Members from all four branches of the WBKA manned a stand at the Eco Future Fest in Chippenham. The event and our stand were an great success.

Elaine Lewis and Sherrill Percy (Kennet), Alison Daniels (Melksham), Kathy Hobson and Nicola Perrett (Swindon) and Amanda Leworthy, plus Nina Wilton who helped with the organisation (Swindon) provided wonderful, smiling, unflagging and enthusiastic support.

We sold £273.50 of Wiltshire honey and we gave away an astonishing 145 candles, most with a short tutorial to the child (and importantly their parents) in question. 

They learned about bees, pollinators, honey and wax. They hefted a full frame of honey, inspected a drawn frame and then set about rolling their candles, before holding these up for their parents to admire – even, and especially, the ‘grudging’ young people who looked anxious at first that such an activity might be a ‘bit young’ for them, until they too held up their candle for approval, their eyes shining with delight.

The crowds arrived in waves, mercifully, as this gave us all a breather for a couple of minutes every quarter of an hour before then next wave of visitors arrived. I conservatively estimated 500 people attended the event.

As the name of the festival might suggest, visitors were 100% engaged in doing their bit for the environment, and pollinators especially. I took a poll of where residents wanted more wild flowers planted. Most, especially the children, said: ‘Everywhere!’ When I asked them to place just one coloured dot on a place, what came out was a pattern along verges, the river, parks and around schools. I also managed to talk to several visiting Chippenham councillors who were keen to support the planting of more wildflowers in the town.

Sophie Butcher, Chair.

Special moments with Geraldine Lenert at the Wiltshire Bee & Honey Day on 9 October 2021, who died on 10 October. She will hold a special place in the hearts of many, many Wiltshire beekeepers.

Here pictured receiving the cup for the best melomel from Devizes Deputy Mayor Peter Corbett, receiving the Blue Ribbon for the best exhibit in the show from BBKA Judge Hazel Blackburn, receiving a beekeeping certificate from WBKA President Chris Rawlings after passing a beekeeping exam in the spring, receiving the Teal Cup in recognition for her incredible contribution to beekeeping in Wiltshire, and pausing for a quiet moment of pride upon receipt of her well-deserved Blue Ribbon award.