Wimbledon club’s 20th anniversary is the Bee’s-knees for kids

The Wimbledon Common Nature Club learned all about bees in a special event to mark its 20th anniversary.

Alison Pelikan, a local beekeeper with the Wimbledon Beekeepers Association, came to impart her knowledge on Sunday – giving children and their families some insight into the life of bees.

Alison talked about the life of the honey bee, the queen, the drone and worker bees and their purpose within then colony.

She then showed them how a hive is put together with boards and frames.  A game doing a waggle dance was played, to show the way the hundreds of UK species communicate with each other, pointing their bodies towards flowers to collect nectar to take back to the hive to make honey.

Alison also touched upon the Asian Hornet – an invasive species that kills honey bees.

Then everyone celebrated 20 years of the club, with a chocolate cake with a fun honey bee on top.

On their return to the Information Centre at Wimbledon Common, the children made a beeswax candle to take home with them.

Club leader Auriel Glanville, said: “We had a beautiful sunny morning to explore the history of bees out on Wimbledon Common, with thanks to Alison for making it such an enjoyable, fun event, and then to celebrate our 20th birthday.”

The club’s next session will be on Sunday, July 7 (10am-noon). It is aimed primarily at 6-14 year-olds but all are welcome, including newcomers. It is a free event, but donations are always welcome.

To contact the group, you can call Mr Glanville on 07837 910072, email him on: auriel.glanville@btinternet.com or visit wimbledoncommonnatureclub.carrd.co

Pictured top: Children with the club’s birthday cake (left to right): Oliver Mallett, club assistant; Eliza English, 12, and in the front: Genta Miyahara, six, Siena Hatts Page, nine, Charlie Marrett, eight, (holding the birthday cake), Noa Hildalgo Toohey, eight, and Rosie English, eight. (Pictures: Auriel Glanville)