A friend in his early teens borrowed £1000 from his dad in the late '60s to set up an apiary. I was stunned when he paid back the loan very quickly. Visiting his hives [keeping a safe distance] was a very positive, if brief, experience.
Almost half a century and many house moves later, my next present door neighbour made his own kit and started with one hive. Sadly, a different neighbour objected and so the apiary moved to my allotment. It quickly grew to 5 hives with 3 being on an adjacent plot. I enjoyed the bees, but kept a respectful distance. One day I noticed that the 3 hives had gone. My neighbour explained that he had decided to give up - the BKA he was a member of was distinctly unhelpful/unfriendly and he was very disenchanted. So he had given those hives to a nearby BK who hadn't even thanked him! So, I suggested that he might mentor me and we could work the 2 hives on my plot. A wonderful introduction. Although my allotment landlords changed the rules for keeping bees, I can still have a small apiary there. My neighbour is approaching 90, which is a tad restrictive, but my wife now shares my enjoyment - and the first pot(s) of honey are reserved for that lovely neighbour.
Being diabetic, honey is only a tiny part of my reward. Far greater is the joy of apiary working and the challenge of learning something new. I joined a different BKA who have proved both friendly and helpful - and I have to say that this Forum is worthwhile.
