We were delighted to be joined by Aberdeenshire’s Lord-Lieutenant, Mr Sandy Manson, accompanied by his wife, Barbara, to award the trophies at this year’s honey show. This was particularly pertinent as Sandy’s grandfather, (also Sandy) was at the inaugural meeting of beekeepers in June 1910 that would become the ADBKA.
As a committee member, he took a very active role, in particular with the establishment of the Honey Show, including many negotiations with the Flower Show Secretary at Duthie Park to allow the association to pitch a tent there for our first Honey Show and creating the first show schedule – much of which remains in place today.
In 1911, he was nominated as our delegate to the British Beekeepers Association. In late 1914, a sub-committee led by Sandy went to great lengths, liaising with the Red Cross, Royal Mail and other organisations, to try to send honey to our soldiers, in particular, the Gordon Highlanders, fighting in France. Sadly, the enterprise proved too difficult, but it wasn’t long before Sandy was making that journey, having joined the Gordons in 1916. In November of that year, as part of the 51st (Highland) Division, they were in action at Beaumont-Hamel in the 5th month of the 1st Battle of the Somme. Sandy was so badly wounded that he was initially declared dead – only for his status to be amended to “wounded in action” late the next day. His mud-encrusted kilt is now on display at The Gordon Highlanders Museum in Aberdeen.
In March 1919, the now Captain Manson, was voted in by members to remain on the committee, but sadly felt he was unable to accept the appointment. He died in 1965, aged 78 and in 1970, his widow, Mrs. Isabel Manson was elected President of the Association and in the same year, presented us with the Captain Manson Trophy (awarded for most points in the industrial classes), deservedly described in our records as ‘a magnificent gift’. His grandson was delighted to be able to award the trophy bearing his grandfather’s name to this year’s winner, Edna May Pyle.
Twenty-five years ago, if anyone had said I’d become a beekeeper I would have thought they didn’t know me very well. It would never have crossed my mind nor compared with my other interests. Then one day my elder daughter came home from school with a children’s book about honey bees. That caught my wife’s attention and she found out about, and started to attend, the ADBKA introductory course. However, she wasn’t so keen on diseases and pests so I said I would attend that week so that we at least had the knowledge in the house. I ended up completing the course (and in fact did it all again the following year), but although I was interested, I still wasn’t entirely sure beekeeping was for me.
