When a widower needed to repair a special beehive that was important to his wife of 46 years, he knew exactly where to turn.
Jim Stalley has been a member of the Long Sutton Men’s Shed group, which aims to alleviate loneliness, following the death of his partner Hilary three years ago following a short battle with melanoma.
One of his most cherished possessions was a beehive made for keen gardener Hilary’s 50th birthday in 1999 by her brother-in-law Roland Tissiman.
It’s an important item for Jim and he mentioned to his friends from the shed that after 20 years outside it was in a state of decay.
But over a few weeks members of the group have helped get it looking as good as new.
Among those that helped were James Dixon who rebuilt the bottom two sections and Mike Norris who provided a lick of paint.
Jim said: “Hilary’s beehive is back home now and once the winter is over it will again be part of the garden which Hilary created, so memories of her birthday will carry on.
“A huge thank you goes to the Men’s Shed not only for a worthwhile project which will be admired by many for years to come, but also for making me feel part of a Men’s Shed family.
“I joined Long Sutton Men’s Shed during the spring of 2017 and, in doing so my membership has contributed to my salvation, since losing my Hilary after 46 years of marriage to cancer in December 2016.
“With no family locally The Men’s Shed has provided me with a bolt hole where I can meet new friends with similar interests and mix with socially.”
