I

t’s a myth that you need a big country garden if you want to keep bees. Seriously.

Lots of city dwellers have them in their backyards – and one 14-year-old boy kept them on the roof of his London tower block a few years back.

Enrol on a course at Tiger Hall in Shropshire (an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty no less), and you’ll learn all about these fascinating creatures.

Like how they line up on the edge of the hive on hot days and beat their wings to cool things down, how you keep your hive healthy, how to prepare the bees for winter – and how to prevent them swarming (you might want to pay attention in that one).

Despite all the warnings about bee numbers falling right now, there’s actually a growing buzz (sorry) about beekeeping; and once you’ve learned how to look after a hive (it’s really simple), you’ll be ready to start your own colony – wherever you live…