It
was May 2009.  After seeing a white suited man tending his bees in
Herne I immediately started to watch bee keeping video’s on You Tube
and bought ‘The Dummies Guide to Beekeeping’. 

I was brought up to understand that Granddad had always said, “There’s not time lost in reconnaissance”.

Reconnaissance
involved not just watching a few short films on the internet and
flicking through the plates throughout the Dummies Guide, I also signed
up with my local branch of the British Beekeeping Association.

The
leader of the group is called Trevor Tong and he is one of the nicest
and most enthusiastic beekeepers I have ever met.  He is a real joy to
be near when discussing the subject.  There is nothing about bees he
does not know and I have had lots of advice from his wife over the
telephone.

Armed with a new pair of marigolds and
wellington boots, I went along to my first meeting of the branch at
Honey Hill.  During this sunny afternoon and for the first time, I held
a frame and spotted the queen.  I was hooked and raring to get started.

I
spoke to all the people there about my plan to keep bees in the centre
of town.  Most were generally enthusiastic, but suggested I practice
for a year by coming along to the club. 

Within the
week I had ripped the corrugated plastic from atop my lean-to at the
back of the house and replaced it with plywood, which I could stand
on.  I had my beekeeping stage set.

I bought a
‘National’ hive kit from the Blue Bell Apiaries in Gillingham and
having put that together in the garage of my lost loves parent’s house,
I was prepared to house and keep a colony of bees.

Doing is the best practice and I was keen to start being a practicing beekeeper as soon as I could.