Duncan’s HoneyBee Lane offers up close bee experience

“Uncle Tom’s bees lived in what we called a dustbin — a galvanized metal garbage can that had somehow escaped being melted down to help make Spitfires fighter aeroplanes during the war,” said Janette. “By the time I knew it, the dustbin was mostly rust, and the holes provided the bees with plenty of entrances and exits. In winter, Uncle Tom would pile hay on top for insulation and cover it with an old, equally leaky galvanized wheelbarrow to keep off the worst of the weather. It certainly wasn’t modern beekeeping, but the bees seemed quite content, and I was fascinated.”