To Bee Or Not To Bee

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47 Bees Cartoons and Humor ideas | bee, bee art, bee keeping

 

[Written for John Holton’s Writer’s Workshop, for prompt 4: Tell us a story about an allergic reaction]

What do you think of bees? I know they are good for the environment, pollinating plants and making honey, but I hate the little bastards. When I was a kid we often enjoyed hearing this on the radio or seeing it on tv:

Arthur Askey was fun, witty and amusing, and stood a princely 5’2″ tall. Despite the campness of this performance he was married for nearly fifty years, until his wife passed away, and had a daughter who became an actress. I loved watching him on tv when I was little, but not for this song after an incident when I was 5. Bear with me – we’re talking 1959 here – so memories may be a little imperfect, but there is a story behind it.

My childhood home had a large garden and I used to love playing out there whenever I could. One spring day I was doing just that when a vicious bee decided to attack me. I’ve probably endured worse pain in my life, but at the time this was excruciating. The sting was on my big toe – an unlikely place, I grant you. Mum heard my shrieks and came rushing out to find me in floods of tears, holding my wounded foot. I was helped back indoors, limping along the way, and given a drink and a biscuit (her usual answer to everything) while Mum checked the wound to make sure that the sting wasn’t still in it, and put some protective cream on it.

So far so good, we thought, but during the rest of that day I began feeling progressively worse, and not only did my toe start swelling but also the rest of my foot. In those days we didn’t yet have a phone, so when Dad got home from work he was despatched to the local public phone box – those big red things you may have seen in historical photos – to call our GP. The service back then compares very favourably with the waits we have to go through these days, and children’s health was something they took seriously. Our GP, Dr Gertrude Toland, was a wonderful woman – follow that link to read about her – and was with us within the hour. We didn’t have a car then, either, so house calls were the order of the day. Obviously I don’t remember the details of what was said and done, but from talking about this many years later with Dad I managed to piece it together.

Apparently I had an allergic reaction to the sting, which these days would be classed as moderate to severe: I had some of the severe symptoms, such as the swollen foot, dizziness and nausea, but Dr Gertrude didn’t think I was having a full scale anaphylactic response. Probably just as well, because in extreme cases these can be fatal. I was given medication – probably antibiotics, but after such a long passage of time I can’t be sure.

The good bit that I remember is that I had to stay off school until the swelling went down, as I couldn’t get a shoe on and going anywhere unaided was a real no-no. That was probably just for a few days, but it came at a price. I was still hobbling around several days later and dad made another appointment with the GP for me – but this time we had to go to her. Without a car this meant travelling by bus. Luckily the surgery was in the same road as the main bus station in Dover so it was only a case of getting to the bus and the short trip across the road. But I was still very uncomfortable walking so Dad had the brainwave of putting me in the family pushchair, which had only recently been taken out of commission as my little sister was now walking well. I still have memories of being squeezed into the chair, for which I was really too large, and poor Dad having to push me around at both ends of the journey. I can still remember the odd looks we got from passers-by, who clearly thought that I was a lazy little bugger being pandered to!

I don’t really recall much more than that, and I must have recovered alright as I suffered no lasting damage. But it was a scary experience, one that I have never forgotten, and the allergic reaction made the whole thing so much worse than just the pain of the sting itself. My fear and hatred of bees were formed then, and have never left me.

In all the times I have been near bees since then I have been lucky enough to avoid further stings, though I understand that even if I had there was no real likelihood of my having another such an extreme response. I have been stung by wasps on several occasions, though, and these have always been fatal – for the wasps! Sting me and I’ll batter you to bits, you nasty, buzzing creatures!

I am happy to say that this is the only allergic reaction I have ever had, and I know that it pales into insignificance alongside those poor people who suffer from allergies, such as to nuts, which can be fatal. But for a five year old it was definitely a big deal, as evidenced by the fact that I still remember it 66 years on!

