Buckfast Abbey

[mazzamazda]

In my recent contact with the abbey they unfortunately seem to be a little anti Brother Adam, dont rate Buckfast bees in preference for AMM.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

In my recent contact with the abbey they unfortunately seem to be a little anti Brother Adam, dont rate Buckfast bees in preference for AMM.

I don't think the abbey itself has much to do with beekeeping nowadays - Theu're too busy raking in the cash from making cheap high octane booze for winos
I think the apiary is run by the local association.

 

[nantmoel]

I don't think the abbey itself has much to do with beekeeping nowadays - Theu're too busy raking in the cash from making cheap high octane booze for winos
I think the apiary is run by the local association.

Oh how I love it when you put pen to paper or in this case fingers to keyboard! However I totally agree with you, I watched a program about alcoholics in Scotland and their favourite tipple was 'Buckfast Tonic Wine' 15%. A post found doing a simple search: "SCOTS are glugging an extra 3,600 bottles of Buckfast a day in the ... on cheap alcohol, with Scots drinkers turning to the potent tonic wine". No wonder they turned their back on beekeeping. I wonder where all Brother Adams detailed notes are.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Oh how I love it when you put pen to paper or in this case fingers to keyboard! However I totally agree with you, I watched a program about alcoholics in Scotland and their favourite tipple was 'Buckfast Tonic Wine' 15%. A post found doing a simple search: "SCOTS are glugging an extra 3,600 bottles of Buckfast a day in the ... on cheap alcohol, with Scots drinkers turning to the potent tonic wine". No wonder they turned their back on beekeeping. I wonder where all Brother Adams detailed notes are.

By calling it a 'tonic', they can evade paying the full rate of duty

 

[TooBee...]

It was so that a clipped queen that attempted to swarm could crawl back

OH

that's very clever, I've had a clipped queen leave the hive once, my fault though...

 

[TooBee...]

here is a picture of Brother Adam's Dadant hives double brood boxed, I think he did this when he was raising queen cells, if you look in the distance you will also see other hives that have double BB's.

Intriguing design for a lid, appears to be designed in part to prevent rain running off and falling past the entrance, well thought out.

Do you see the little concrete bits the legs of the hive stands sit on, purpose built, clearly a lot of effort and thought has gone into this. Such a shame it wasn't continued, even if it wasn't for breeding purposes.

 

[nantmoel]

Intriguing design for a lid, appears to be designed in part to prevent rain running off and falling past the entrance, well thought out.

Do you see the little concrete bits the legs of the hive stands sit on, purpose built, clearly a lot of effort and thought has gone into this. Such a shame it wasn't continued, even if it wasn't for breeding purposes.

Yes all designed to keep the wooden stands from contact with the wet ground, so many innovations all gone to waste..

 

[Michael Palmer]

Like you. I visited the abbey some years ago and was surprised that more was not made of the Brother Adam.....I got the distinct impression that they wanted to forget about BA - he may have been a difficult person to get along with!

CVB

Visited there in 2013. Same here CVB. Not a mention of BA at the abbey. I was left rather empty as a beekeeper who has followed the man and adopted some of his management. There were clear and colorful signs leading me to the cafeteria and the gift shop and the toilets and the bus parking. Nothing about the apiary or BA. Fastbuck Abbey would be well served to provide something for the beekeepers who would travel there.

I did get to talk with the Abbey's beekeeper. Over dessert at a beekeeper's meeting in...hmmm....Bucks? Nice enough woman. Had a nice chat. But, I just don't get the animosity toward BA. Okay. He used sulfa to battle AFB. any of us might have done the same thing...at that time. This is a reason his work is no longer meaningful? A reason he should be written out of history? Shame on them.

 

[Cuttingedge]

Visited there in 2013. Same here CVB. Not a mention of BA at the abbey. I was left rather empty as a beekeeper who has followed the man and adopted some of his management. There were clear and colorful signs leading me to the cafeteria and the gift shop and the toilets and the bus parking. Nothing about the apiary or BA. Fastbuck Abbey would be well served to provide something for the beekeepers who would travel there.

I did get to talk with the Abbey's beekeeper. Over dessert at a beekeeper's meeting in...hmmm....Bucks? Nice enough woman. Had a nice chat. But, I just don't get the animosity toward BA. Okay. He used sulfa to battle AFB. any of us might have done the same thing...at that time. This is a reason his work is no longer meaningful? A reason he should be written out of history? Shame on them.

Thankfully there are many good people carrying on his legacy and hard work in other parts of the world. He may be gone, but will not be forgotten.

 

[Eyeman]

It was so that a clipped queen that attempted to swarm could crawl back

Doesn't always work as mine can end up under the pallet or in the grass. At least I'm not straining my neck looking up into the trees!
Perhaps OMF's make a difference?

 

[For want of a better word]

Thankfully there are many good people carrying on his legacy and hard work in other parts of the world. He may be gone, but will not be forgotten.

And to be fair in Devon, Somerset and Cornwall..... in the way of Brother Adam.

Just because bees are not given the #BUCKFAST label...the methodology of breeding by selection from the best and keeping records ( Pedigree lines) is no reason to forget that he wrote down one of the cornerstones of bee improvement!

 

[mazzamazda]

Visited there in 2013. Same here CVB. Not a mention of BA at the abbey. I was left rather empty as a beekeeper who has followed the man and adopted some of his management. There were clear and colorful signs leading me to the cafeteria and the gift shop and the toilets and the bus parking. Nothing about the apiary or BA. Fastbuck Abbey would be well served to provide something for the beekeepers who would travel there.

I did get to talk with the Abbey's beekeeper. Over dessert at a beekeeper's meeting in...hmmm....Bucks? Nice enough woman. Had a nice chat. But, I just don't get the animosity toward BA. Okay. He used sulfa to battle AFB. any of us might have done the same thing...at that time. This is a reason his work is no longer meaningful? A reason he should be written out of history? Shame on them.

Yes that was the story I got told about the AFB and hiding terramycin from the authorities, having hives taken off him and burned. I thought that was off on two counts, AFB in the UK isnt as I imagine it is in the US and certainly in Portugal, its like having bubonic plague, then of course making him out to being a naughty schoolboy. I was honestly shocked. Exactly, shame on them!