a new beekeeping year

My January copy of The Essex Beekeeper arrived this morning.  The membership secretary will be relieved they have finally gone out.  Membership renewal forms are always enclosed with the magazine, to save postage, but subs are due on 1st January and this year there was a delay with the magazine printers.  The gardening section of the Daily Telegraph has been carrying the same story for weeks, Middle class guilt fuels boom in beekeeping.  I don't know how their writer knows we are middle class.  The only information asked for on the subscription form is how many beehives we plan to keep (for bee disease insurance purposes) and what parish we plan to keep them in (to advise farmers re agricultural spraying).  Nothing about income or educational attainments, or indeed motivation including sensations of guilt.  The equipment costs a bit, so maybe the Telegraph means People who can afford to take up a hobby that requires some initial capital outlay fuel boom in beekeeping.

I'm all in favour of a boom in beekeeping.  Bee numbers have been falling, as widely reported, and if more people will devote time and energy to learning how to keep them that's all to the good.  Plus it makes the equipment suppliers we depend on more viable, and the beekeeping associations more vibrant.  I've met some great people through beekeeping.  If you are interested in keeping bees do get in touch with your local association, in my case Essex, and you will find loads of useful stuff about beekeeping on the website of the British Beekeepers' Association.  It's very reassuring when you get your first box of stinging insects to have been on a course to learn what to do with them, and to have someone to ring up when things go wrong!  Plus our actions don't only affect our own bees; unchecked disease outbreaks or mis-used veterinary medicines affect other people's colonies as well.  The only downside of the current popularity of beekeeping is that there has been a shortage of second hand equipment, and even bee colonies to get the new beekeepers started.  Plus I suppose the embarassment of finding that something I've been doing for over a decade has become fashionable, which means that in a couple of years I shall be so last year.