Look after our pollinator friends

by Trevor Arnold

Ihada wonderful surprise when I got home a week ago. As I walked up my garden path, I noticed quite a large swarm of bees low down on a tree in my front garden.

I love bees and had already booked to start a bee keeping course, so I wasn’t fazed by the sight of about 5000-6000 bees, it was a fantastic sight for me. This got me thinking, if you found a swarm, would you know what to do? No? Then read on.

When bees swarm, the queen and half an existing hive try to find a new home. Most of the bees will cluster around the queen while scouts go looking for a suitable home. This could be in a shed or the roof of a house. It’s better for them and us if they are collected by a bee keeper and put in a manmade hive.

The word “swarm” can sound threatening and scary but in fact, there is no need to be scared if you find one. Honey bees are normally very placid, particularly a swarm as they have no home to defend at that point in time. Just follow some simple advice and the bees will be fine, and so will you.

Honey bees are the only bees that swarm. However, there are other types of bees that can look similar to honey bees, so it's important to try to identify that they are bees and not wasps.

Once you've identified the bees, you should contact a local beekeeper. Beekeepers are experienced in handling them and will be able to remove the swarm safely. Details of where to find a local bee keeper can be found below.

Do not attempt to remove the swarm yourself. Honey bees are not aggressive, but they can be defensive if they feel threatened. If you try to remove the swarm yourself, you could get stung.

Here are some tips for keeping the bees safe while you wait for a beekeeper to arrive:

• Do contact a local bee keeper or bee keeping association, NOT a pest controller.

• If the swarm is in a public place, try to keep people away or at least, warn them.

• Don’t panic. Stay calm and quiet.

• Don’t disturb the swarm.

• Don’t attack it, prod it or touch it with anything.

• Don’t spray it with water, pesticides or anything else.

• Keep pets away from it but if you have inquisitive children, they can be allowed to look at the bees under supervision if they want, but not to touch.

Once the beekeeper arrives, they will be able to safely remove the swarm and rehome it in a new hive. This process doesn’t take long for someone that knows what they are doing.

Starting at 1 and finishing at 49, track your way from one square to another, either horizontally, vertically or diagonally, placing consecutive numbers into the empty squares as you go. Some numbers are already given.

07714

Fencing Grounds Maintenance

Hedge Pruning Landscaping

Lawn Care Garden Clearance

Tree Surgery undertaken with a qualified Arborist.

For a friendly reliable service call Mem

As you shoot across the garden trying to escape the insect that’s attacking your summer cocktail, it’s unlikely you will have taken the time to identify whether it’s a wasp, a bee or a hornet. If there seem to be a lot of them around though you may need to call a professional.

Wasps

Wasps have bright yellow and black stripes and are hairless. They fly swiftly and in a straight line, often in search of food or building materials for their nests. They can sting multiple times and are aggressive. If you find a wasps’ nest it is very dangerous to try to deal with it yourself and you must call a professional pest controller.

Bees

Bees exhibit a more erratic flight pattern than wasps. The furry bumble bee is distinctive and won’t be mistaken for a wasp, but honey bees are more similar in shape having a pinched waist. Their colour is much more muted than the brighter yellow seen on a wasp and they have fur on their thorax. If you are concerned about a bee’s nest or a high level of activity, call a beekeeper for help.

a common sight. They only occasionally enter houses so if there is increased hornet activity around your home call a professional pest controller for advice.

By Caroline Knight

Water in a garden instantly changes the ambience of the space. It reflects light and creates its own microclimate whilst adding interest and attracting a range of plants and wildlife.

Wildlife

Ponds with different features will prove to be more attractive to wildlife than a formal pond with little vegetation and steep sides. Sloping ‘beaches’ will enable creatures to climb in and out easily, and to take a drink without fear of drowning. Ideally there will be muddy areas and shallow spaces together with deeper sections and a range of different plants for egg-laying, shelter, feeding and mobility assistance. There will be shade and sun, with crevices in which creatures can hide and some open areas for maximum benefit of light and warmth.

Fish

A pond containing fish is different from a wildlife pond. Watching fish is undoubtedly a pleasant activity and caring for them is relatively easy. Fish can be viewed as being attractive, especially when coloured gold. However, they prey on smaller wildlife, which can reduce the diversity of life.

