Scottish Beekeepers Association - Harry Brown Award Winners

Scottish Beekeepers' Association
Supporting Scotland's Bees and Beekeepers

Scotland's New Honey Bee Health Strategy For 2022-2032

The Strategy was published on the 30th of June, and has been developed in conjunction with the Bee Health Improvement Partnership (BHIP). It has taken into account the review of the previous strategy and the results of the recent Scottish Government honey bee health survey. To download the Strategy please click here or on the image above.

Its main aim is “Working in partnership to achieve a healthy and sustainable population of honey bees in Scotland”.

The strategy details five pillars which will outline the ways of working which we will base our actions over the next 10 years:

1. Education, Training and Knowledge Transfer

2. Communication and partnership working across government, operational partners, stakeholders and all of those with an interest in honey bees in Scotland

3. Pest and Disease surveillance, prevention, diagnosis, and control

4. Research and Development.

5. On-going review of the regulatory framework

The Strategy will be the overarching document which will be accompanied by an Implementation Plan. This will be a ‘living’ document detailing more specifically the actions which the BHIP will deliver in order to achieve the desired outcomes for honey bee health in Scotland. The Plan will be updated regularly following quarterly BHIP meetings and published on the Scottish Government website on our Bee Health pages.

Additional background information and previous publications:

· Scotland’s first 10 year Honey Bee Health Strategy (Published June 2010)

· Review of the first 10 year strategy (Published October 2021)

· Honey Bee Heath Strategy Survey Report 2022 (Published March 2022)

Any additional questions should be directed to the Scottish Government’s Bee Health Team at: Bees_mailbox@gov.scot

Recipients of the Harry Brown Award.

1964-1967 Photographic Competition

Feb 1968 Photographic competition discontinued in favour of “One prize for the best article contributed to ‘The Scottish Beekeeper’ by anyone other than a regular contributor”

1969 Mr RH Bovery, (Bishop Auckland, “Standardisation of Hives”

May 1969 Now open to the best original contribution to “the Scottish Beekeeper”

Feb 1970 Mr AFF Maclure, “Alsace Ahoy”
Mr O Wilson, “A Beekeeper’s Reminiscences”

1971 Mr MS Wood, “Siftings”, Aug 1970, p142
Mr O Wilson, Beekeeping, a Trilogy”, July 1970, p132

Sep 1972 “It was agreed that the monies which went with this award be used for the competition to design new honey labels.”

Feb 1973 No award. “None of the entrants was worth a prize.”

Nov 1973 “The award to be made to the best article in ‘The Scottish Beekeeper’”

1974 “Sou’wester” “did not wish his identity to be disclosed to readers”

1975 Mr AFF MacLure

1976/1982 No award (May 1979 “A competition for Associations connected with the ‘Harry Brown award’ for a new front cover would be arranged. During 1980 a prize of £25 would be awarded to the individual submitting the ‘Best Article’ in the magazine” Nov 1980 “Award should be divided into two or more prizes in 1981 and these awards given for different classes of competition”

1983 Mr Eric Macarthur and Mr William Kirsopp

Feb 1983 “For 1983/84 to be given for the best article by an SBA member”

1984 Mr J Gleed

1985/6 No award made

1987 A B Ferguson, South of Scotland BKA

1988 Mrs Una Robertson, Edinburgh and Midlothian BKA

1989 No award made

1990 Mrs Anne Middleditch, Berwick upon Tweed

1991 Dr JE Durkacz, Dunfermline and West Fife BKA

1992 No award made

1993 RG Brown, South of Scotland BKA

1994 Alasdair Joyce, Forres

1995 Bob Lord, Peebles BKA

1996 John Stoakley, Peebles BKA

1997 Dr David Christison, Clyde Area BKA

1998 Mrs Brenda Vidler (McLean) Moray BKA

1999 C Neil Anderson, Kirkintilloch, Kelvin Valley BKA

2000 Peter and Moira Watt, Stonehaven

2001 John Salt, Forres

2002 John Goodman, Aberdour

2003 Magnus Peterson, Dunblane and Stirling BKA

2004 Nigel Hurst, Edinburgh and Midlothian BKA

2005 Ian Ferguson, Kelvin Valley BKA

2006 No award made

2007 Rosemary Legge, Fortingall BKA

2008 Bill Legge, Fortingall BKA

2009 John McLean, Dunblane and Stirling BKA

2010 Allan Cameron, Edinburgh and Midlothian BKA

2011 Phil Moss, Oban and District BKA

2012 Alan Riach, Edinburgh and Midlothian BKA

2013 Rev Kate Atchley, Lochaber BKA and Dr Gavin Ramsey Joint award “Varroa Mapping”

2014 Ann Chilcott, Morayshire BKA

2015 Tony Harris, Morayshire BKA

2016 Margaret Thomas, Willie Robson, Phil Moss

2017 Angus Rintoul, Ayr & District BKA

2018 Awarded to Kelvin Towner Dunblane and Stirling Beekeepers Association for excellence of content and number of regular contributions to the SBA Monthly Magazine

2019 EMBA – Sarah Price aka SAM...
...who has been contributing to the Scottish Beekeeper magazine for the past 4 years. SAM has now decided to focus on being a beekeeper and will no longer share her insights to SBA members via the magazine. This news has prompted letters to the Editor thanking SAM for her honest approach to beekeeping and for openly sharing her learnings as she herself navigated the craft of beekeeping as a beginner. Members have expressed their sadness that SAM’s contributions have ended and expressed sincere appreciation for the step by step guidance SAM shared in her monthly articles.

2020 - Neil Lyndon
Neil is Alex, a novice beekeeper who provides monthly insights into his diary and
beekeeping trials and tribulations each month, and they are always informative and
entertaining, with a lot of thought and variety added. Neil has agreed to run his diary for the
whole of this year.

2021 - Mr Bee ( aka Alistair Neill )

Mr Bee has kept us all entertained and
intrigued throughout 2020 with his Grand Tour of Scotland. Not only have we virtually
visited his fantastic destinations throughout Scotland, but we have also exercised the grey
cells each month trying to guess from his clues where he is landed.
Mr Bee generously donated his time creating the clues and venturing out to the various
locations and continued to do this in a 'virtual' way when faced with the COVID travel
restrictions. A testament indeed to Mr Bee's tenacity and determination that 'He'd started
so he'd finish!'

Judging by the wonderful feedback from our readers and competition entrants, Mr Bee's
adventures were warmly received and anticipated each month, especially when we could
only hope and look forward to travelling once again ourselves.
I am sure Mr Bee will do a wee dance or two when he receives this well-deserved and
well-earned award! Thank you so much Mr Bee for keeping us all going, and we look
forward to seeing you again soon.

2022 - Margaret Forrest

Margaret created a wonderfully informative and educational series of articles in 2021 entitled ‘My Beekeeping Year’. These articles presented members with a wealth of information including what foraging would be available in that month (helping us all to know what to plant and grow for when!), the practical advice needed to ensure a successful beekeeping season and her recommended reading lists. A lot of time and detail went into every single feature.

On top of this series, Margaret co-ordinated all the Book Reviews, writing many, which appeared in the publication, and she continues to do so in 2022. She also provided regular updates on the situation with the Moir Library and the Scottish Beekeepers’ Association’s lending library, during what were particularly challenging times due to the Covid restrictions.

Margaret generously contributed to every single issue of the Scottish Beekeeper magazine across 2021, sometimes with multiple articles.

I believe she has created a very valuable resource for beekeepers of all abilities and have no doubt that our members benefited from this in 2021 and will continue to do so for many years to come.