Skip to content

Shipston ITB 2024 Report

Shipston Beekeepers Introduction to Beekeeping Weekend 27th and 28th April 2024

This is Shipston’s annual course for new and potential beekeepers. As we stress at the start, in 2 days we cannot teach enough for someone to go away with enough knowledge and skills to enable them to manage a colony of honey bees. Rather, the aim of the course is to provide enough information, including a hands-on experience, to enable attendees to make an informed decision as to whether they want to take up beekeeping. For those that do we help with the knowledge and skills via our weekly evening Training Apiary sessions where new beekeepers learn their trade by looking after the training apiary colonies under the watchful and helpful gaze of some of our experienced members.

We had 16 sign up for the course this year and, unlike last year when rain stopped the apiary day, managed to get both days delivered as planned.

Saturday 27th April – ‘Theory’ day

Not an intensive theory day by any means but hopefully enough information about

  • Why keep bees
  • Honey bees and their colony
  • Choosing a bee hive and equipment
  • Finding an apiary site and getting bees
  • The beekeeping year
  • Products of the hive, and
  • What could possibly go wrong

to enable attendees to understand timescales, costs, commitments, challenges and, of course, the pure joy of beekeeping as that first frame of honey is extracted.

David Blower MB and Course Senior, does the introductions
Carolyn Kramer, who runs our Winter Bee School, on Choosing a bee hive and equipment
Brailes Village Hall is an excellent venue
Margery Blower on Products of the Hive (mead tasting followed…)
Every student’s name badge has a flower on it, and as an afternoon exercise students are asked to line up in order of flowering

At the end of the first day all attendees were given a ‘goody bag’, the main item being the Haynes Bee Manual. Also included were various leaflets on Asian Hornet, a beekeeping supplier’s catalogue and information on joining Shipston Beekeepers.

Sunday 28th April – Apiary day

The weather gods were testing us again this year but by slipping the session to the afternoon we managed to avoid the rain and it was just warm enough to open the colonies.

We split the attendees into 2 groups; one at the colonies whilst the other was being shown how to, and practising, making frames.

Shipston’s Training Apiary
Julia Neal our catering genius (and Committee Member) producing tea, coffee, cakes and biscuits in the middle of nowhere!
Bee suits on and briefing before approaching the colonies
Bee keepers clustering near the entrance to the hive…..
Paul Neal, James Taylor and Dave ‘two smokers’ Kelleher, tutors for the hands-on sessions
A frame of bees….
Hands on
Frame making led by Mike Clarke

With many thanks to….

Putting on the Introduction to Beekeeping course is a major undertaking for a small Branch such as Shipston and it would not happen without considerable help, in many forms, from members:

David Blower MB, who is the Course Senior and the lead organiser.

Carolyn Kramer, Margery Blower, Gary Thomas, Julia Neal, Mike Clarke, Paul Neal, Jane Scarff, Lucy Stevenson, Deborah Coleman, Irene Beever, Dave Kelleher, James Taylor

(and apologies if I have missed anyone)