Bee gentlemen

As we go to press, news of the passing of two VIPs from our ‘bee world’

Professor John Free

Professor John Free CMG was a honey bee scientist working at Rothamsted Research Institute, during the golden period (1960s-1990s)and became an international authority on pollination, social organisation of honey bees and pheromones. At Rothamsted, he established pollination research as a major scientific discipline of global importance, and inspired many students to follow him in this work.

Just one timely example: much of the information presented in our new Poster about pollination is based upon articles he wrote for editions 50 and 51 of this Journal.

Mr Les Thorne

Mr Les Thorne was a dynamic bee enthusiast who early on realised the need for a business approach to beekeeping equipment manufacture and supply. Les Thorne regularly attended Apimondia Congresses, and grew his business from local supply, to exporting beekeeping equipment world-wide. The business he developed, E H Thorne (Beehives) Ltd, has by today grown to become one of the largest European companies in this sector. Following his death, the Thorne family carried out the tradition of ‘Telling the bees’. At Mr Thorne’s apiary, they knocked twice on each hive and informed the bees: “The Master is dead, the Master is dead”.

Both of these kind and friendly ‘bee gentlemen’ will be missed sadly.