The Hive at Kew Gardens is a magical transformation of a set of giant metal rods and bolts into an amazing, delicate and vibrant structure set down in a bucolic corner of southwest London.  It has to be experienced in person to be fully appreciated. We visited ‘The Hive’ at the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew  as part of the ‘Kew Lates’ programme of events.  We arrived just before dusk so were able to see this incredible sculpture as the light was changing.  Very helpful guides were on hand to explain the work and the role of bees in pollination and the work they do at Kew Gardens.  There were also activities and events in the Orangery including silk screen printing and jewellery making. It was a great evening and the weather was marvellous so we enjoyed a glass of wine on the terrace watching the fire jugglers afterwards. The Hive structure  at Kew Gardens is designed to highlight the importance of bees as pollinators. It’s been well documented that in recent years, the world’s bee population …

Take more photos! I’ve been trying to get to grips with photography over the past few years and I’m getting there bit by bit. I’ve learned there’s a lot more to it than ‘pointing and shooting’  and there are lots of resources out there on the web that will help you get to grips with the basics and the terminology and equipment.  There’s no substitute for actually getting out there and taking pictures though, so I was very lucky to be able to visit the British Wildlife Centre on one of their Wildlife Photography Days, courtesy of Emma who bought me a voucher for the day. The British Wildlife Centre The Centre is in Lingfield in Surrey and is a privately owned organisation which works on breeding programmes, habitat conservation and education.  One of the ways it raises funds is through these wildlife photography days.  Numbers are limited to around a dozen and you have the run of the place, with one of the keepers as a guide. Ours was Tom, a really enthusiastic and …