Roger Patterson started keeping bees in 1963 as a 15-year-old, soon after the hard winter of 1962/3. He became a committee member of his local Beekeepers' Association (BKA) at the age of 17, chairman at 23 and county chairman at 25. At one stage he kept 130 colonies. He is a practical beekeeper, concentrating on the basics and keeping things simple. He manages the local BKA apiary where there are usually 20-25 colonies for instruction. He has been a demonstrator and lecturer for well over 35 years, and believes beekeeping should be fun.