His mother is from Windermere (where he spent many childhood
holidays).He was born in Cardiff and was working in London when
he met an Irish woman – who convinced him to move to Dublin !!!

He started keeping bees in Twickenham, Middlesex in 1995 after
completing the Twickenham & Thames Valley BKA beginners' course.

On moving to Dublin in 1996 he established an apiary in the garden. He currently has five colonies across two apiaries in Co. Wicklow.

Simon completed the FIBKA (Federation of Irish Beekeeping
Associations) preliminary, intermediate, senior and lecturer's
certificates since coming to Ireland.

He has a keen interest in lecturing, particularly on the science side of beekeeping, and in beekeeping photography.
Simon lives in Dublin with his wife Eimear.

Margaret Thomas from Essex .

In 1973, Margaret Thomas and her husband started keeping bees, in a hive donated by an elderly gentleman. Some years later, after active participation in beekeeping classes run by Ted Hooper at Writtle Agricultural College, Margaret gained the National Diploma in Beekeeping in 1982. Suburban beekeeping expanded into numerous out-apiaries on local farms, participation in the Essex Pollination Scheme (pollinating apples, pears, clover and field beans), and annual trips to North Yorkshire to put bees on the heather.
A long-serving member of the BBKA Examinations Board, she held the post of Moderator during the period of transition from the old examinations system to the new Modular System. After a sabbatical period has rejoined the Examinations Board and is currently Assistant Moderator. She tutors for the BBKA Correspondence Course.
Locally she runs beekeeping classes for beginners and winter classes based on the BBKA Modules. An active member of the Bee Farmers Association, she has served as Magazine Secretary and Spray Delegate and for the last four years has been the Pollination Secretary, facilitating the placement of over 1,000 hives for pollination, mainly in the Kent orchards, and more recently in the Eastern Counties of England on borage. Her main interests remain beekeeping education; rearing good quality, good tempered queens; maximising honey production, pollination and promoting bee health.