As is my usual habit, I’ll leave you with a (kind of) suitable tune:

See you again for Song Lyric Sunday 🐝

42 thoughts on “To Bee Or Not To Bee”

  1. Pingback: Farewell March | Take It Easy

  2. I had never heard of Arthur Askey before today, but the minute I saw him I liked him.

    Nice song at the end…

    That’s a pretty frightening story about a bee sting. It’s one thing when you get stung and get over it right away, quite another when horrible things happen later.

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    • Arthur was a favourite when I was a kid. We often saw him on tv variety shows and he was always funny. That RT song is good, isn’t it.

      It was terrifying at the time. I was sick, dizzy and my foot was swelling up almost by the minute. It makes for a good story 66 years on, though I’m still afraid of bees.

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  3. HI Clive, although horrible at the time, this is a very entertaining story. I am allergic to the bacteria bees carry. If I get stung, it starts to swell and within a few hours I get a red line as I develop blood poisoning. Michael has inherited this from me as if he doesn’t have enough health issue. The song was most amusing. It reminded me of Flanders and Swann.

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  4. I have the same allergy. I discovered when, years ago, I stepped on a bee!!! My reaction was worse than yours. First, I started to hitch everywhere, then my face swelled up, and I had to be taken to the emergency room. I now have Epipens, but they are always in the fridge. I do love bees, though.

    And I enjoyed your offerings for today.

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    • A fellow sufferer! Mine was the result of a vicious attack – it divebombed me! It sounds similar for you – I didn’t get the swollen face but my toe and foot were very large.

      EpiPens are useful to have around – unfortunately I don’t think they had been invented in 1959 so I had a more traditional treatment.

      I’m pleased you enjoyed this, thank you 😊

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  5. Thank you Clive for this rich and informative visit back into our childhood times. Great idea of your father’s.
    I had to smile a smidge, almost every boy’s dream….days off of school
    That was bad luck being stung by a bee, I’ve had them take a fancy to the colour of my shirt, and one, with pollen sacks on their legs full, actually sat on my shoulder abdomen pulsating giving me the impression they had stopped to catch their breath. After a while they flew off.
    Wasps…yeah I’m with you with wasps, I use wasp rules, if I poked my hand in their nest I’d get stung they tread on my turf ie indoors, they get squished.

    Can’t go wrong with a Richard Thomson song can you? (The Angels Took My Racehorse Away…..so heart rending )

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    • Thank you, I’m glad you enjoyed my memories of distant days. I don’t think Dad fancied carrying me everywhere!

      You were lucky not to be stung, and believe me it would have hurt! I’ve never understood why wasps exist: what do they do that is of any use?

      RT has been on my playlist since the early Fairport Convention days. A master songwriter, who I’ve seen several times in concert, both with a band and solo. I’d add Waltzing’s For Dreamers and Persuasion to your list 😊

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  6. You were traumatized by a bee at a young age. I was traumatized by getting stuck ankle deep in a pit of mud. Talk about screaming! Those childhood traumas do stay with us!

    Our neighbors had a bank of roses. We used to practice catching honeybees in our hands and watching them walk around on our palms. Suffered a few stings. 🙂

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    • Indeed I was, and it has never left me. Even later in life, like when I was working in the garden, I would stop until a bee had flown away. I think my wife wondered why I was so wary of them!

      I really can’t imagine trying to catch bees in your bare hands for fun! Kids can be strange! From my perspective it’s hardly surprising you got stung 🤣

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  7. I read that only 0.5%-3% of people are allergic to bee stings.

    When our son was about 11, I showed him how to use the hedge clippers. I was doing some other yardwork while he was trimming the hedge, when suddenly I heard him scream. My first reaction was fear that he had cut himself with the clippers. Instead, there was a hornet’s nest (we have yellowjackets here) inside the hedge that I knew nothing about it. They attacked him and flew inside his clothing. It was terrible. He got stung multiple times. I felt so guilty and bad for him.

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    • I’m not sure if that should make me feel special or not: one of a select group!

