This weekend saw us attending two fantastic local events – and even a visit from the Police!

On Saturday, we were at Party in the Park in Hatfield Peverel. It was a wonderful community event, with a fantastic selection of stalls, live music, and entertainment continuing well into the evening.

Although our stand was positioned a little closer to the stage than we would have liked, we still enjoyed a successful day sharing and selling our beautiful local honey, harvested straight from the frames. It's certainly a note for next year, as we'd prefer to be a little further away to ensure our observation hive remains as calm and stress-free as possible.

Our honey tasting proved as popular as ever, especially with the children, and the ever-popular "Spot the Queen" challenge was in full swing throughout the day. Both children and adults were delighted to receive our bee-themed stickers.

We also had a surprise visit from the Police, who were fascinated by the observation hive, successfully spotted the queen, and took a keen interest in the work we do.

On Sunday, we moved on to The Langford & Ulting Country Show at the Museum of Power in Maldon. It was lovely to see so many classic cars on display, alongside a wide variety of stalls and attractions. Sadly, the fun dog show wasn't incorporated this year, as this was held earlier in the year, but with temperatures climbing throughout the day, it was probably for the best.

As always, our honey tasting and sales were very popular, and the observation hive attracted plenty of attention. We regularly repositioned the hive to keep the bees in the shade, as their welfare is always our highest priority. Visitors once again enjoyed trying to spot the queen, and there was even a little drama when the worker bees removed a larva—a perfectly natural part of hive management, and a reminder that the bees always know best.

The entertainment throughout the day was excellent, and the magnificent Shire horses were a particular highlight. Claire, who has a real soft spot for these gentle giants, couldn't resist stopping to give them some attention. We were also fortunate to be positioned next to a wonderful flower stall displaying a stunning selection of beautiful blooms.

By the time we packed away, temperatures had soared to around 30°C, making it a rather warm end to a thoroughly enjoyable weekend.

A huge thank you goes to Jo (Show Coordinator), Katie, Rob, Mike French, Julia, Mike Sankey, Gary, and Claire (Sunday's Show Lead) for all their hard work and support across both events.

A very special thank you also goes to Darren for transporting all of our show equipment, helping with the set-up and pack-down at both events, and staying to assist throughout Saturday. His dedication and reliability help make these events possible, and we are incredibly grateful for everything he does.

Our next event is the Southminster Flower Show and we're very much looking forward to another great day meeting visitors, sharing our passion for bees, and, of course, introducing even more people to our delicious local honey.