GET TO KNOW US
Thanks for checking out our website. I’m Annie Bea and I’m a beekeeper born in the heart of the Wye Valley, England.
Beekeeping is not so much what I do but who I am!
I am driven by an intense desire to ensure that our bees have a fighting chance of surviving the destructive elements that threaten their habitat. I have loved bees my whole life, but they haven’t always been my life’s work.
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I was one of those people who never knew quite what I wanted to do in life. I had several different jobs in my younger days, but none of them gave me any sense of fulfilment. Then something happened that changed everything.
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In 2014, we got the sudden and shocking news that my Dad had died. There had been no illness and no warning signs, just a sudden and inexplicable death in his sleep. My sadness was catastrophic and, although I pretended I was fine for a long time, then the grief hit me and I felt at times I was struggling with my own survival.
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If ever such sadness can have a silver lining, it appeared in the midst of this grief with an increasing sense of being drawn to bees and the fascinating lives that they lead. Being around them was therapeutic, and I realised that in many ways they too were vulnerable.
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The more I was drawn to the world of beekeeping the more compassion I felt for their plight. An increasing sense of vocation was dawning! Bees had given me a new hope, and now it was my turn to give hope for their future.
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With a strong vision and a lot of hard work, I finally set up my own apiary. This forms the foundation of a much bigger vision. Annie Bea’s Beekeeping company was born as the foundation of a much bigger vision.
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The apiary is so much more than just a base for ethical honey production. It’s a place where people can come and learn all about bees, beekeeping and about how everyone can be involved in bee-friendly living. Visitors can enjoy our beekeeping experience with hands-on practice with suits provided.
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As well as managing the apiary, I get out and about as a mentor to beekeepers and talk to groups, schools and anyone keen to understand more about bees, their plight and what we can all do to support an environment better suited to helping them not only survive but thrive.
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Annie Bea
