HELLO, NAME IS SIMON MCEVEDY

I'M THE FATHER OF TWO GIRLS

I'M INFANTRY BY TRADE & NURSE BY PROFESSION

I'M ALSO A VETERAN

WHO HAS FINALLY FOUND A HOBBY @ THE RIPE OLD AGE 49

AND IM ALSO KNOWN AS A NEWBEE BEE KEEEPER

I HAVE NAMED BOTH OF THE HIVES

ONE IS A CONBINATION OF MY DAUGHTERS NAMES ELLE & LEAH

AND JOYBELL IS NAMED AFTER MY MOTHER

AS YOU CAN SEE, I HAVE BEEN A LITTLE CREATIVE WITH THE SPRAY PAINT ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE HIVE

BEE CREATIVE I SAY

AT THE START OF LOCKDOWN

I STARTED SEEING POSTS ON SOCIAL MEDIA ON FLOW HIVE AND GOT ME INTERESTED

BY CHANCE RSL ACTIVE PUT ON URBAN BEEKEEPING CSE AT BOX HILL RSL

WHERE KATRINA AND I FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO MEET BEN & CHRIS GRAY

I HAD GENERAL INTEREST IN BEES BEFORE BUT HALFWAY THROUGH PRESENTATION

BENS CHARISMATIC PERSONALITLY & PASSION FOR ALL THINGS BEES

GOT ME HOOKED & HE HAS ONLY A POSITIVE INFLUENCE SINCE THEN

BEN TEACHER IN THE TRUEST SENCE OF THE WORD

HE PASSES ON HIS KNOWLEDGE FREELY – CALMING MANOR – GIVES CONFIDENCE IN ALL AREAS OF EXPERTISE.

HIS PROFESSIONALISM IS SECOND TO NONE

THESE ARE ALL THE THINGS MY BEES HAVE GIVEN ME

IN AUG 2021 RECEIVED FIRST TWO NUCLEUS HIVES

REGISTERED AS AN OFFICIAL BEEKEEPER WITH AG VICTORIA

YOU CAN HAVE UP TO 5 HIVES ON RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY

FORTUNATELY, NEXTDOOR NEIGHBOUR IS A CARPENTER WITH VET CONSTRUCTIONS

AND HE SUPERCHARGED COFFEE TABLE – SIDE OF ROAD

TURNED INTO WORKABLE HIVE STAND

SO, WHAT HAVE BEEN THE MAIN BENEFITS

FIRSTLY, I FOUND A HOBBY

THIS HAS GIVEN ME PURPOSE

AND THIS PURPOSE GUIDED ME IN A POSITIVE DIRECTION OF LEARNING

LOTS OF YOUTUBE VIDEO, READING BOOKS, JOINING ONLINE BEEKEEPING GROUPS & ENABLED TO CONNECT WITH OTHER BEEKEEPERS

THESE CONNECTIONS ENABLED ME TO RE-ENGAGE WITH OTHERS

MAKING CONNECTIONS IS SOMETHING I HAVE FOUND VERY DIFFICULT.

AND ISOLATION IS SOMETHING THAT AFFECTS MANY VETERANS.

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