Thursday 23rd July
7:30 - 9:00pm
£12
Chris Park, druid, storyteller & beekeeper has written a beautiful book all about bee-skep making - an ancient pre-boxhive way of working with bees that is kinder to them and more fully supports their health and resilience and carries with it myth, folklore and bee-wisdom!
To celebrate the launch of his new book we are having an evening of conversation, demonstration, story and folklore! It’s particularly special because Chris’s grandparents had an orchard near Tyler’s Green which Chris now stewards. This is going to be a fun and insightful evening into an almost forgotten history.
Please spread the news with your bee-loving, honey-loving friends. Even if you don’t keep bees yourself this will be a window into our history and folk-crafts and will help support an endangered craft! Let yourself be curious and discover something new...
Chris Park's new book: "Bee-Skep Making: Heritage, folklore and how to make and use your own skeps" A beekeeper's guide to straw skep-building, including sections on bee history and mythology, practical skep beekeeping, and making honey and wax products.
Dating back to ancient times, the bee skep is essentially an upturned lipwork basket with a small bee entrance near the base. Offering a less intensive industrialised environment than the box hives widely used today, skeps are friendlier to the bees' way of working and – properly used – can be better for their health and resilience...
CHRIS PARK lives on an organic farm in the Vale of the White Horse, Oxfordshire. His work is wide and varied, from arts and craft, ancient technologies, experimental archaeology and educational projects to eco-building, professional storytelling, folk music and raising the awareness of the heritage of beekeeping. He is a founder member of the Beekeeping History Trust, a skep beekeeper, skep-maker, apitherapy student and a practicing Druid. Looking to the past to look to the future.
This evening will include a talk and presentation of skeps by Chris, some storytelling, as well as time for questions and beverages.