#GTFOChallenge, final weekend: Beekeeper for a day at Hen Corner, playing with puppies and a blind date with a book

Somehow, this whirlwind month of adventures has come to an end. I knew this experience, this #gtfochallenge, would have an impact on me, but I’m only now realising how profound it’s been. I cringe at writing these next words so pretend I’m whispering them: this month has changed me. In a good way. In a great way, even.

Let’s just say: I’ve already started booking in for Eventbrite activities next month… just for fun, just for me, just because I’m happier having these experiences and adventures and meeting all these new people. And that in itself was a huge surprise to me. (One of many surprises I’ve discovered on this 30-day adventure, because I thought I had figured myself out by now.)

Here’s how my final weekend panned out:

The buzz of beekeeping and honey harvesting at Hen Corner

Sara Ward of Hen Corner is one of those can-do-it-all-dynamos, from running her own bakery to keeping hens to making cheese to sourcing most of her family’s food from her back garden in Brentford. 

She also happens to have tens of thousands of bees in her back garden and runs day-long beekeeping courses, which also introduce people to her award-winning honey.

I was a bit nervous ahead of this beekeeping day because I’m a Manhattanite who doesn’t like insects… I want to save the bees, of course, but I don’t actually want to hang out with them, if that makes sense. 

Well, I didn’t, but then I had such a fabulous day, and felt quite brave (Sara’s safety tips and tons of facts and constant stream of info really helped, as did the bee suit.)… and the entire day really surprised me. Fun, informative, relaxing even (separating honey from wax must be a type of soothing ASMR). 

Our group learned so much that day, from how to spot a queen/drone/brood, what smoke does to bees, how bees swarm and… well, I can talk to you about bees for days if you like. It was so comprehensive and interesting.

After a morning sesh with the bees we enjoyed a lunch made by Sara full of her tasty, homegrown food: quiche and salad with veg from the garden (and eggs from the hens) plus homemade bread (yum). 

Then we harvested some honey, which was a process I really enjoyed. (At this point we all felt much more comfortable in the presence of the bees; it’s amazing what a couple of hours in good hands can do!) We ended the session with a honey tasting and lots more honey facts. (Sara has some great ones; ask her about the green-coloured honey if you end up booking!) 

We could buy jars of honey we’d harvested that day, which tasted especially delicious and satisfying since I knew the story behind what was in the jar. (Just a thought I had as I licked the fresh honey off a spoon in my kitchen at breakfast the next morning.) 

I can definitely see myself booking in for some kid-friendly hen petting or another day-long activity at Hen Corner (@hencorner); it was pure joy from start to finish and everyone I met was so lovely. A must-do!

Playtime with puppies

With my two youngest in tow, I headed to the garden of The Florence pub in Herne Hill to play with puppies courtesy of Puppy Luv and Wellness. (I know; does anything sound better on a Sunday morning?) The premise is simple: you sit in a circle and puppies rush around you, and you bask in their cuteness and get to cuddle them. Think puppy yoga, but without the pretence of moving around. (Awesome.)

The Puppy Luv and Wellness (@puppyluvandwellness) session I went to had pomeranian puppies (just beyond gorgeous!) and Shih Tzu-Chihuahua cross puppies (so sweet!) and it was one hour of cooing, petting, observing and feeling that rush of happy hormones surging through me. That’s why I love being surrounded by animals. My kids were incredibly happy, too – I can’t recommend this highly enough for families.

Blind date with a book

I love the idea of swaps (and freebies) and I’m obsessed with all things bookish, so I had to book in for Blind Date with a Book at SoLo Craft Fair (@solocraftfair). 

The premise is simple, and fun: instead of picking a book based on its cover, you choose it based on its description, which might say something like, “I am an opposites attract romance” or, “I am full of betrayal and dark secrets.” One book has a £10 voucher to spend in-store as an added bonus.

I ended up choosing a book called The Illness Lesson by Clare Beams; its description read, “I am set in the Victorian era, surround a mysterious illness and how its sufferers (women) aren’t listened to.” How could I not pick that novel?!

There were kids’ books too, and the entire thing was free, although I did bring some books in so it felt like a swap-style event. It tends to happen monthly and it’s such a fun, sustainable, cost-of-living-crisis friendly idea, plus a great way to get out and about and meet some fellow book lovers. 

Thanks for following along this month! Catch up on my adventures past here, here, here, here,  here, here… and here….