Garden

Ponds provide a great gardening opportunity as they can be colonised with a range of plants. Some enjoy boggy conditions such as those found within the pond margins, whilst others like to have their feet completely under the water. The most successful pond will have around one-third to a half of the surface covered in leaf by the summer months. This will help to control troublesome invasive plants that have a habit of moving in.

by Caroline Knight

Many homes, particularly modern houses, have small gardens. Although sweeping views won’t be an option for you, growing plants up walls and fences can give you wonderful colour.

Climbing plants

You need to consider the requirements of the individual plants, but also their habits with regards to height and spread - a vigorous climber can easily become invasive. Some climbers produce tendrils that curl around their support, a few are self-clinging as they grow little suckers, but others, such as climbing roses, will need to be tied to something structural.

Which position?

Clematis are suitable for a wide range of planting places, with many preferring a sunny aspect and others happier on a north-facing fence. Both the passion flower, Passiflora, and the star jasmine, Trachelospermum, love sunshine and warmth.

Honeysuckle is a great climber for a partially shaded site. It provides wildlife habitats, scented nectar-rich flowers and berries for birds too.

On your shadier fences you might consider foliage plants that are self-clinging, such as ivy and Parthenocissus. Boston ivy and Virginia creeper produce spectacular autumn colour, but you need to be prepared to prune them regularly and vigorously.

The climbing hydrangea petiolaris is a great choice for a shady wall, but once again it is likely to grow very large once it has established, so be prepared to prune hard once it has reached the top of the fence.

125 Years

• The world’s first advertisement for a motor car appeared in newspapers in the USA. The ad for the Winton Motor Carriage Company in Cleveland, Ohio invited readers to ‘Dispense with a horse’.

30 YEARS AGO (1993)

• In 1993 the UK saw one of its biggest recessions since World War II. In 1990 the average house price had reached £57,683. By 1993 it was averaging at £51,210 (c. £133,500 at today’s prices).

• Caleb Bradham’s carbonated soft drink ‘Brad’s Drink’ was renamed ‘Pepsi-Cola’. (The name was shortened to ‘Pepsi’ in 1961.) singles charts included ‘Pray’

100 Years

• The Hollywood Sign was officially dedicated in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. It was originally erected as a temporary advertisement for a housing development and read ‘Hollywoodland’.

• The Matrimonial Causes Act 1923 came into effect in the UK. For the first time, both men and women had the equal right to petition a court for divorce on the basis of their spouse’s adultery.

• The fi rst issue of the BBC’s radio and television listings magazine, Radio Times, was published.

60 Years

• The Great Train Robbery, Ledburn, Buckinghamshire. £2.6 million was stolen in one of the UK’s most infamous robberies. The bulk of the money was never recovered.

40 Years

• Soviet military officer Stanislav Petrov averted a full-scale nuclear war when he identified a computerised missile attack warning as a false alarm and chose to disregard it.

• Chart-toppers in the music singles charts included ‘Pray’ by Take That and ‘Creep’ by Radiohead.

• Sir John Major was Prime Minister (Conservatives), staying in office until 1997.

25 Years

• The Apple iMac (G3) was released. It was noted for its distinctive egg-shaped, coloured, translucent plastic shell. It helped revitalise the company, which had been facing financial ruin.

• Google, the internet search company, was founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin, both students at Stanford University, California, USA. The company was initially based in a friend’s garage in Menlo Park.

20 Years

A team from the BBC reported that the Loch Ness monster did not exist. They had combed every inch of the loch using 600 sonar beams guided by satellite navigation and found nothing. The search operation was covered in the documentary Searching For The Loch Ness Monster.

mention the magazine when contacting Advertisers

Enjoy long summer evenings with a beautiful lighting scheme for your outdoor space.

A well thought-out lighting scheme will help extend the use of your outside space from lazy summer days into the night. Great lighting adds atmosphere and illumination, highlights interesting features, helps guide you and provides additional security.

If you are considering landscaping work, try to include a permanent outdoor lighting circuit, allowing your scheme to be more flexible and effective. Draw this up early, as it will need to be connected by a qualified person according to Building Regulations, and trenches may be needed for armoured cabling. Discuss with your electrician considerations such as wildlife that might nibble cables or the effect of lighting on your neighbours.

Think about what elements of your garden would benefit from illumination, then think about the positioning of seating, walkways and any features to which you wish to draw attention.

