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'I was a paralegal for 20 years, now I keep bees'

Alice Cunningham & Sarah Lilley
BBC News, Suffolk
Johnnie Wright/BBC Laura Middleditch smiles at the camera in her market stall. She has blonde hair that has been tied up and a pair of glasses rest on top of her head. She wears a red and white long sleeved top with a brown gilet jacket over the top. A picture of a honey jar can be seen behind her. Johnnie Wright/BBC
Laura Middleditch spent 20 years as a paralegal before she felt she needed a change

A woman who was a paralegal for 20 years changed her career to become a beekeeper after she wanted to do something for herself.

Laura Middleditch, from Belchamp St Paul on the Suffolk/Essex border, became tired of the paralegal world just before the Covid-19 pandemic.

She turned to beekeeping, took a course, and now regularly attends markets across Suffolk selling honey which she said brought her joy.

Her comments came as BBC Suffolk hosts its Make a Change day at the University of Suffolk on Wednesday to help people make a positive change in their life.

"After 20 years of being a paralegal in various different fields like criminal and special educational needs, I needed a change," Mrs Middleditch explained.

She initially took an introduction to beekeeping course at West Suffolk College before setting up hives on her and her husband's farm.

"We had bees on the farm so the family literally said to me, 'Why don't you do for others what you do for us?'," she continued.

"So, I thought, 'OK, OK, let's give this a go'."

At the time, her son Jonathan had returned home from school and he now helps her with the bees.

She said her two careers could not be further apart.

"With the bees, when you're out there and you've opened a hive, you are in that moment and it is so therapeutic," she said. "It is wonderful."

Getty Images A bee hive filled with honey. Bees can be seen moving over the hive as they work. Getty Images
Mrs Middleditch said Suffolk offered a great home for bees to produce honey

Mrs Middleditch regularly attended markets and said she enjoyed the community feel of them.

"You not only have a wonderful family within all the stallholders, but you also have customers coming back to you and they are literally my friends now."

The family element the business was key, Mrs Middleditch said, with her daughter, Lottie, helping her with marketing and social media, while she hoped Jonathan would one day take over the business.

The Make a Change event can be attended in person from 08:00 to 16:00 BST on Wednesday.

You can also listen live on BBC Radio Suffolk and on BBC Sounds.

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