. It starts at 2.30pm.

It was great to see so many entries by our members at the Honey Show and even better to see so many trophies being won. For me, pride of place must go to Jackie Harradine for winning the Trinear Trophy – I’m sure Marjorie would have been pleased. To do this, she won a First for her Chocolate Cake, Seconds for her Honey Cake, Sweetmeats and Flapjacks and was Highly Commended for her Biscuits. I think Jackie also won the Confectionery Cup, but this is a new one introduced by Bromley and I don’t know anything about it. Congratulations also to Kit Erhardt who won a First for his Medium Honey and the Dr.Courtenay Lord Challenge Cup. Greg Snell did well with a First for the Booklet covering the One-day Introduction to Beekeeping, Seconds for his Comb, Cake of Beeswax and Lemon Curd, and a Highly Commended for his Flapjacks. Not surprisingly, he walked off with the Alan D. Simmons Memorial Cup, the Stanley Matthews Plate and the Orpington Cup. Jim Grierson had a First for his Lemon Curd and was Very Highly Commended for his Flapjacks.

Especially pleasing was to see awards going to two of our new members, Helen and Dennis Blakeley, who got Firsts for their Brood Box, Honey Cake and Biscuits, and a Third for the Lemon Curd. Tony Trinick won Thirds for his Medium Honey and Flapjacks and I got a First for my Dry Mead and a Third for the Sweet Mead, so retaining the Drinking Horn for another year. There being no entries, the Festival Cup for novices was not awarded.

With so many new entrants, I hope we can continue in the same way and all enter the National Honey Show on November 13-15th. If you need any information about it, please let me know.

Helen, Peter, Dennis, Gordon and Greg at Swanley

I could not get to our presentation at Swanley on September 20th but all I have heard indicates that it was very successful with a lot of honey being sold. It has also resulted with one visitor becoming so interested in beekeeping that he has come along to the Apiary. Hopefully he will become a member in due course.

Make sure to keep the evening of Wednesday November 19th clear for our Annual General Meeting and Harvest Supper. It is at Petts Wood Memorial Hall and starts at 8.00pm.

Frank E-Mail: fachap@pell97.freeserve.co.uk

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