Peter Donovan started working at Buckfast Abbey in 1939 when he was only 12 years old. Peter worked with Brother Adam during his teenage years and then returned to Buckfast in 1972 and remained there until 2004. He is said to be the person who knew Brother Adam the best. Peter kept bees with a passion until he passed away in 2013. Today I am speaking with his son, John Donovan, who, as a child, spent time at Buckfast with his father and Brother Adam. John lives in Buckfast to this day.
2:57 - Peter’s early life
10:25 - Peter’s Military service
14:10 - Keeping bees while on service
16:50 - Returning to Buckfast
17:26 - Brother Adam and Peter, a funny military story
22:08 - John’s memories of Brother Adam’s mating station
27:50 - Brother Adam’s trips looking for bees
28:40 - John remembers the Buckfast bee
32:00 - The honey yields and extraction room
35:50 - Ordering honey from Buckfast
39:50 - Peter loved teaching people about bees
42:30 - Peter’s book about beekeeping
46:10 - John’s collection of Buckfast photos
47:20 - How Brother Adam maintained his hive boxes
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Podcast proudly brought to you by
Brent Nixon at Nixon Queen Bees (Ballarat VIC, Australia)
https://nixonqueenbees.com.au/
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