Stephen Sene from Sene Pest Control said it was the oldest hive he had come across in "over seven years"

UK: Ten-Year Old [Active] Bee Hive Found in Leatherhead Leisure Centre! (30.9.2025)

Once thermal imaging confirmed that a large hive was between the walls, Mr Sene and a colleague began the process of safely removing the bees.

He explained: “We removed the queen bee first and placed her safely in a special bee cage.

“Then it’s a case of removing the worker bees and dismantling the comb, which took around a day to complete. The work must be done slowly to avoid causing the bees any undue stress or harm.”

Once removed, the bees were placed in quarantine for a couple of weeks to ensure that they were free from disease.

Mr Pope added: “We were sorry we had to disturb the hive after 10 years of peace, but we are grateful to Stephen and his expert team for their help.”

Meerkats at Hobbledown - Epsom!

Hobbledown: May Bank Holiday! (6.5.2025)

On Bank Holiday Monday (May 5th 2025) we spent most of the day at the local petting farm known as Hobbledown (in Epsom). For about four-years (2005-2099), I taught Taijiquan at a nearby leisure centre twice a week – so I know the area well. Furthermore, throughout the years, we have regularly took our children to interact with the animals and for them to have fun in the huge soft play hosted in-doors. Of course, there has been a massive investment and restructuring at Hobbledown which has been very successful at a time when the economy is in melt-down and political incompetence is at an all-time high. It is well designed, with plenty of different animals living in wide open well-managed spaces.