Tuesday 6 December 2022 – The annual Christmas Dinner and Quiz was held at 7:30pm at the Beaumont Hotel, Hexham. About thirty members and guests enjoyed an excellent meal and Ian Robinson’s annual test of current affairs and general knowledge.

Tuesday 1 November 2022 – An Open Meeting was held at 7:30pm at Wall Village Hall. Sue Robinson delivered a talk on ‘Wax Processing for Beginners‘ which she illustrated with a display of numerous wax products and a practical demonstration of candle making. 30 members and guests enjoyed the evening’s entertainment – very illuminating!

Sunday 2 October 2022 – This year’s Rachel Lowther Memorial Lecture took place in Wall Village Hall. Twenty members and other guests were present to welcome Professor Giles Budge deliver his presentation on ‘Sunrise and Sunset pest and disease threats in the North of England‘. Lively questions and answers were followed by the customary WI afternoon tea.

Sunday 18 September 2022 – An Open Apiary Meeting was held at the Association’s teaching apiary near Wylam. Sue and Ian Robinson provided some timely advice on ‘Preparing Bees for Winter’. Twenty four members attended.

Tuesday 16 August 2022 – A Bee Buddy Social Evening was held at 7:30 pm at Tynedale Cricket Club in Hexham. Twenty four members with differing levels of bee keeping experience enjoyed a convivial evening getting to know one another a little better. A thoroughly enjoyable experience to be repeated at the earliest opportunity.

Sunday 7 August 2022 – Neil Dawson hosted an Open Apiary Meeting and welcomed 15 members to his heather stance at Ladycross Quarry near Slaley. Neil explained the practical preparations and arrangements needed for taking bees to the heather and illustrated this with the use of various items of equipment. After inspecting two of his colonies everyone enjoyed a hot drink and a slice of Neil’s excellent home-made courgette cake.

Sunday 3 July 2022 – Dorian Pritchard hosted an Open Apiary Meeting at his home apiary near Heddon-on-the-Wall. About twenty members attended to hear Dorian talk about his approach to beekeeping, managing varroa and promoting native black bees. The meeting concluded with an excellent tea provided by Dorian’s wife Penny which everyone thoroughly enjoyed. Martyn Farrer thanked Dorian and Penny for their hospitality on behalf of those attending.

Monday 6 June 2022 – Martyn Farrer hosted a trial Queen Rearing Workshop at his home apiary in Hexhamshire. Ten hand-picked participants acted as ‘guinea pigs’ in this experimental session – which resulted in a number of successful larval grafts (and a few failures too). The jury is still out but it is hoped that this will become a regular opportunity for members to experience queen rearing for themselves.

Sunday 1 May 2022 – The Grand Opening of the Association’s new Teaching Apiary took place at 2:00pm at Wylam. HBKA Chair Martyn Farrer welcomed the 32 members who attended. Apiary Manager Sue Robinson gave a comprehensive report of the relocation project and acknowledged everyone’s various contributions over the last 12 months to make it a success . HBKA Life Member Bill Hunter recalled previous Association events and personalities before cutting the ribbon and declaring the new apiary officially open. Everyone then enjoyed a splendid picnic tea followed by live hive inspections in honour of the occasion.

Tuesday 12 April 2022 – Sue Robinson delivered a Beginners’ Theory Session 7:00pm-9:00pm at Wall Village Hall with contributions from the Bee Mart and Bee Buddy coordinators . This session provided essential preparation for those coming to the beginners’ practical sessions in the new teaching apiary during the summer.

Tuesday 5th April 2022 – An Open Meeting was held at Wall Village Hall. About 20 members enjoyed watching a vintage film by Aubrey Waller called ‘Bees and Beekeeping’ which showed a year in Basil Waller’s apiary in 1942. Older members added their recollections of Basil – a WWII veteran of numerous Lancaster bombing raids and an irascible former Chairman of HBKA.

Sunday 3 April 2022 – The Beginners’ Framemaking Session was held 2:00pm-4:00pm at Wall Village Hall. We now have a good stock of frames for use at the apiary.

Monday 28 February 2022 – An Open Meeting was held at Wall Village Hall. About fifteen members attended the meeting to hear George Eames give a comprehensive presentation on the BBKA Examination Framework illustrated with numerous personal anecdotes.

Tuesday 1st February 2022 – An Open Meeting was held at Wall Village Hall. Rinke Vinkenoog of Northumbria University spoke on the subject of ‘British Bees and Foreign Food‘. 25 members enjoyed an excellent ‘face-to-face’presentation.

Tuesday 4th January 2022 – The AGM was held at 7:30pm via Zoom and a copy of the Agenda papers is available here. 34 members attended and a copy of the Draft Minutes are available here. Following the formal business, Martyn Farrer and Nick Athey gave an excellent account of their efforts to save a feral colony at Bywell Hall.