I am a Qualified Beekeeper based on the south coast of Hampshire in England, where I manage about 15 colonies of gentle honey bees in 3 apiaries and breed my own queens.
Passionate about the craft of beekeeping, I am studying to be a Master Beekeeper and have so far taken all 7 of the written exams for the Advanced Theory Certificate and passed the Basic and General Husbandry Assessments.
I'm very involved in the fight against the Asian Hornet and am currently the Asian Hornet Coordinator for Hampshire, a member of the Hampshire Beekeepers Association Executive, and adviser to the British Beekeepers Association Asian Hornet Committee.
Recently I was elected as Education Officer of my local Beekeepers Association with responsibility for our education, practical training and mentoring programmes.
I write blogs and give talks, presentations, coaching and seminars on Beekeeping, the Asian Hornet, the Wines of the Loire Valley and the Falklands War.
My book Fit2Fight with practical help for beekeepers in managing the Asian Hornet is now available at
https://www.northernbeebooks.co.uk/products/fit2fight-baxter/
After living in the Loire Valley of France for 23 years I relocated to England when I married the disability advocate, writer, speaker and Blind Baker Penny Melville-Brown OBE DUniv www.pennymelvillebrown.com
This queen honey bee has grown from a tiny egg to a fully functioning adult in 16 days. She will soon begin to lay up to 1500 eggs a day and head her own colony of many thousands of offspring. All part of the amazing world of beekeeping.