It is with great regret that owing to the ongoing situation with the Covid-19 pandemic that the Trustees of Bedfordshire Beekeepers Association have taken the difficult decision to cancel the annual honey show for 2020. However, we have decided to run a Virtual honey show. Whilst we realise that this will not be able to replace the social aspects associated with the show, it does allow members to share their “exhibits” with other beekeepers in a safe environment. The aim will be to allow individuals to demonstrate their skills and has the additional benefit that it should produce material that can benefit others by being shared via the Beds BKA website, the Yearbook and for educational purposes (such as training new beekeepers and informing the public at future events).
Entries are classified by class and you can view entries by following the links below:
Photography
Every photograph entered should be a high resolution digital image (max 8 MB) that is accompanied by a short paragraph explaining what can be seen in the photograph, and if appropriate its relevance to beekeeping. Photos should be suitable for using for educational purposes.
Class 1: A macro or close-up of a honeybee or a named species of a UK native bee
Class 2: A photograph with the subject “Reflections of beekeeping”
Class 3: Black and white picture of bees or beekeeping
Class 4: Photomicrograph of pollen grains (please provide details of what flower the pollen was collected from)
Class 5: Photomicrograph of honeybee anatomy (please provide details relevant to the part of the anatomy selected)
Class 6: Photomicrograph of a subject relating to honeybee pests or diseases
Class 7: A short video (maximum 5 minutes) describing an aspect of beekeeping
Poetry, Essays and Articles
Poems, Essays and Articles should all be written by the entrant and should be a maximum of 500 words (unless otherwise stated). Illustrations and diagrams may be used.
Class 8: A short article with the title “Looking after my bees in Lockdown 2020”
Class 9: A short article describing something funny/humorous related to bees or beekeeping
Class 10: An article about one of your beekeeping experiences with the title “What I learnt from my mistake”
Class 11 A: A short article describing an aspect of honeybee life that would be of interest to the general public.
Class 11 B: Create a short “How to … “ guide to help other beekeepers. Topics can be your own idea or can be selected from the following list of titles: “How to recover wax”, “How to make candles”, “How to prepare a sample for microscopy”, “How to carry out an artificial swarm”, “How to prepare exhibits for a honey show”, “How to make Mead” etc. Please incorporate any relevant health and safety advice into your guide.
Class 12: A poem about bees or beekeeping
Class 13: A Limerick about bees or beekeeping
Art and Crafts
Arts and craft exhibits can be made using any suitable medium. Unless otherwise stated, once the exhibit is completed please photograph it and submit the photograph for judging along with a short explanation describing the subject matter and how the item was produced. If the item is a model it may be necessary to photograph it from different angles. The decorated cake should be photographed complete. Maximum 3 photos per exhibit and 8 MB per photo.
Class 14: A Honey Label. A standard label of your own design, actual size, to fit on a standard 1lb jar produced in any medium to comply with current UK regulations. Please submit an electronic file suitable for printing.
Class 15: A cake decorated with a bee or beekeeping theme
Class 16: Two Beeswax candles made using a mold, matching in all respects.
Class 17: Two Decorative Beeswax Candles, made by rolling, colouring permitted, matching in all respects.
Class 18: A beeswax model.
Class 19: A painting or encaustic artwork entitled “Pollination”
Class 20: Any craft item made by the exhibitor with a bee or beekeeping theme
Class 21: Design a logo for the forthcoming Centenary of Bedfordshire Beekeepers Association
Class 22: Design a pin badge for the forthcoming Centenary of Bedfordshire Beekeepers Association
Junior/Student Classes (Open to Beds BKA Student members or family members of Beds BKA members in full time education – it would assist the judges if the age of the entrant is stated)
Arts and craft exhibits can be made using any suitable medium. Unless otherwise stated, once the exhibit is completed please photograph it and submit the photograph for judging along with a short explanation describing the subject matter and how the item was produced. If the item is a model it may be necessary to photograph it from different angles.
Class 23: A photograph of bees or beekeeping, accompanied by a short explanation of the subject of the photograph
Class 24: A short essay about honeybees or your experience with beekeeping
Class 25: A model of a subject relating to honeybees or beekeeping
Class 26: An artwork (any medium) with the theme of “Pollination”
Awards
A summary of the Awards given for the 2020 Virtual Honey show can be found here