By Katherine Sorrell

The aim is to create both functional and ambient light, using ‘layers’ of different types of fitting at different heights and spread out in the relevant areas. Think about switch positioning, and whether timers or waterproof plug sockets might be useful.

Add enough general lighting to allow you to enjoy the garden once the sun has set. Floodlights or spotlights, wall washers, downlights, uplights, deck-mounted lights and post lights could each have a place. Wall lights are a good choice for passageways and either side of an entrance, and PIR (passive infrared) sensors that switch on when they detect movement nearby are useful, being a great security feature and brilliant when your hands are full.

Next, decide what ‘feature’ lighting you want, such as a row of pendants over a dining table in a pergola. String lights bring a party vibe whether garlanded along a boring fence, around a tree or over the top of a gazebo, for example. If permanent outdoor lighting is impossible, consider good-quality solar or battery-operated LEDs. They are relatively inexpensive, easy to install and available in a range of styles. Options include stake lights, festoon lights, lanterns and fairy lights. Portable LED lamps can be used anywhere, such as on tables, beside the barbecue or in the porch. Add more warmth and vitality with candles and night lights.

A summer’s day, a lawn, a hamper and some deck chairs – what could be more perfect? Picnic products from the John Lewis ‘Outdoor’ range for spring/summer 2023.

Venture to the beach, the countryside or a shady corner of your garden – there’s just something about a picnic that always tastes good.

By Katherine Sorrell

A flat base for easy packing and a jolly colour to brighten your day – this practical basket is also very appealing. Wicker-effect picnic basket, £16, habitat.co.uk.

For water, juice or even a glass of wine (why not?), always pack some nonbreakable tumblers. Stackable plastic tumblers, £12 (set of four), johnlewis.com.

Opt for tropical colour with a vivacious outdoor dining set. Palmilla melamine side plates, £27.68 (set of four), and dinner plates, £28.60 (set of four); both wayfair.co.uk.

Fully insulated to keep food and drinks chilled, this traditional wicker hamper includes cutlery, plates, wine glasses and a corkscrew. Two-person filled picnic basket, £59,procook.co.uk.

Made from 70% recycled wool and 30% recycled fibres, and finished with a durable, waterproof backing, this picnic blanket is adventureready all year round. Picnic blanket in Stewart Dress Antique tartan, from £75, tartanblanketco.com.

Small enough to carry but big enough for the whole family to sit on, this 3x2 metre cotton blanket is perfect for country picnics or days at the beach. Giant beach/picnic blanket in denim, £59.95, annabeljames.co.uk.

Versatile and lightweight, this mini barbecue is ideal for camping, festivals and more. Portable suitcase barbecue, £64.95, annabeljames.co.uk.

Each word to be three letters or more (but no plurals), and all must contain the central letter. There’s at least one word which uses all of the letters. Excellent: 50 or

Good: 40

Fair: 35 words

Depending on who you listen to, AI (Artificial Intelligence) is either going to make everything brilliant or destroy everybody’s jobs and maybe humanity too. So what is it, and why is everybody talking about it?

Generative AI is basically a super-powered search engine that can answer plain English questions and do things that Google can’t (yet). Although it’s called AI, it isn’t actually intelligent. These apps are really super-powered memory machines: they don’t create anything, but they can make really good copies of things that already exist. An AI that makes artworks has been trained on millions of paintings and can create a reasonably good copy of the artists’ styles; an AI that answers questions has been trained on millions of internet pages. But that can be a problem, because those internet pages might not necessarily be accurate.

What AI actually means for you

It’s in its teething stages just now, but it does

Microsoft has gone big on AI, and if you have the Edge browser you can get AI-powered search on Bing.com have a lot of potential. You’re using some of it already; for example modern smartphones have AI-powered software that automatically tweaks your images for the best results. Sometimes they get it wrong, but mostly what they do makes things better.

Try ChatGPT for yourself at chat.openai.com to see for yourself, or try creating your own AI art at creator.nightcafe.studio. And if you have Microsoft’s Edge web browser, you can try the new AI-powered Bing search at Bing.com.

All together now: we’re all going on a summer holiday – and these days, holidays often mean hauling around a lot of tech to keep our phones charged and our tablets topped up. But you don’t need to take a suitcase full of stuff to have a happily high-tech holiday. Here’s a few key gadgets.

