Dusty's Manchester cathedral apiary

[kazmcc]

Just a few pictures from the apiary on top of Manchester cathedral, run by Dusty. Introduced my first queen to a naughty hive up there. The first time ever that bees were bothered by my mobile phone!

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

Wow! Great pics!

What a tremendous setup!

Dusty

 

[gregior]

Wow! Great pics!

What a tremendous setup!

Dusty

Very nice Dusty,how on earth do you get the supers down those stairs?

 

[itma]

When I saw the article in Beecraft about the French feral colony living inside a holy and hollow statue, with the bees entrance being via His errrrrr 'fundament', I did wonder whether or not Dusty would be wanting 'one of those hives'.

But then I realised the fuss that Derek would kick up about the very idea of keeping bees in an uninsulated metal enclosure ...

 

[itma]

Very nice Dusty,how on earth do you get the supers down those stairs?

Dusty wondered that too ... http://beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=25721
Choirboys, if I remember correctly.

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

Dusty wondered that too ... http://beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=25721
Choirboys, if I remember correctly.

Certainly not! You'll get me defrocked!

We have a very strict Safeguarding Policy at the Cathedral, that prevents the use of choirboys in any non-choral activities!

Last year, we put each frame in a plastic bag, stationed volunteers from our volunteer scheme for unemployed people ('Volition' - http://www.manchestercathedral.org/volunteering/volition), spaced them every ten steps on the stairs, and passed them down one by one.

Mind you, the Forum came up with some cracking alternatives, which I'm storing up for a year when we get a decent harvest.

Dusty

 

[kazmcc]

That stairway is very narrow, and the doors are tiny! I've been to the cathedral lots of times, just for a look around, so it was lovely getting to see the bits the public don't get to see. That little turret in the last picture is where the staircase is. I wish I had got some better pictures. I never have any luck with that phone.

Thanks again Dusty. It was a lovely afternoon, especially the tea and cake after

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

G@d: no-one and nowhere is safe from those concrete fungi. We never should have surrendered the law of St Paul's here. Otherwise beautiful

 

[Erichalfbee]

It looks so lovely and peaceful......just looking out over the city.
Well done

 

[REDWOOD]

I couldn't think of a better place to sit and watch the bees..... except Wales

 

[Tremyfro]

Didn't Dartington design his half super size boxes for just this situation? The pictures are lovely...what a wonderful place for your hives!

 

[alldigging]

IT does look absolutely lovely!

 

[For want of a better word]

I love the pic of the bees clustering around the new queen in the Butler cage!

Now IF you had Flow's hives you could have a long tube down to the Vestry!

Yeghes da

 

[kazmcc]

Thanks everyone. I thought tales of bees not liking mobile phones was rubbish. Not these bees, they were bouncing off it! Bad bees!

It is a lovely place, I do love the cathedral anyway, so my love of old buildings and bees together was always going to be a winner.

This was my first queen introduction, and from what I hear all is going well.........so far. I can't see any reason why they won't accept her. There were definitely no queen cells, and we did check thoroughly. Also, they had my telling off ringing in their little bee ears. Dead easy this bee keeping lark

 

[Melbee]

I love the photos - thank you !
Nicolas Geant keeps bees on one of the roofs at Notre Dame. I wonder how he gets his honey down from there ...?

http://www.notredamedeparis.fr/spip.php?article1646