My guest on this episode of The Beehive Yourself Show is Maria Whyte. Maria is a both an artist and a counsellor.We talk about mandalas, mental health counselling, the use of weaponised psychology by our government, protesting, and the Wantage art scene.Maria WhyteYou can follow her at ‘Whyte Spirit Gallery’ on Facebook.https://www.facebook.com/p/Whyte-Spirit-Gallery-100064587953504/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 morehttps://www.beehiveyourself.co.uk/https://www.beehiveyourself.co.uk/beehive-yourself-blog/Support the showhttps://www.beehiveyourself.co.uk/shop/https://stevenherbert.substack.com/podcastSubscribe directlySubscribe directly to the show directly through your device's podcatcher app: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/2594768.rssThe Beehive Yourself Show is syndicated tohttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLupXLR3BMAxw8eyL519b4Qmaghg30B--Yhttps://podcastaddict.com/podcast/the-beehive-yourself-show/5141029https://www.podbean.com/podcast-detail/xqpax-2af719/Beehive-Yourself-Podcasthttps://pca.st/296o3qk9 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stevenherbert.substack.com
With the help of a local artist, I created a love-lock to commemorate our silver wedding anniversary (that's 25 years of marriage). My motive for the lovelock was not the fear of my other-half disappearing to fight in the Balkans, she hasn't got a passport for a start, but more as a commemoration of our love, and to participate in contemporary folklore. Yet for this anniversary it had to be extra specially special.- - - - o O o - - - -Special MentionMaria Whyte (our love-lock artist) of Whyte Spirit Gallery https://www.facebook.com/ripple.effect.7967Wantage Silver Band https://www.wantageband.orgMusic'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 morehttps://www.beehiveyourself.co.uk/https://www.beehiveyourself.co.uk/beehive-yourself-blog/Support the showhttps://www.beehiveyourself.co.uk/shop/https://stevenherbert.substack.com/podcastSubscribe directlySubscribe directly to the show directly through your device's podcatcher app: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/2594768.rssThe Beehive Yourself Show is syndicated to:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLupXLR3BMAxw8eyL519b4Qmaghg30B--Yhttps://podcastaddict.com/podcast/the-beehive-yourself-show/5141029https://www.podbean.com/podcast-detail/xqpax-2af719/Beehive-Yourself-Podcasthttps://pca.st/296o3qk9Thanks for reading The Beehive Yourself Show! This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stevenherbert.substack.com
During the last episode of The Beehive Yourself Show, I was somewhat disappointed that the confluence of the Ock and Thames was devoid of contemporary folklore. This is not to say the River Ock isn't sacred, and whilst I cannot say that this watercourse is an entity with a consciousness, it does bear life within it, and makes life possible around it.The river Ock is self-contained within the Vale of the White Horse administrativeration area - it's the Vale's very own river. It meanders west to east, that is to say from Little Coxwell (near Farringdon) to its confluence with the Thames at Abingdon. The river is mostly fed (but not exclusively) from springs emanating along the foot of the Berkshire Downs. This watercourse and its tributaries create an important riparian network across the valley. Yet, one wonders why our district is not called the Vale of the River Ock?1974 County reorganisationDuring the 1974 local government reorganisation, Berkshire lost the valley to Oxfordshire, along with White Horse Hill which isn't in the valley. This on the face of it seems illogical, but the rationale was that because the White Horse is in the parish of Uffington - even though the village is in the valley and the Horse isn't, one had to come with the other.Maybe it solved a naming problem for the bureaucrats because the neighbouring district is called South Oxfordshire, so they had to come up with something else. Given half a chance the men in grey suits would have abolished counties, and given all of England's administrative districts identity numbers.Nonetheless, I have a better reason for the name: maybe a more sacred reason; a reason that feels organic; a reason with a deeper meaning; a reason which might give you a feeling of belonging and identity to the place that we call the Vale of the White Horse.Woolstone wellsStand on the tarmacked lane which passes directly below the White Horse, and you will see the majestic vista of the Vale. Looking north and downwards, you see a steep drop into a gorge, contained on three sides with steep, wavy embankments. The gorge below, called The Manger, leads northward to a bend in road, beyond which is woodland. The woodland sits in a depression (although you wouldn't think so); a continuation of The Manger. According to the Ordnance Survey maps, there are at least four springs that emerge in this wood, and these are called the Woolstone wells. And The White Horse uncannily stares directly towards them.The White Horse gave birth to these springs, from which a stream meanders north. Though for the benefit of the pedantics out there, it would be more accurate to say fissures in an aquifer under the downs, in the vicinity of White Horse Hill, caused the up-shoot of water. Importantly, they are some of the headsprings of the River Ock. Spiritual journeyI feel that our downland chalk geoglyph along with Dragon Hill, Uffington Castle, The Manger, and the Ridgeway, are more than just historically significant. For many people coming here, these are spiritual lands, especially if you include Wayland Smithy which is not far away. Throughout the year countless visitors come. Some at the break of dawn to observe the summer solstice. Some go to Dragon Hill and perform rituals. Many don't have any real motive for coming to the White Horse, many don't know what they are meant to be seeing. Yet, many of these travellers who I have struck-up conversations with say, with some frequency, that they have just been to Stonehenge, or Avebury, or Glastonbury. My pet theory is that these people are unwitting pilgrims: they are on a spiritual journey and they just don't know it. Most visitors will know nothing of these springs, and only a few will venture to the villages of Woolstone or Uffington. I believe our ancestors recognised these springs as being holy, and it is no coincidence that there is a church nearby. The Woolstone stream meanders north: passing through the villages of Woolstone and Uffington before going under the railway, and then joining the river Ock just north of Moor Mill Farm. The Ock, as many of my listeners know, travels eastward to join the Thames at Abingdon - this confluence should be another sacred place, and was once a sacred place, though not so much nowadays.Origin story rewrittenNonetheless, I think we can piece together an allegorical origin story for the Vale of the White Horse - here's my take. St George's stallion looses all of his shoes after slaying the dragon. The four springs (Woolstone Wells) represent four silver