If you need to charge more demanding devices such as handheld games consoles, laptops or tablets, this 65W charger is ideal. It uses the latest charging tech to deliver the fastest possible charging speeds. av

This is no ordinary travel adaptor: it works in over 150 countries, includes four powerful USB-C ports and can charge up to six devices simultaneously.

£299, ray-ban.com

Ray-Ban’s iconic Wayfarer sunglasses are reborn with extra processing power: these sunnies double as bluetooth headphones and even enable you to take photos.

Amazon’s most affordable ebook reader is better than ever thanks to its higher resolution display, and it’s by far the best gadget for reading books in bright sunlight or at the beach.

Fun to make with the kids or grandchildren over the summer holidays, these cute little cupcakes will win a place in everyone’s heart!

Makes 12

Preparation time 20-25 minutes

Cooking time 30-35 minutes

Ingredients

• 12 ice cream cup cones

• 150g butter, softened

• 150g golden caster sugar

• 2 tbsp Camp Coffee

• 2 large eggs

• 150g self-raising flour

For the icing

• 175g butter, softened

• 300g icing sugar, sifted

• ½ tsp Camp Coffee, plus extra for drizzling (optional)

• Few drops pink food colouring

To decorate

• Sprinkles and mini chocolate flakes

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C / fan 160°C / gas mark 4.

2. Wrap the outside of each ice cream cup cone with foil and place in the holes of a 12-hole muffin tin.

3. Whisk together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Gradually whisk in the Camp Coffee and then the eggs, one at a time. Fold in the flour until combined. Spoon the mixture equally into the prepared cones and bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until the cake springs back when pressed gently with your finger. Remove from the oven, remove the foil and leave to cool.

4. For the icing, whisk the butter and gradually add the icing sugar until smooth. Whisk in the Camp Coffee and the food colouring. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle and pipe the icing over the cupcakes. Decorate each cupcake with sprinkles and a flake with a little drizzle of Camp Coffee, if liked.

At 78, there are no signs that the three-times married father of eight and grandad, legendary rocker Sir Rod Stewart has any intentions of slowing down.

Born Roderick David Stewart in Highgate, London, the youngest of five children to Robert and Elsie Stewart. As the baby of the Stewart clan, he was spoilt, and has recalled his childhood as being ‘fantastically happy’. Despite having sold more than 250 million records worldwide, music was never his first passion. He is famously quoted as saying: “I’m a rock star because I couldn’t be a soccer star. What I do now is all my dad’s fault, because he bought me a guitar as a boy, for no apparent reason.”

In the early 1960s, after giving up an apprenticeship with Brentford Football Club, Rod turned to what he was good at and became a full-time musician. In 1964, aged nineteen, British blues legend Long John Baldry heard Rod singing outside Twickenham railway station and asked him to join his band, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Acts of kindness

In January, Rod rang into Sky News to express his anger at the terrible state of the NHS. He said “there are people dying because they cannot get scans.” He then pledged to pay for “ten or twenty scans” for people who weren’t able to go private like him – something that may have saved his life when he was diagnosed with early-stage prostate cancer back in 2017.

“I don’t need the publicity,” he said. “I just want to do some good things, and this I think is a good thing. If other people follow me, I would love that.”

War effort

It also emerged that in 2022 he’d rented and furnished a house in Berkshire for a family of seven Ukrainian refugees. He also hired three trucks filled with supplies for refugees and had them driven to Ukraine, then used the trucks to transport sixteen people to safety in Germany.

The greatest showman

There may be no more sex, drugs, smashing up sets and trashing of hotel rooms, but there’s still plenty of rock ‘n’ roll left in the 78-year-old as he continues his current tour. The Londoner is fiercely proud of his Scottish ancestry and is delighted to be returning home to Edinburgh Castle for two shows on 6 and 7 July with his UK Summer 2023 Tour, part of his Global Hits Tour. “I’m impatiently awaiting this summer, playing at a variety of special venues – football, cricket and rugby stadiums, estates and castles! We’ll all be dancing under the stars.”

For details and dates of Rod’s UK Summer 2023 Tour, www.robomagiclive.com/rod-stewart-uk-tour

SEA BALL

BOAT

KITE

SAND

BEACH

GAMES

WAVES

PICNIC

PARASOL

ICECREAM

SUNCREAM

DECKCHAIR

HAT ANTS

BEES

BIKE

FLIES

GAMES

GRASS

WASPS

SUNTAN

CAMPING

FLOWERS

SEASIDE

SUNSHINE

BARBECUE