Lindsey Macaulay [Abridged – for the full article, see the December Newsletter.]

On the evening of Saturday, 26 November, about forty members of the Aberdeen and District Beekeepers’ Association met for our annual social event to share some food and drink, have a chat and plan for even better beekeeping next year.

The quality of the food and drink was superb and included a display worthy of an entry into MasterChef.

This year’s event saw the introduction of the Bee-tle drive, a game that can be played by people of all abilities and which allowed the entire membership to mingle and meet people they may previously have only viewed through a veil over a colony of feisty bees.

As part of our social evening, honey-show winners were presented with their trophies, and members who have completed the SBA education modules received their certificates.

James Friend, winner of the cut-comb and MTM Construction Shield thanked Jock McGregor for his help and support with his beekeeping and suggested his success in winning the categories was largely down to the knowledge that Jock has been generous enough to offer him over the years.

In the final event of the year it may be interesting to reflect upon and to try and gauge the health of our Association at the end of a poor season when even Murray McGregor reported almost no nectar flow throughout most of the summer months.  With this poor season in mind, it was heartening to see so many members contributing to, and therefore supporting, the honey show. Another indication of the health of the association can be seen from the number of members who are seeking to further their knowledge by sitting the SBA exams.

From what I saw of the Association, I am optimistic that 2017 will be an even better beekeeping year.

2016 Honey Show Awards:

The Bill MacKenzie Quaich – Best exhibit of Ling Heather Honey – Graham Torrie
The Thorne Trophy – Most points in the show – Jenny Lewis
The ASCD Trophy – Best exhibit in the show – Graham Torrie (Med/Dark Liquid Honey)
The Cut-Comb Trophy  – Best exhibit of cut comb – James Friend
The President’s Trophy – Best exhibit in the Industrial section – Yvonne Seed (Honey Tea Loaf)
The Anne C Beddie Trophy – Best exhibit in the wax section – Jock McGregor
The Henry Simpson Trophy – Best exhibit in the medium/dark honey Members’ class – Graham Torrie
MTM Construction Shield – Best exhibit in the light honey – Members’ class  – James Friend
The Captain Manson Trophy – Most points in the Industrial Class  – Yvonne Seed
SC Rae Memorial Trophy – Best Frame of ling heather honey – Jock McGregor
Jim Tocher Trophy – Most points in the Novice Class – Jenny Lewis
John D Walker Trophy – Best exhibit in the creamed/soft-set honey class – Terry Daniels

SBA Certificates:

Basic Beemaster: Jenny Lewis, Erling Watt, Yvonne Seed, Joan Gilbert-Smith and Kathryn Seed.
Module 1 – Honey Bee Management: Phillip Barlow
Module 2 – Honey Bee Products and Forage: David Morland
Module 3 – Diseases Pests and Poisoning: Helen Gooday, Ian Mackley
Module 5 – Honey Bee Biology: Rosie Crighton, Kitta Potgieter
Module 6 – Honey Bee Behaviour: Malcolm Watson
Intermediate Certificate: Malcolm Watson
Microscopy: David Morland