Less people joining our Beekeeping Course

[MuswellMetro]

Normally, we are inundated with people wanting to go to our beekeeping course. we run the beekeeping from January to April ,it is based in an outer London Borough (where the 34 London Bus in my avatar goes)

When we expanded to 20 places in 2010, we had to refer people to 2011 waiting list , last year we only had twelve on the course

So far this year we have only two or three definite requests to join our course, is this a general trend, or have we just exhausted our local supply of people wanting to be beekeepers

We get a lot of London BKA staments that too many beehives in London, but that's Central London not the green suburbs of Outer London

What's happening elsewhere?

 

[For want of a better word]

I used to get on the 77 from Carshalton to Tooting Broadway on a bus like the one in your avatar MM when I worked at the Fountain Hospital....

are they STILL using them ??.... so long since I have ventured near The Smoke!

 

[MuswellMetro]

I used to get on the 77 from Carshalton to Tooting Broadway on a bus like the one in your avatar MM when I worked at the Fountain Hospital....

are they STILL using them ??.... so long since I have ventured near The Smoke!

no, they went several years ago, but i drove one the 1970's on the no 29 route, South Mimms to Victoria or no 84 St Albans to Arnos Grove, epicyclic pre selector gears, all right if you were concentrating otherwise the passengers ended up all at the front of the bus if you got it wrong and pre selected down instead of up

 

[Erichalfbee]

People have discovered that keeping bees aint as easy as keeping chickens

 

[rolande]

People have discovered that keeping bees aint as easy as keeping chickens

Can't see that, myself. You'd get in all sorts of trouble if you bragged that the half a dozen chickens in that back garden coup hadn't been checked for several months.

 

[pargyle]

Can't see that, myself. You'd get in all sorts of trouble if you bragged that the half a dozen chickens in that back garden coup hadn't been checked for several months.

Yep ... you've never lived until you've sorted out a hen with fly strike ! Don't even go there .... Need as much attention as bees, if not more, and they can be just as complicated when things are not right.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Yep ... you've never lived until you've sorted out a hen with fly strike !

Blimey!
Mine get the newspaper lining their roost changed every day.
They are spotless.
Mind you, I've got only ten birds to look after.

They don't sting either
Cockerel's had an odd go at me when I've been dunking a broody hen though

 

[pargyle]

Blimey!
Mine get the newspaper lining their roost changed every day.
They are spotless.
Mind you, I've got only ten birds to look after.

So do mine, fresh straw and wood flakes .... Unfortunately ~ Fluffy bottoms, hot weather, too many dandelions in the garden, runny tummies and two old hens that no longer like to roost on the rail and sit overnight in the nest boxes ~ the next thing you find is a nasty little greenbottle has found a place to lay its eggs .... fortunately, I keep a close eye on them and caught it before they even noticed. These two old girls are the last two of our original flock ... ex batts that have survived everything including a dose of Mareks. They are now nearly 5 years old and no longer lay but I can't bring myself to put them under the broom handle - just wonderful personalities. Kate and Camilla if you were wondering !!

 

[MuswellMetro]

Normally, we are inundated with people wanting to go to our beekeeping course. we run the beekeeping from January to April ,it is based in an outer London Borough (where the 34 London Bus in my avatar goes)

When we expanded to 20 places in 2010, we had to refer people to 2011 waiting list , last year we only had twelve on the course

So far this year we have only two or three definite requests to join our course, is this a general trend, or have we just exhausted our local supply of people wanting to be beekeepers

We get a lot of London BKA staments that too many beehives in London, but that's Central London not the green suburbs of Outer London

What's happening elsewhere?

Have to eat Humble pie on my penultimate paragragh Because i was wrong to think it was London BKA, , It is definetly not their vieiws or any statement made by them

it appears to be a a Newspaper made up storey out of misquotes that is being compounded by reports on the BBC attributed to Prof Ratneik and Karen alton of Laboratory of apiculture and Social inspect at University of Sussex

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

Forgiven.

(Official)

Dusty

(Though I'm not sure about whether the error in the title of this thread, can be overlooked so easily. It should, of course, be "Fewer people....." - unless, that is, you are commenting on their qualities, when it should be, "Lesser people....".)

 

[Neils]

We've not started to push our 2014 course but we still had strong attendance (35+) in our beginners course last year. The take up after that point is obviously much lower. Across the rest of Avon there have been some signs that the bubble is, if not bursting then, starting to deflate.

 

[davnig]

We've not started to push our 2014 course but we still had strong attendance (35+) in our beginners course last year. The take up after that point is obviously much lower. Across the rest of Avon there have been some signs that the bubble is, if not bursting then, starting to deflate.

It varies - Bath membership is up on last year, and we have been getting on average 2-4 new visitors each apiary day, beginners course earlier this year oversubscribed enough to put on an extra day - which also filled up - maybe that's just Bath being posh lol. We will be starting to advertise 2014 course soon so will get some idea of situation.

 

[Neils]

It varies - Bath membership is up on last year, and we have been getting on average 2-4 new visitors each apiary day, beginners course earlier this year oversubscribed enough to put on an extra day - which also filled up - maybe that's just Bath being posh lol. We will be starting to advertise 2014 course soon so will get some idea of situation.

Davnig, I think in both Bristol and Bath we've been relatively rubbish at blowing our own trumpets until the last couple of years.

Bath, especially, is starting to do some really good things at the moment and you've got some excellent Beekeepers driving things forward. Bristol is starting to gear up but we're a couple years behind in terms of formally qualified people.

 

[davnig]

Davnig, I think in both Bristol and Bath we've been relatively rubbish at blowing our own trumpets until the last couple of years.

Bath, especially, is starting to do some really good things at the moment and you've got some excellent Beekeepers driving things forward. Bristol is starting to gear up but we're a couple years behind in terms of formally qualified people.

thanks, now we've got our new base we can do more. I'm sure both can get better

 

[Hivemaker.]

thanks, now we've got our new base we can do more.

Do more, what exactly?

 

[davnig]

Do more, what exactly?

What's your problem this weekend HM - you're being very acidic to every thread it seems - snide little comments here and there, having a go at people - as a mod I'd expect better.

Or have you been hacked???

 

[sail819]

Possible decline in memberships?????

The urge to conform? must have certification to "prove" that one is capable of keeping bees???
Bristol is starting to gear up but we're a couple years behind in terms of formally qualified people.


The emergence of the PC led must be ruled & regulated brigade. I keep bees as a HOBBY, because I love 'em !!! This increasing paper chase is one of the reasons I don't engage more, in my local groups. This purely my personal view and I don't care about certification, more regulations, rules and so called professionalism.



sail819

 

[clv101]

The emergence of the PC led must be ruled & regulated brigade. I keep bees as a HOBBY, because I love 'em !!! This increasing paper chase is one of the reasons I don't engage more, in my local groups. This purely my personal view and I don't care about certification, more regulations, rules and so called professionalism.

I've recently done my Basic Assessment and fully intend to do some modules next year. For me, I like the structured learning that the formal assessment represents. I like learning to a syllabus and deadline. Of course I could learn about bees without the BBKA assessment framework - but I'd find it harder.

 

[Russel]

14 out of 25 stayed/completed last yrs course, which was was over subscribed.
A few complaints about the cost £62 inc associate membership or £75 inc full membership; several 2.5hr classroom and several 4hr practicals.
Anyway 14 adults and 2 children attended yesterdays taster, all eager to do course but time will tell. Another one scheduled for mid Sept.

 

[clv101]

£75 including full membership sounds very reasonable.