SWLSbees – by Abygail Fossett and Faye Mayern
A master bee whisperer had a very special send-off with mourners forming a funeral ‘guard of honour’ – donned in their beekeeping suits.
The funeral of Barrie Powell, who died aged 89, was held on Monday (Feb 3) with attendees clutching lit smokers in a nod to his beekeeping.
Mr Powell, of Shotley, Suffolk, had been keeping bees continuously for 78 years – dating back to 1946.
The beloved grandfather died on December 29, five days shy of his 90th birthday.
His family was joined by members of the Ipswich and East Suffolk Beekeepers’ Association (I&ES BKA) with formed the ‘guard of honour’.
Barrie’s friend Jeremy Quinlan, chairman of the I&ES BKA, paid tribute to him.
He said: “When Barrie drove through Shotley it was like a royal progress, everyone knew him and those he passed smiled and waved.
“When working his bees, he never, ever, wore gloves and often said: ‘Those who wear gloves will never make good beekeepers.’
“Unless there was a bee inspector present, he never wore a full bee-suit, just a veil.
“He was a soft touch for anyone in trouble with their bees and would readily go to see what was the matter – and put it right.”
In a newsletter previously published by the I&ES BKA, Barrie explained how this hobby came about.
Barrie wrote: “I have been keeping bees since 1946 in the days of ration books when we were allowed 7lbs of sugar for spring feeding and 7lbs for winter.
“I have kept bees without a break ever since; at one time I had in more than 300 hives.”
At 11, a distant uncle who was a commander in the navy asked if Barrie would care for his bees while he was away at sea, to which Barrie agreed.
Barrie continued; “Sometime later he [the uncle] was opening the local fete, and I heard my name mentioned over the loudspeaker system. Would I go to the organisers’ tent?
“There he met me with a request: Could I get a swarm of bees for him?
“Trying to explain I had never seen inside a hive let alone caught a swarm, he calmly explained the procedure, gave me a cardboard box and a veil and I was on my way.
“Luckily the swarm was in a very easy position, and I managed to get it in the box which I carefully closed and returned to him.
“To which he said: ‘There, your first swarm!’ However, I remember my mother being quite horrified.”
Barrie continued beekeeping through out his life and at one point kept 300 hives.
ENDS
