So far this year I have been struggling with my bees.  I am not alone, I am pleased to say, which is of some comfort to a beekeeper as it can become very disheartening when you are trying your hardest and doing everything you think you should be doing and you end up with one fairly strong hive, two weak ones and no queens.

A couple of weeks ago I was delighted to have been put forward by the Charity 'Bees For Development' www.beesfordevelopment.org  to give a couple of talks, one in the morning and one in the afternoon to two groups of school children, on behalf of the Instut Française, www.institut-francais.org.uk in relationship to an on going project being carried out in The South of France by The Observatoire Française d"Apidologie,  www.ofapidologie.org.

I am absolutely chuffed as mint balls with the first review of Betsie Valentine and the Honeybees and cannot thank Dr Nicola Bradbear, Director of Bees for Development -  www.beesfordevelopment.org - enough.

So there I was looking at some websites of people who I would like to ask to read and review Betsie Valentine and the Honeybees. l have a list of well known people I would dearly love to approach;  Bill Turnbull, Martha Kearney, Kate Humble, Vince Cable, Michael Gove etc.

So the book has started rolling.  I have a meeting with the printer on Monday - not too long until it becomes a reality and I cannot deny I am extremely excited.