Bill Anderson
Amateur Urban Beekeeper
Bill Anderson has directed television drama ranging from Evelyn Waugh’s classic “Sword of Honour” starring Daniel Craig to “Dockers” produced and written by striking Liverpool dockers with Irvine Welsh and Jimmy McGovern. Whilst working with cinematographer Paul Bond late one Autumn afternoon, mid-discussion of a shot in a garden, Bill noticed Paul crouch down and surreptitiously pick something up from the lawn, hide it in his hand, then casually start blowing into his fist. Challenged to explain, Paul revealed a dead bee lying on its back in the palm of his hand. “It’s probably dead, but sometimes if they stop flying and get too cold they just can’t start again and that’s it…” The dead bee promptly wriggled its legs, rolled over and flew off resurrected by the warmth of Paul’s hand. Though he’d never mentioned it, Paul was a World Champion beekeeper. This miracle was the start of Bill’s fascination with bees. After naively installing some purchased bees in a Warre hive on the tiny sliver of horizontal roof on his West London home, over the last three years Bill has enticed four wild swarms to move into his hives. He’s learned that bees do not take direction. Discussion will include: Why the roof? What to do when 10,000 of your bees decide to have a street party… Are bees are the sexiest pollinators on the planet?