coins which George leaves by the side of The Manger, as payment to Wayland the blacksmith to shoe his charger. Yet, St George must continue his adventures overseas and leaves to board a barge at Abingdon. To save the White Horse from roaming away, he ties this creature with a loose silver rope which curves and zigzags from Woolstone, across the valley, to the banks of the Thames. Today, the White Horse watches over the Vale, waiting for St George's return.I can hear my critics now saying: the Vale of the White Horse was the work of civil servants, who penned a boundary line on their map, making the district so. However, the earliest record of Vale of the White Horse, or more accurately 'Vale de White Horse', dates to at least the 14th century. And nature seems to have the lent the bureaucrats a hand: The Vale is a district bordered by rivers on three sides (the river Thames and the river Cole) and the Berkshire Downs to the south. Moreover, it is a place imbued with meaning and a deep history - The Vale of the White Horse was created by The White Horse. And so, it is a sacred, if not a mysterious place, and definitely not a bureaucratic contrivance. Show NotesMusic'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 morehttps://www.beehiveyourself.co.uk/https://www.beehiveyourself.co.uk/beehive-yourself-blog/Support the show:https://www.beehiveyourself.co.uk/shop/https://stevenherbert.substack.com/podcastSubscribe directlySubscribe directly to the show directly through your device's podcatcher app: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/2594768.rssThe Beehive Yourself Show is syndicated to -https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLupXLR3BMAxw8eyL519b4Qmaghg30B--Yhttps://podcastaddict.com/podcast/the-beehive-yourself-show/5141029https://www.podbean.com/podcast-detail/xqpax-2af719/Beehive-Yourself-Podcasthttps://pca.st/296o3qk9 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stevenherbert.substack.com
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://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/Find out morehttps://www.beehiveyourself.co.uk/https://www.beehiveyourself.co.uk/beehive-yourself-blog/Support the showhttps://www.beehiveyourself.co.uk/shop/https://stevenherbert.substack.com/podcastSubscribe directlySubscribe directly to the show directly through your device's podcatcher app: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/2594768.rss This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stevenherbert.substack.com
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 Hivehttps://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/Find out morehttps://www.beehiveyourself.co.uk/https://www.beehiveyourself.co.uk/beehive-yourself-blog/Support the showhttps://www.beehiveyourself.co.uk/shop/https://stevenherbert.substack.com/podcastSubscribe directlySubscribe directly to the show directly through your device's podcatcher app: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/2594768.rss This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stevenherbert.substack.com
In this instalment of The Beehive Yourself Show, I made a visit to the ancient Ladywell at Speen, Berkshire. DirectionsLadywell 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/3Yuf917The 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/Find out more:https://www.beehiveyourself.co.uk/Support the show:https://www.beehiveyourself.co.uk/shop/https://stevenherbert.substack.com/podcastSubscribe directly:Subscribe directly to the show directly through your device's podcatcher app: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/2594768.rsstrt3bbte This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stevenherbert.substack.com
Folklore of bees and beekeepingThis 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/Support the show:https://www.beehiveyourself.co.uk/shop/https://stevenherbert.substack.com/podcastSubscribe directly:Subscribe directly to the show directly through your device's podcatcher app: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/2594768.rss This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stevenherbert.substack.com
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.scottyscapes.com/email: pauline [at] beehiveyourself.co.uk. [replace the 'at' with an '@' symbol]Love-lock article:https://substack.com/@beehiveyourselfshow/p-148862811Tangle Club:Find out more here: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/Find out more:https://www.beehiveyourself.co.uk/Support the show:https://www.beehiveyourself.co.uk/shop/https://stevenherbert.substack.com/podcastSubscribe directly:Subscribe directly to the show directly through your device's podcatcher app: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/2594768.rss This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stevenherbert.substack.com
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/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/Find out more:https://www.beehiveyourself.co.uk/Support the show:https://www.beehiveyourself.co.uk/shop/https://stevenherbert.substack.com/podcastSubscribe directly:Subscribe directly to the show directly through your device's podcatcher app: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/2594768.rss This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stevenherbert.substack.com
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/solitudehttps://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/podcastSubscribe directly:Subscribe directly to the show directly through your device's podcatcher app: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/2594768.rss This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stevenherbert.substack.com
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/podcastSubscribe directly:Subscribe directly to the show directly through your device's podcatcher app: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/2594768.rss This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stevenherbert.substack.com
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/podcastSubscribe directly:Subscribe directly to the show directly through your device's podcatcher app: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/2594768.rss This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stevenherbert.substack.com
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.OXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOWebsite: https://www.beehiveyourself.co.uk/Subscribe directly to the show directly through your podcatcher: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/2594768.rssSupport the show by visiting my shop: https://www.beehiveyourself.co.uk/shop/Support the show by subscribing to substack: https://stevenherbert.substack.com/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stevenherbert.substack.com
“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 .My substack: Steven Herbert substack page .Podcast RSS feed: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/2594768.rss This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stevenherbert.substack.com