Origins of the Group

The Iceni Microscopy Study Group began life as ‘Waveney Microscopy Study Group’, on Saturday 12th July 2008, when a group of 14 people gathered at Easton College, Norwich to commence the first session of a microscopy course, which would run on eight Saturdays, ending on 13th December with assessments. It was the ‘brain child’ of Peter Sunderland, a Waveney beekeeper and keen microscopist, who felt that beekeepers could do something for themselves, at the same time improving bee health, locally, and maybe educate others in bee diseases in the area, particularly as bees and bee keepers were going through a difficult time. Peter therefore made contact with microscopists, bee experts, lecturers, National Bee Unit, Central Science laboratory, bee inspectors and others, in order to plan and organise the course, which would run on eight Saturdays, at Easton College, up to 13th December. Members of the group also met at Esmerelda’s, Grange Farm Centre, every two weeks during September, October and November, to gain practise and further expertise of what they had learned at Easton College, principally the use of microscopes to examine their bees for bee diseases such as acarine, nosema, EFB and AFB, which all require access to a microscope. The objective was to help other beekeepers if at all possible. Pollen recognition and slide making was also a major activity, being connected with bees. Such was the enthusiasm and commitment when the course ended that they decided to continue their activities on a monthly basis, and thus re-formed, on 7th March 2009, as ‘Iceni Microscopy Study Group’ under ‘Club’ rules. They then decided to extend their activities to cover ‘Microscopy in general’, and now welcome new members who are interested in microscopy covering other aspects of study, not only bees.