Archive

Oswestry Beekeepers' Association was formed in 1931. Records are sparse for the early years, as a previous Secretary vacated the office taking the Association's records with him. (If you are out there, Mr. Groom, please get in touch!)

A note made in later years lists the officers of the Association in its inaugural year.

The first Secretary, Mr.W.J.Walton, distinguished himself during this period by passing British Beekeepers Association Junior Craftsman (1931) and later Craftsman (1942) examinations.

Around the Second World War a series of epidiascope transparencies were made to aid a talk on European Honey Bees.

Our present Secretary, Glyn Jones, has held the post since 1964 and will celebrate 40 years in 2004! He has many years' experience with bee keeping, having at one time more than 100 colonies which he took down to the orchards of Kent each spring.

Being a small association, covering a relatively sparsely populated area, Oswestry Beekeepers are not able to organise a great range of events. Our members do, however, assist Shropshire beekeepers with their beekeeping event each year at the Shrewsbury Flower Show, and we now have our own stand at the annual Oswestry Show. In 2002 we were awarded Best Stand.

We have a schedule of meetings each summer, at members' home apiaries, where we gather for a relaxed exchange of news and ideas. The venues range from lakeside gardens to Welsh mountainsides. A guest speaker examines the colonies and gives tips and advice for newcomers and old hands, and the event ends very satisfactorily with more conversation over tea and sandwiches. We are often lucky with the weather and enjoy a pleasant afternoon.