- 14
- Episodes
- 2024
- First episode
- 103K
- YouTube views
About The Beehive Yourself Show
A podcast dedicated to English rural life. stevenherbert.substack.com (https://stevenherbert.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast)
- Publisher
- A podcast dedicated to English rural life.
- Category
- history · science
- Language
- en
- Explicit
- No
- First episode
- 20 May 2024
- Latest episode
- 12 Jan 2025
Latest episodes
14 episodes in the feed.
12 Jan 2025
The Power of Whyte Spirit with Maria Whyte
Maria Whyte, artist and counsellor, shares insights on mandalas, mental health, and the power of creative expression in challenging the status quo.
15 Dec 2024
Love-locking and crochet topping
Steven Herbert explores love-locking and crochet topping with local artist Maria Whyte, commemorating his silver wedding anniversary and contemporary folklore.
1 Dec 2024
Rewriting the origin story of the Vale of the White Horse
Host Steven Herbert rewrites the origin story of the Vale of the White Horse, proposing a spiritual journey and sacred significance to the Woolstone wells and the White Horse geoglyph.
17 Nov 2024
Co-creating places with contemporary folklore ritual
Over the last three weeks I have come across examples of contemporary ritual which I have found intriguing. Residents and tourists have chosen to be co-creators of their spaces; they didn't need anyone's permission to participate in their ritual, often turning a space into a place - a 'somewhere' which has acquired meaning. So in early November my wife and I visited Avebury in Wiltshire; this is a world heritage site famous for its stone circles. A village grew-up within the circle, and it is a mecca for tourists. The National Trust looks after the circle, and as you would expect their is a museum, cafe, pub and shops. This is a popular destination for visitors even at this time of year. It was around Halloween, and some of the residents had gone to a lot of trouble to display pumpkin lanterns, many were accompanied with a pint of beer and a plate of biscuits - presumably for the spirits of those who had recently passed. Obviously this is a common ritual across the country, yet another piece a contemporary folklore was present - the postbox topper. This crocheted piece of artwork with the face of the green man, was proudly sitting on the top of the red Royal Mail postbox. This woollen object was backed with a black painted plywood, allowing it to sit vertically on the crown of the ironwork. The details of the artist were on the back, and I am guessing the lady who made it, Kerry McKenna, lives outside the village. These two examples were within the heart of the village, yet we discovered another example which was slightly further a field. We waited for a lady to make her way down the steps and through the gate, behind her was a field of standing stones. "Is there anything interesting to see where you've come from?" I asked. "Not really" she said in a gormless fashion. How wrong she was. Beyond the gate and the steps was the rag tree. Approaching it exuding an atmosphere of enchantment. The tree in question was a mature beech, I wouldn't say it was ancient just fully grown, and was one tree amongst many. It was in a discrete place, adjacent to the steps, yet couldn't easily be observed by others. Its lower branches were about a metre from the ground making it a candidate for people to attach ribbons or pieces of cloth. Someone had attached a laminated piece of paper, with a hand written and heartfelt message to a loved one who had recently died. Ribbons of all colours and the occasional beaded object, tied to the tree stems, gently swayed in the light breeze. Many of the ribbons had messages or names written on them, and this raised questions in my mind. Were people coming here as tourists or pilgrims? Were they here to see the rag tree or help co-create it? What were their motives? Some of the deposits, if we can call the ribbons that, were to commemorate someone, yet some of the ribbons had writing on them which were more abstract: 'wear feel relax' was written on one. Maybe some people attached a ribbon just so they could contribute to the rag tree. We could find only one rag tree at Avebury, indeed it was an example of space objectified because it was THE rag tree. Avebury got me thinking. Where locally to me would you expect a contemporary ritual to occur? By this I mean a love-lock assemblage, a rag tree, or a place were people would make votive offerings. It just so happened that my wife was meeting friends in Abingdon on Thames, a place not too far from where we live. I remembered that river confluences, that is to say where one watercourse joins with another, have historically been considered sacred places. It turns out that our local stream, the Humber Ditch, joins the Letcombe Brook, which in turn joins the Childrey Brook, which in turn joins the river Ock, which in turn joins the mighty Thames. And importantly, this is the place that Abingdon grew from. Walking to this spot I called in on a church, St Helens, which is close to the confluence. It is thought to occupy the site of the St Helenstowe nunnery, founded around 670 AD. The interpretation