BEEKEEPING isn't just about keeping bees and having your own honey, although you can stop at that if you want to. Beekeeping also opens up a whole new world of related things to learn about and enjoy.

If you have had a good honey crop, would you like some ideas about how to use honey in cooking or would you like to find out how to make mead? If you have honey, you will also have beeswax as a natural bi-product. The more honey your bees produce, the more beeswax you end up with. What do you do with it all? Do you know how to use it for modelling or encaustic (hot wax) painting? Would you like to learn how? If you haven't got the time for that would you just like to exchange your wax for ready made foundation?

If the answer to any of these questions is "Yes", and you would also like to have the opportunity to improve your beekeeping, then I can recommend a very special day out.

Spring Convention Anniversary Every year the British Beekeepers' Association organises a Spring Convention with expert speakers, demonstrations and workshops as well as getting together the biggest gathering of trade stands and equipment suppliers imaginable.

This year will be the Spring Convention's 30th anniversary, so it is sure to be a rather special event. Saturday 21st April will be the 'big' day with trade, scientific, environmental stands and an art exhibition, but there is also a special Members' Day on the Friday before which is dedicated to lectures and workshops only.

The line-up of expert speakers and demonstrators for 2007 is impressive. The talks cover an enormous range of interests, skills and concerns. They range from "Hints and tips for beginner beekeepers" to "Pollen in forensic science". There will be over twenty five hours of talks and demo's going on in three different locations.

Apart from the talks on how to be a better beekeeper and learning more about the bees themselves, the big attraction for many will be the bargains on offer on the various trade stands. There are certain to be huge quantities of hive and frame parts available at well reduced prices. The only restriction will be on how much you can carry away. But get there early for the bargains. When they're gone, they're gone.

There will be plenty of other things to buy throughout the day though. If you want to shop until you drop, there will be everything there that you never knew you wanted: bee hives and accessories, the latest in protective clothing, honey extracting equipment, jars, labels, microscopes and gadgets galore.

This will be the best place to buy bee books. Practically every bee book in print will be available and there will be a good choice of second hand titles including some quite rare collectors' items. April is a bit early to think about Christmas but you won't get a better selection of items that will make good gifts for beekeepers as well as things for non-beekeepers such as soaps, hand creams and cosmetics.

Beeswax exchange Many beekeepers never bother to do anything with their beeswax, and they let it go to waste. But beeswax is a valuable product so several equipment suppliers now provide a useful wax exchange service. Take along your beeswax blocks and simply exchange them for ready-to-use sheets of foundation with nothing extra to pay.

Those who use their beeswax for making candles will be able to choose from the many long lasting, non-stick moulds which are so much easier to use. Candle makers looking for wax sheets suitable for making rolled candles will be able to check out the new colours available and take this opportunity to stock up at keen prices.

Bee health clinic If your bees didn't perform as well as you expected last year it would be well worth while getting their health checked. As we all wage the constant battle with varroa, we can easily forget that the old bee diseases are still around. All day on Saturday there will be an adult bee disease diagnostic clinic open to all. You will need to take along a sample of thirty recently killed bees in a matchbox (not in a glass or plastic container). They will be dissected and checked under the microscope for Nosema and Acarine free of charge.

Demonstrations While someone else is doing that for you, would you like to do something completely different? What about learning how to make a basket of roses out of beeswax or an edible candle? Popular TV chef Michael Young will be there to show you how. Did you know that he is also a Master Beekeeper and an international honey judge?

Mead makers are invited to take along a sample of their mead for a tasting and workshop to discuss methods and materials to get the best results. Meanwhile the computer event team will be looking at MPeg 4, a way to use cheap cameras to create bee movies to store on CD and show on a computer.

Ten tips You can't possibly see and do everything that is on offer, so the big problem you will have is deciding what to leave out. But how ever you plan your day, you should get more than your money's worth. Here are ten tips to help you make the most of your day out.

1. BBKA members get cheaper tickets.

2. Buy your ticket in advance and save even more money.

3. Use the main entrance to the showground on the B4113 near Kenilworth in order to get free parking.

4. If you are looking for the best bargains - be there when doors open at 9am.

5. If you don't want to join the scrum, arrive a little later.

6. Plan the day's activities in advance. There isn't time to do everything.

7. Check the lecture times because some talks are not repeated.

8. Some special workshops need to be booked ahead.

9. Free adult bee disease check. Don't forget your sample.

10. Bring your blocks of wax to exchange for new foundation.

Further information BBKA Spring Convention. 21st April 09.00-17.00.

Stoneleigh Park Exhibition and Conference Centre. Nr Coventry. CV8 2LZ.

Visit www.britishbeekeepers.com Tickets. Entrance tickets at the door on Saturday will cost £16.00 but if you show your current BBKA membership card you only have to pay £14.00. Tickets bought in advance are only £11.50. Entry is free for under-17's accompanied by an adult.

Welsh beekeepers have their convention on 31st March. For details see www.wbka.com Scottish beekeepers will hold theirs on 22nd September in Inverness. Tel: 0131 552 3439.

Northern Ireland beekeepers have an annual conference in October.

See www.inibeekeepers.com