Our candle rolling activity proved particularly popular, with children enjoying the opportunity to make their own rolled beeswax candles. Our position near the entrance, as one of the first stalls visitors encountered after arriving from the car park, gave us a great opportunity to meet and chat with lots of people throughout the day.

For Ron, our Chairman, it was also a special occasion as Southminster is very much his local stomping ground, meaning he had the pleasure of meeting many familiar faces.

Our observation hive was busy throughout the day, giving visitors the chance to see honey bees at work safely behind glass. We handed out plenty of stickers to those who successfully spotted our very special queen bee! Honey tasting and sales were also extremely popular, with Tina’s soft-set honey proving to be a particular favourite.

It was lovely to welcome Julia’s grandchildren, who enjoyed getting a closer look at the bees and having a go at candle rolling themselves.

We were also pleased to see  Caroline Coastal Radio, and Julia and Claire took part in a link to promote us on their social media.

There was certainly no shortage of things to see and do at Southminster Flower Show. The main marquee was packed with beautiful flowers, floral art and craft stalls, while visitors could also enjoy the Flower Princess crowning, Saxon re-enactments, classic vehicles, food and refreshments, a cake marquee, children's fun fair, BMX demonstrations, raffle, school dancing, alpacas, emergency vehicles, coconut shy and many other attractions.

Unfortunately, the dog show had to be cancelled due to the high temperatures. While disappointing, this was absolutely the right decision for the welfare and safety of the dogs.

Overall, it was a wonderful family day and a great opportunity for us to meet the local community, share our enthusiasm for bees and beekeeping, and raise awareness of the importance of pollinators.

We thoroughly enjoyed the day and hope to be back at Southminster Flower Show again next year!