      I feel for your son, that must have been an awful experience. I can understand why you might feel guilty about it but you really couldn’t have known they were there.

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  8. Thanks Clive, I enjoyed your reminiscing on the bee and its sting and the history on your good doctor. So many worthies are forgotten, and she sounds like someone more than noteworthy. it couldn’t have been easy being a woman and becoming a doctor in those days.

    ( know you’re a Spurs fans, but as far as other London(ish) clubs I guess your stinging experience would mean you would put Watford rock bottom of the list?)

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    • I’m pleased you enjoyed this. My GP was pretty special: she was featured in a tv documentary on Dover a while back, which was good for her memory.

      I see what you did there with the Hornets. To be honest, as Watford is fifteen miles outside London I always wonder why commentators call them a London team, though.

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      • I really do like stumbling across little bits of history. In part this is why I enjoy being part of the blogging experience. Little nuggets of offbeat interest can be found in unusual or unlikely places.

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  9. The write up on Dr. Gertrude was amazing, Clive. The mention of the Battle of Britain, however, brought tears to my eyes. What a tragedy!
    I also laughed at my mental image of you in a baby carriage! Too bad you didn’t have photos to share with us! 😂 I well remember the wonderful doctors who made house calls; with clinics on every other street corner these days, going to the ER is often unnecessary. Fortunately for you, bee stings are no longer a problem.
    I wonder if Arthur Askey performed in Gilbert & Sullivan operettas. He’d be wonderful at the patter performed in many of their songs. Unfortunately your closing video wouldn’t open for me.

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    • I was too young at the time to understand what she had done, and she never spoke of it, but I recall my Dad telling me something of her story. A remarkable woman, who saved many lives. I was born in Buckland Hospital, the post-war version referenced in the piece on her, eight years after WW2 ended and had constant daily reminders of the destruction that had been wrought on the town, whilst a huge rebuilding programme was under way.

      If I’d had any photos I wouldn’t have shown them!

      Healthcare has changed over the years, not necessarily for the better, but we were always confident of getting great support. Bee stings aren’t a problem for me any more as I don’t get out, though I did notice a huge one flying around outside my window earlier on: he must have known I was having a go at them!

      There is no mention of Arthur Askey appearing in Gilbert and Sullivan – he was born a bit late for their original productions and I don’t remember him in the tv versions the BBC gave us. But he would have been ideal: I can picture him as one of The Mikado‘s three little maids from school!

      I’m sorry about the video. It was Beeswing, by Richard Thompson. I’ve swapped another one in and hopefully that will work for you.

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  11. “but I hate the little bastards” that made my day by starting it off with a laugh.
    Wasps are the ones that make me swell up. I was stung 6 times by yellowjackets while I was mowing. Dizzyiness, swelling, and all of that. The doctor gave me a shot…still dont’ know what it was. I avoid wasps though like the plague. Yes I’ve killed them as well…every chance I get.
    I’m glad you have avoided the bees since then.

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    • Glad to have given you a laugh!

      You seem to have had similar experiences with wasps: not pleasant, are they. We actually had a huge wasp nest under the roof, just inside our loft. Had to get pest control in as they were buzzing around the garden in swarms and frightening the kids!

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      • I was expecting a post on how important Bees are and then to see that made me laugh. I avoid them as well.
        Wasps…and we had Red Wasps…they would dive at you and they would sting me on the ear lobe…I don’t know why they picked that spot but yea…I started to wear a ski mask…they were on the corner of our house. They loved me as a kid.

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  12. The amount of radiotherapy I’ve had makes my neck ultra-sensitive and tends to swell at the slightest provocation. To counteract this I carry steroid tablets around with me all the time, which came in handy when I was stung by a bee on Ryde seafront. I quickly took 2 steroids and an anti-histamine and hoped Sam didn’t need to drive me to the hospital. Luckily the tablets were enough, although another time I needed IV steroids and anti-histamines at A&E.

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