I've been on Mersea since my teens - many decades ago! Much of my younger years (my "mis-spent" youth!) was spent here, dinghy sailing in cadet week and the round the island event. This means many of my oldest friends live on Mersea.

I lived and worked, as a software developer, in various countries of Europe. On returning to the UK, my then wife wasn't keen on living on Mersea, saying I had "too much of a past" here! So we ended up in Heybridge Basin.

My beekeeping journey started in 2016, when I worked with a commercial beekeeper. She was running over a hundred hives, and had learned beekeeping from her father. This meant I was dropped in at the deep end!

Since then, I have always kept some hives. I would extract honey, and give it to friends, or take it to dinner parties instead of wine! A jar of local honey was so much better than a generic bottle of wine!

Later in life, and on my own, I was looking to downsize and move from Hatfield Peverel. Mersea was the only real option! 

I bought my house and moved to Mersea in August 2024. Following the removal van over the Strood, I had an overwelming feeling of "Coming Home"! A feeling I still get every time I come across the Strood!

The bees followed closely behind. It took some work to find suitable apiaries on the island, but thanks to some good friends, and their contacts, I now have some beautiful apiaries including a secluded part of East Mersea, the Mersea Vineyards, and some incredible gardens bang in the centre of West Mersea.

2025 is my "go commercial" year. I'm balancing building up my hives, with getting a crop of honey (it's generally one or the other!) I would love you to follow along on this exciting journey! Follow me on social media, or keep an eye on this website, to learn about my bees, the honey, and how the journey is going!