board outside the church says, 'it is quite possible that there was a pagan shrine here'. To my mind this suggests the confluence was always a sacred space. Leaving the church, I followed the path to the river and then the route along the embankment. It is a beautiful spot, with boats moored along the Thames, and pigeons perched on the post and rail fencing, waiting for generous passers-by. I was surprised to see the nearby pub, The Anchor, vacant, particularly as a steady stream of visitors had passed me - how could they been short on customers? Carrying on I came to a small bridge: 'Erected By The Wilts and Berks Canal Company 1824' - it was the bridge over the river Ock at the confluence with the Thames. Importantly, the bridge had railings which made it a prime site for a love-lock assemblage. There was a lonely silver padlock attached but it had no inscription to confirm it was a love-lock - a hapless cyclist could have attached it. I crossed the bridge and sat on a nearby bench. Whilst the confluence is a beautiful place, the area adjacent didn't feel sacred nor special - maybe two thousand years ago it might have been. The nearest thing I saw to a votive offering were people throwing corn in the water for the swans and ducks to eat. Unlike Avebury, I saw no evidence of co-creating pilgrim tourists - there was no evidence of people co-creating this space, it had no vibe nor energy - you arrive, consumed the beauty, then bugger off. I get the impression Abingdon people would frown at love-lock assemblages, rag trees, or makeshift shrines - one of the plethora of Council's who are based here would remove them. Remarkably, there is even a local authority whose main offices are based in the town, yet this is not even their district! Maybe, the confluence may not be discrete enough for contemporary folk rituals to occur; too many prying eyes, too many government employees. Resultantly, the place feels sterile. But does it matter? I think it is a matter of consciousness. Paying homage to a river by making an offering of a coin, or discarding the love-lock key into the water creates a sense of connection with the river. There are proposals for the for a whopping great reservoir to be built up stream, comparable in size to Abingdon, and this would result in bypass surgery to some of the tributaries of the river Ock - an insult to this river deity. But be warned: the trouble with river deities is they are vengeful, pouring their wrath on those living downstream. Kerry McKenna - Green Man crochet (postbox topper) https://kerrymckennaartist.uk/ (https://kerrymckennaartist.uk/) https://www.facebook.com/kerrymckennaartist/ (https://www.facebook.com/kerrymckennaartist/) Music 'Solitude' by Entertainment For The Braindead which is share under a creative commons licence. See links below: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/) Find out more https://www.beehiveyourself.co.uk/ (https://www.beehiveyourself.co.uk/) https://www.beehiveyourself.co.uk/beehive-yourself-blog/ (https://www.beehiveyourself.co.uk/beehive-yourself-blog/) Support the show https://www.beehiveyourself.co.uk/shop/ (https://www.beehiveyourself.co.uk/shop/) https://stevenherbert.substack.com/podcast (https://stevenherbert.substack.com/podcast) Subscribe directly Subscribe directly to the show directly through your device's podcatcher app: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/2594768.rss (https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/2594768.rss) Get full access to The Beehive Yourself Show at stevenherbert.substack.com/subscribe (https://stevenherbert.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)
3 Nov 2024
The history of beekeeping retold with Will Messenger
In this episode of The Beehive Yourself Show, I chat with Will Messenger about beekeeping history. Many might know Will as a beekeeping historian and an expert on the Stewarton Hive. Will gives a summary of his beekeeping career, and challenges some of the conventional wisdom about the historical developments of beekeeping. Will is currently writing a book(s) about beekeeping history, and we talk about some of the topic areas he will be writing about. Also, we discus the loss of historical beekeeping source material, and how people can find more on this topic. A big thank you to Will Messenger for coming on the podcast. Will’s book on the Stewarton Hive https://www.northernbeebooks.co.uk/products/the-stewarton-hive-will-messenger/ (https://www.northernbeebooks.co.uk/products/the-stewarton-hive-will-messenger/) Music 'Solitude' by Entertainment For The Braindead which is share under a creative commons licence. See links below: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/) Find out more https://www.beehiveyourself.co.uk/ (https://www.beehiveyourself.co.uk/) https://www.beehiveyourself.co.uk/beehive-yourself-blog/ (https://www.beehiveyourself.co.uk/beehive-yourself-blog/) Support the show https://www.beehiveyourself.co.uk/shop/ (https://www.beehiveyourself.co.uk/shop/) https://stevenherbert.substack.com/podcast (https://stevenherbert.substack.com/podcast) Subscribe directly Subscribe directly to the show directly through your device's podcatcher app: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/2594768.rss (https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/2594768.rss) Get full access to The Beehive Yourself Show at stevenherbert.substack.com/subscribe (https://stevenherbert.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)
