I'd be pleased for you to mail me directly, Mary, although wasn't
looking to put you to a lot of trouble.

It's no trouble. You know I like posting.

I was just thinking in terms
of a few short notes or URLs. Perhaps others would also be
interested.

OK then, but brief notes aren't adequate. URLs aren't always to be relied on
as I'm sure you know.

You do seem to do some quite creative things.......

That sounds as though you've been looking at our website.

Many moons ago, I used to help two elderly sisters (they were in their
mid nineties then) with some of the harder work in their garden.
One of them kept bees and had, IIRC, about a dozen hives.
The various paraphernalia was kept in a large shed and included what I
imagined to be some kind of centrifuge. It was something like an
old fashioned laundry copper with a lid on the top and some mechanics
and a big handle rather like a mangle. It appeared that the wooden
frames that held the combs would be slotted into these.

You're right on all counts although I'd be surprised if it were copper - at
least if it were it would be tinned inside. Copper is reactive and honey
would attack it. These days we're only allowed to use stainless steel
(expensive but strong and the best) or food grade plastic (cheaper but not
as durable) to come into contact with honey.

At any
rate, it looked like very hard work, but she certainly managed it.

It's not really hard work. Gearing helps. Although I suppose that if you're
in your nineties ... Hmm. But last Monday I went to the funeral of a 91 year
old beekeeper who first showed honey in his teens in the Crystal Palace. I
believe that he was still beekeeping last year, when he suffered a stroke.

Apart from that, she was very secretive about the whole process.

That's a shame and totally unnecessary. I don't like secrets of any
processes - that way skills are lost. Not honey extracting but in other
areas. It's daft - this ng is about sharing skills which is why I enjoy it.
I'll tell anyone about anything I do. The sad thing is that most people
can't be bothered.

She
would always manage to produce the most excellent honey....

No - the bees do that!

Lecture will follow. Make sure you have time to sit back and enjoy :-)

Mary




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