Get a grip woman!

foxgloves

Given how strict the rules are around the whole process of local elections, @Suffolk_lass, there does seem to be more than a degree of muddle going on there. I've never been on the Parish Council but I was elected to Town Council some years ago. It was very interesting, but I don't think I'd stand again, it felt like the wrong council for me, & it was difficult being in such a minority politically as we are unfortunately a textbook ToryTown here.
F

slm6002

We've had some issues near us with elections and only 1 person being nominated in one of the wards.  We too are in Suffolk -  I wonder if you are close by

rtandon27

foxgloves said:

...was difficult being in such a minority politically as we are unfortunately a textbook ToryTown here...

FG - you must be my neighbour - LOL - my OH was just commenting that there is no point in voting as all the councillors (who are the neighbours) are voted in because of who they are not what they stand for.

foxgloves

@rtandon27 - Lol, I wonder! Basically, the situation here is that one could find an old muddy chip in the gutter, pin a blue rosette on it & it would be voted in with a handsome majority. Areas like ours are a clear example of how the archaic FPTP electoral system stymies democracy. 
F

redofromstart

Mr Redo wants bees once we move so I always read your bee related posts with great interest

Suffolk_lass

Bees
I have started to transfer my bee diary to a spreadsheet so that I can read about a single hive in a column, rather than trying to remember what happened when, and to which colony. Oh my, we were just terrible at the beginning (maybe we still are, but don't realise how bad! Far too much intervention, almost no wait and see! Our bees have survived despite us, not because of us!

Yesterday we inspected all four colonies in the garden. First hive, boiling with bees, loads of brood in the brood box and the super over (that left them with plenty of stores in the winter). The bees do move down usually for warmth (maybe less so with the recently much favoured open mesh floors) and then up again in the Spring. Our Queen in this colony clearly had moved up as there was a central belt of brood in all stages (that means eggs, larvae and capped brood) and also plenty of drone brood (bigger, more pronounced capped, round the bottom of the super frames). We need drones as they will be needed for mating with new queens. - We combined the brood nest into one box by putting the super frames around the outside of the brood nest and removing the empty frames, then put a second brood box of new foundation on top. Thinking about it, we need to feed them so plenty of syrup today to keep them going.

2nd hive was a six frame poly nucleus. We thought this was being robbed but it isn't. There was brood, loads of stores and a feeder with fondant in. Still small but packed with stores. We have placed a second nucleus brood box on top in the hope that they expand upwards and we can transfer them to a full size hive when we get back from holiday.

3rd hive looked good, with brood in all stages (BIAS, as beekeepers call it). We left the syrup over the second brood box for them but this is so they can draw the comb easily, without having to go out if the weather is bad, and can expand upwards outwards if they need more space. They are on just 5-6 frames so not ready yet.

4th Hive is thriving. Have taken a second feeder full of syrup and drawn comb in the upper brood box. The queen has been up there as there is some brood. We need to check the weight of this hive to satisfy ourselves they have enough stores, if the weather is bad, and room to expand, if it is good.

We have three more hives to set up for our absence today and I am making syrup this morning. I am using thin syrup as the bees need the water to draw comb, and if it is in the hive, they don't need to waste their time and energy collecting it.

Elections
We may well be in the same district @slm6002. We are part of the southern district of two councils with a merged administration. I understand that in our 2 areas, 70% of parish and Town councils have deemed election results because there were not enough candidates to have a contested election. And the bit about the voting habits of the local populace - we will see. Our district councillor has stood as an independent having fallen out with the local blue party. They are putting up a candidate against him in an act of vindictiveness because they think the old team will, as @foxgloves suggests, just vote tory, irrespective of who it is. The tory candidate for our ward has put forward two failed schemes to convert open space into holiday camp-type development and would definitely not listen to local opinion in relation to a similar local proposal on a golf course near us. Although I am not a supporter of the party, I will be voting for the current incumbent because I have seen the support and effort he puts in. Empirical evidence versus muddy chip - it's going to be a close call!

Sourdough yeasted buns are proving

Suffolk_lass

Buns are in and 10L of sugar syrup has been fed and another 10L made. DH has just taken dog for a walk so that he won't be quite so frantic when we inspect the bees in both out locations later today. I have a load of washing in while the sun is shining and one more to tackle. Cold wash for this lot, 30c for the next.

I have just explored whether to refund some energy credit balance but the only option is everything if it is over £75 or everything if it is over £5, neither of which meets my needs. I just want £500 back. I will wait until we are back from hols and I read the meter for April and see how different it is. It will really be 1st Jun before we know where we stand with the solar panels. In the meantime I thought I would halve the direct debit for a few months. Despite being over £700 in credit, they won't let me do that unless I give them another £237 as a one-off payment. No, ScPwr, you do not need £1000 of my money. So for the timebeing I have reduced the DD to £119 (their recommendation).

Oh yes, I turned the aga down so the mark is up to the line, not over it, swapped to cold laundry washing, waited to turn the aga on until mid October and we do the dishwasher overnight. Price difference £460 between 2021 and 2022, and I didn't take active steps to change until into spring/summer. Also though, 2021 includes Dec 20 because Yershire energy went bust on 5th Dec so that is pulled into 2021. This was without the solar panels. Smug time.

themadvix

Have you got your SEG set up? Who did you go with?

That is shocking but unsurprising about SP from what I have read on these boards.

Suffolk_lass

I've just edited that post... no SEG as I don't want to change my fixed tariff at the moment and want to see how we go.

themadvix

You do know you don’t need to SEG with your current provider though? Octopus would be the best for you - 7.5p/kWh iirc and knowing them, probably no tie in with them either.