Stung by conditions

8:36am Tuesday 9th September 2008

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A BAD summer for bees was compounded by difficult conditions for beekeepers trying to get into the show.

The result was a big drop in numbers of entries on display though the quality was good, said Sally Leslie of Dorchester and Weymouth Beekepers Association, which runs the event within the Dorset County Show.

She said: "It's certainly not been a brilliant year and it's affected the entries and the amount of honey we have for sale.

"Entries were down on last year and it was made worse by some exhibitors simply not being able to get into the ground to bring their entries. We did wonder whether we'd have to call it off."

Visitors could view the honey and other items including beeswax, honey fruit cake, mead and honey fudge, entered in classes. And they could also try to spot the queen bee in a teeming glass-side exhibition hive.

The best in show blue ribbon award went to Paul Watkins of Poole.

Open class winners were as follows.

Light honey: Paul Watkins. Medium honey: Richard Norman, Weymouth. Chunk honey: Paul Watkins. Honey as for sale: Paul Watkins. Frame of comb honey: Mrs M. Hutchings, Bournemouth. Containers of cut comb honey: Paul Watkins. Round sections of honey: Richard Norman.

Cake of beeswax: Paul Watkins. Blocks of beeswax: Paul Watkins. Decorative beeswax: Paul Watkins. Moulded candles: Mrs M. Hutchings. Other candles: Sally Leslie.

Dry mead: Paul Watkins. Sweet mead, Paul Watkins. Photo: Richard Norman. Composite of items: Paul Watkins.

Honey fruit cake: Mrs M. Hutchings. Flapjacks: Mrs M. Hutchings. Fudge: Mrs C. Donaghy, Broadmayne.

Winners of classes for Dorchester and Weymouth Beekeepers Association were as follows.

Light honey: C. Perrins, Puddletown. Medium honey: Sally Leslie. Frame of honey: Sally Leslie. Cake of beeswax: Sally Leslie. Candles: Sally Leslie. Novice honey: C. Perrins.

Read all the results from this year's show here.