What's on on Wednesday?

Well, There'll be more chocolate cake (with whipped cream) than Colin and I can handle. There'll be an update on the "Centenary do" on the 7th and what needs to be done to make the "Spectacular" spectacular.  We've nucs, Apideas and mini nucs all of which need to be united or otherwise disposed of so that on the day visitors can tour the Apiary.  There are plants to plant and tidying to be tackled and of course someone needs to make the tea!  Any Dartford Beekeepers, in fact any one at all who wants to contribute to the preparations for our "100 Years of Beekeeping in Dartford do" and is at a loose end is welcome. Bring your gardening gloves.  I'll be bringing my computer so anyone who wants to peruse our hive records, even the embarrassing ones, will be able to do so and to ask any questions they want.  There are a couple of projects pending and some under-way.  There'll be a lot of "Bee talk" and your ideas on what to do and how to do it to achieve our short or long term goals are welcome.
Wednesday then, (4th July), Colin and I will be there by 10.00am.
Barry

Don't panic and carry on.

Help. Has anyone got an hour to spare, any time on Friday or on Saturday morning? We,ve got a few outstanding jobs on the Apiary-

Major tidying of the Apiary site (just imagine your grandson held his eighteenth birthday party on the Apiary- yes that bad), housekeeping in the Pavillion and sheds, seedlings and cuttings to be planted out, the "lecture lawn" to be mown, paths strimmed, flower beds weeded, the pond topped up (no hose pipes connected to the mains water remember), routine hive inspections, varroa treatment (biotechnical - recommended to be done in June), tidying the sheds, repairs to equipment and brood and super frames to be made up (this is urgent). Then there’s the Pavillion roof, the battery pit and the water storage and distribution system but they can wait a bit.

OMG!

Apart from the urge to help with the tasks above there is a good reason to visit the Apiary. The Bole wall is finished and this you’ve got to see! The brickwork is in an antique style, the kiln fired bricks carefully chosen, the mortar made with lime and the pointing done with a block of wood and a brush just as it was in Elizabethan times. There are six Boles, carefully modelled on those in photographs supplied by William Mundy and the whole thing is topped by a tiled roof. Note also the recess for a dedication plaque in the top left hand corner. Not shown in the photo, which was taken before the completion of the project is the hard standing, brick paving, and a 3'6" retaining wall/seat at right angles to and on the left of the Bole wall. Colin was the project manager. The master bricklayer Peter gave his labour free and Colin kept him supplied with muck and did the pointing. Jim, Roy and his son, Richard and his daughter and I carried the materials across the car park and bridge, (I was wrecked), and stacked it ready for use. The job was completed well within budget and the time allotted. Personally I am very very impressed and I think you will be as well!

Barry