20 Oct 2024
The ancient Ladywell at Speen
In this instalment of The Beehive Yourself Show, I made a visit to the ancient Ladywell at Speen, Berkshire. Directions Ladywell can be found by heading toward Speen church. Once there, I parked at the bottom of Church Lane which is adjacent to the church. Then, I followed the footpath that crosses the graveyard (in a westerly direction), and beyond the graveyard, I kept to the footpath until I came to a bench. There is a lane to the left of this bench, and this leads to the Ladywell. Here is the google maps web link: https://bit.ly/3Yuf917 The wellhead has this magnificent wavy motive - maybe it represents the sun? It is inscribed 'YE ANCIENT LADYE WELL'. What I found interested were the deposits (offerings) on and surrounding the well. When I visited the well had water and was about 20cm deep. A lovely yet astonishing place to visit. Music: 'Solitude' by Entertainment For The Braindead which is share under a creative commons licence. See links below: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/) Find out more: https://www.beehiveyourself.co.uk/ (https://www.beehiveyourself.co.uk/) Support the show: https://www.beehiveyourself.co.uk/shop/ (https://www.beehiveyourself.co.uk/shop/) https://stevenherbert.substack.com/podcast (https://stevenherbert.substack.com/podcast) Subscribe directly: Subscribe directly to the show directly through your device's podcatcher app: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/2594768.rss (https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/2594768.rss) trt3bbte Get full access to The Beehive Yourself Show at stevenherbert.substack.com/subscribe (https://stevenherbert.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)
6 Oct 2024
Folklore of bees and beekeeping
Folklore of bees and beekeeping This instalment of The Beehive Yourself Show considers the folklore of bees and beekeeping. I begin with the good news about the padlock, and my progress in transforming it into a lovelock. On the topic of folklore of bees and beekeeping, I discuss a 1914 article by J. Smallwood; the influence of fairy folklore, the name 'brownie' for both bees and fairies, and the significance of keys in folklore. I explain 'telling the bees' in the Berkshire Downs context, and also tanging for swarms - both use keys. In addition, my ideas about belonging and community are touched upon. Music: 'Solitude' by Entertainment For The Braindead which is share under a creative commons licence. See links below: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ Find out more: https://www.beehiveyourself.co.uk/ (https://www.beehiveyourself.co.uk/) Support the show: https://www.beehiveyourself.co.uk/shop/ (https://www.beehiveyourself.co.uk/shop/) https://stevenherbert.substack.com/podcast (https://stevenherbert.substack.com/podcast) Subscribe directly: Subscribe directly to the show directly through your device's podcatcher app: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/2594768.rss (https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/2594768.rss) Get full access to The Beehive Yourself Show at stevenherbert.substack.com/subscribe (https://stevenherbert.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)
21 Sept 2024
Where true zen is found within your tangles
In this instalment of the podcast, Pauline Herbert joins me to talk about serial collaborative creations in the context of Zentangle(R). We talk about her tangling, her understanding of the philosophy of this art form, and her hopes for when she becomes a CZT. We briefly touch on postbox topping, crocheting, and Wantage rocks. You can get-in-touch / follow Pauline here: https://www.instagram.com/scottyscapesdotcom/ (https://www.instagram.com/scottyscapesdotcom/) https://www.scottyscapes.com/ (https://www.scottyscapes.com/) email: pauline [at] beehiveyourself.co.uk. [replace the 'at' with an '@' symbol] Love-lock article: https://substack.com/@beehiveyourselfshow/p-148862811 (https://substack.com/@beehiveyourselfshow/p-148862811) Tangle Club: Find out more here: https://zenjo.co.uk/ (https://zenjo.co.uk/) Music: 'Solitude' by Entertainment For The Braindead which is share under a creative commons licence. See links below: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/) Find out more: https://www.beehiveyourself.co.uk/ (https://www.beehiveyourself.co.uk/) Support the show: https://www.beehiveyourself.co.uk/shop/ (https://www.beehiveyourself.co.uk/shop/) https://stevenherbert.substack.com/podcast (https://stevenherbert.substack.com/podcast) Subscribe directly: Subscribe directly to the show directly through your device's podcatcher app: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/2594768.rss (https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/2594768.rss) Get full access to The Beehive Yourself Show at stevenherbert.substack.com/subscribe (https://stevenherbert.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)
