Westminster Smokes on
Bonfire Night
Liisa Young
A personal view from one of those taking part in the march
HAS THERE ever been anything so strange seen outside gathered. I stood and watched the crowd, some eating a
the Houses of Parliament? The passengers on the top picnic lunch, others donning bee suits, all talking andlaughing. More people were arriving, some meeting friends
decks of London buses were pointing and staring. The and fellow beekeepers, others looking for the familiar face.
tourists were stopping to take photographs and the Amongst the crowd were photographers and camera crews,
locals didn’t really know what to make of the sight. You radio interviewers and news reporters. At the edge of the
could have been forgiven for thinking the men in white crowd were tourists, taking photos for their holiday albums.
coats had finally arrived. I went to join the crowd; the lady walking next to me had
Several hundred people dressed in white bee suits. Smoke made a two-hour train journey from the south coast. Like
issuing from the centre of the crowd. All waiting for me, it was first time she had taken part in a demonstration.
something to happen. I do not think Westminster had seen Looking round, I did not see anyone I recognised in the
anything like it before. What’s more, I was going to join growing crowd, but it didn’t matter as everyone was so
them. friendly. I pulled my bee suit over my head and then got
Earlier that morning I had kissed the kids and dashed for out the camera. It was too good an opportunity to miss –
the train. I had some business meetings scheduled in the majestic Palace of Westminster, the red London buses
London but, more importantly, it was ‘Smokers in and beekeepers dressed in white.
Whitehall’. Dressed for work in heels and skirt, I had my An interviewer and his camera crew asked if I was from
bee suit, freshly washed and pressed, in the laptop bag Norfolk. I am not and he replied that it was a shame, but
normally the preserve of my computer. did I know anyone from Norfolk! I couldn’t help, but it
Later that morning at Westminster Underground station, I wasn’t long before he had found someone and had his
saw a couple on the escalator wearing bee suits. People piece for the evening news.
were looking. I followed them up the road and watched After Tim Lovett and Ian Gibson, MP, had spoken to the
them merge with all the dark suits. Some others in bee now 400-strong marchers and press, we turned to march
suits joined the couple from the Underground and they down Whitehall, four abreast, accompanied by slightly
crossed the road chatting to each other. I wondered – did bemused policemen. There was a hum of determination
they know each other? Following this small group, I walked from the crowd, along with a buzz of good humour. I soon
along the front of the Palace of Westminster, watching the found myself talking to a couple that had come up from the
people turning to stare. The policemen at the gates did a West Country for the National Honey Show and had stayed
double take. Several more on for the march, taking a short break in London. I was
white-suited beekeepers impressed.
could be seen across the
road walking in the same People were from all walks of life, from the toddler dressed
direction. in a bee suit all the way up to and on past the beekeeper
who had been keeping bees for nearly 45 years.Smoke could be seen
Opposite Downing Street, we came to a halt and the sixissuing above the heads of
BBKA representatives walked down to Number 10. Mythe crowd across the road
fellow marchers and I whiled away the time discussing thewhere a hundred or so
number of colonies we kept, the demise of our bees thisbeekeepers were already
year, the policemen with sub-machine guns and how we
remembered the time before the security gates were erected Getting the smokers going
at the end of Downing Street – just.
Soon we were marching aback, some to lobby their MPs. I
had another meeting and, leaving the crowd, I turned left
towards the tube station. Two policemen, standing near the
St Stephen’s end of the Houses of Parliament, looked me
up and down. I smiled back. ‘Going back to work?’ one
asked jovially. ‘Yes,’ I said, catching my reflection in a
The media were present in window. ‘Maybe not dressed like this though! What do you
force think?’ z
Bee Craft digital December 2008 Page 5
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32