QX you have is the best that can be had: wood-framed, jointed, made by Lega in Italy. Remember to use it upside down, not as in the photo, or you will end up up with double beespace between top bars and QX. If you give double beespace it will be filled readily with brace comb.
You will need another, to swap during colony checks when you won't have the time to clean the first.
Frames have been assembled incorrectly because the gimp pins have been driven vertically through the top bar into the side bar. Correct method is to put two pins, one either side, horizontally through the side bar into the top bar.
If you imagine trying to lever up a stuck frame covered in bees and heavy with honey on a hot day in June, you will understand that vertical pins may pull out and lead to loss of temper (yours and the bees). Avoid that by adding a
gimp pin horizontally either side; buy only Challenge 20mm gimps and use a
4oz cross pein hammer to fit them.
Each box will hold 12 frames; you have 10 and bees will fill with comb any space other than the standard 8mm beespace. Each box will need a dummy board, a false wall to close off any gap remaining:
The box will just hold twelve Hoffman frames. However they will be very tight and the recommendation is to use eleven frames plus a spaced dummy board.
https://scottishbeekeepers.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/TDS-number-6-smith-hive.pdf
Brood box: buy one more for colony expansion and another if your chosen swarm management technique is the standard
Artificial Swarm; if you take that route, another stand, floor, crownboard, roof and set of frames will be needed. To save space, most of that kit and cash you could
split vertically.
Supers: in a good year you will need four per colony, and even then may need to extract mid-season and give back the empties. Some colonies may need seven or more to accommodate a good flow. A lack of super space leads to congestion of brood areas with nectar, and as the queen will then have nowhere to lay, bees will swarm (you want to avoid that).
Flexibility in beekeeping is paramount and extra kit will give you management freedom, so gear up to spend once you have read the Haynes, done a beginners' course and got your head round the basics. You may recoup by selling your honey at top price, which will be easy, so don't fall into the trap of setting supermarket prices and giving it away.
Your local
Seasonal Bee Inspector (contact details will be added in early season) is the very excellent
Peter Folge, based North of you at Woolmer Green. Remember to register your apiary on Beebase.
PS: get a shed.