8 Sept 2024
The Abolition of England, the English, and The Shire
This episode begins beneath the statue of King Alfred the Great, which is located in the market place at Wantage, England. I give a short history of this Anglo-Saxon king, and highlight how Nottingham University plan to remove the term 'Anglo-Saxon' from its course titles. In the following segment, I provide a personal example of how a local school memory holed Florence Nightingale and ignored local history, in favour of promoting Mary Seacole (a glorified caterer during the Crimean War 1853-1856). I share my concerns about the abolition of the term 'Anglo-Saxon', and the direction of travel for this form of memory holing. The words England, English, and even the works of J.R.R. Tolkein may not be safe. Music: 'Solitude' by Entertainment For The Braindead which is share under a creative commons licence. See links below: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/) Artwork: The drawing of the King Alfred the Great, shown in the thumbnail for this podcast, was created by Pauline Herbert. Find out more at https://www.scottyscapes.com/ (https://www.scottyscapes.com/) Find out more: https://www.beehiveyourself.co.uk/ (https://www.beehiveyourself.co.uk/) Support the show: https://www.beehiveyourself.co.uk/shop/ (https://www.beehiveyourself.co.uk/shop/) https://stevenherbert.substack.com/podcast (https://stevenherbert.substack.com/podcast) Subscribe directly: Subscribe directly to the show directly through your device's podcatcher app: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/2594768.rss (https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/2594768.rss) Get full access to The Beehive Yourself Show at stevenherbert.substack.com/subscribe (https://stevenherbert.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)
25 Aug 2024
Wasps, Robbers, Woodley, Writing!
Wasps, Robbers, Woodley, Writing! I begin this episode at my apiary on the Berkshire Downs. I talk about the problems of wasps and robbers for my hives, and share my observations about a new entrance block. I walk to Beedon and discuss this village’s famous son - William Woodley. I also share my plans for a future book and the problems with getting one published. Music: 'Solitude' by Entertainment For The Braindead which is share under a creative commons licence. See links below: https://eftb.bandcamp.com/track/solitude (https://eftb.bandcamp.com/track/solitude) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/) Find out more: https://www.beehiveyourself.co.uk/ (https://www.beehiveyourself.co.uk/) Support the show: https://www.beehiveyourself.co.uk/shop/ (https://www.beehiveyourself.co.uk/shop/) https://stevenherbert.substack.com/podcast (https://stevenherbert.substack.com/podcast) Subscribe directly: Subscribe directly to the show directly through your device's podcatcher app: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/2594768.rss (https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/2594768.rss) Get full access to The Beehive Yourself Show at stevenherbert.substack.com/subscribe (https://stevenherbert.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)
4 Aug 2024
The Devil's Quoits
One evening in mid-July, I made a visit the Devil's Quoits at Stanton Harcourt, Oxfordshire. This is a stone circle, or albeit a reconstructed one, to the north of the river Thames. It's situated between a lake and a managed landfill site; an environment created by gravel extraction. This is not the healthiest of places to visit due to the ongoing landfill activities - so be warned! For the avoidance of doubt, this is not the same Devil's Quoits which is associated with the video game 'Assassin's Creed'. See link: https://assassinscreed.fandom.com/wiki/Devil%27s_Quoits. It's in the wrong county for a start! The folklore associated with this stone circle (the real monument and not the Assassin's Creed one) is that the Devil played a game of quoits with a beggar, for the beggar's sole. During this game of quoits, the Devil threw stones which formed this henge. The Devil's Quoits has had a precarious history. The stone circle virtually disappeared because of encroaching uses: agriculture, a military aerodrome and gravel extraction. Yet thanks to archaeologists, the monument was reconstructed at the turn of the twenty-first century. In this podcast, I take you on my journey to the Devil's Quoits, and share a conversation with a fellow visitor. Music: 'Solitude' by Entertainment For The Braindead which is share under a creative commons licence. See links below: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ Find out more: https://www.beehiveyourself.co.uk/ Support the show: https://www.beehiveyourself.co.uk/shop/ https://stevenherbert.substack.com/podcast Subscribe directly: Subscribe directly to the show directly through your device's podcatcher app: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/2594768.rss Get full access to The Beehive Yourself Show at stevenherbert.substack.com/subscribe (https://stevenherbert.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)
30 Jun 2024
Uffington White Horse: greeting the rising sun!
Most years I visit the Uffington White Horse to greet the rising sun on the summer solstice. This year I took my field recorder and made a podcast about my encounters at four in the morning. My journey began along the single-track road which passes underneath the chalk figure. The real destination was Dragon Hill; a conical mound sitting beneath and to the north of the Horse. My real hope was to capture the soundscape of the pagans saluting the sun and blowing their horn. Music: 'Solitude' by Entertainment For The Braindead which is share under a creative commons licence. See links below: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ Find out more: https://www.beehiveyourself.co.uk/ Support the show: https://www.beehiveyourself.co.uk/shop/ https://stevenherbert.substack.com/podcast Subscribe directly: Subscribe directly to the show directly through your device's podcatcher app: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/2594768.rss Get full access to The Beehive Yourself Show at stevenherbert.substack.com/subscribe (https://stevenherbert.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)
16 Jun 2024
Ridgeway Bees
I walked along these parts of the Ridgeway, with a camera and tripod, and recorded the bees I encountered. At home, I cross-referenced the footage with a guidebook: 'Field Guide to the Bees of Great Britain and Ireland'. The reason for doing this small body of research is my hope that I will change your perspective. Naturally, when we traverse the Ridgeway we enjoy the landscape, with its large skies and breathtaking views. However, if we look closely at the overgrown no man's land hugging each side of the Ridgeway path, we might just discover the busy lives of bees and the beautiful flowers they forage upon. This theatre of the tiny is just as awe inspiring as the grand vistas we see on the horizon. OXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO Website: https://www.beehiveyourself.co.uk/ (https://www.beehiveyourself.co.uk/) Subscribe directly to the show directly through your podcatcher: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/2594768.rss (https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/2594768.rss) Support the show by visiting my shop: https://www.beehiveyourself.co.uk/shop/ (https://www.beehiveyourself.co.uk/shop/) Support the show by subscribing to substack: https://stevenherbert.substack.com/ (https://stevenherbert.substack.com/) Get full access to The Beehive Yourself Show at stevenherbert.substack.com/subscribe (https://stevenherbert.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)
20 May 2024
Love Honey? How corporate appropriation of beekeeping words led me to Substack and podcasting.
“Nicky purchased a jar of my honey, and delighted, she posted a photo to Instagram. Hashtags were all the rage a few years ago, and Nicky diligently tagged her photo with 'Love Honey'. With hashtags you can search for a particular word or phrase. I clicked on the 'Love Honey' tag - yet it wasn't an endless stream of honey jars that I saw. Amongst my pot of golden goodness was fetish wear, vibrating toys, and scantily clad women; honey was in the minority.” Online shop: Beehive Yourself shop (https://www.beehiveyourself.co.uk/shop/) . My substack: Steven Herbert substack page (https://stevenherbert.substack.com/) . Podcast RSS feed: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/2594768.rss (https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/2594768.rss) Get full access to The Beehive Yourself Show at stevenherbert.substack.com/subscribe (https://stevenherbert.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)
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- YouTube views
- 102,949
- Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Podcast Authority Score: 27 / 100
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- Quality
- 21
- Social presence
- 0
- YouTube
- 82
- Engagement
- 0
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