The bee keeping season has started again, not that it completely stopped, but we are visiting the hives regularly again.  Both hives have needed  food because of the appalling  weather, and we gave them fondant because sugar water could freeze when there is a frost. 
Johns hive is still small, but doing well with new bees, larvae and eggs.
Mine was over run with bees. There were lots of queen cells which was a bit worrying because it could mean they are thinking of swarming to get more space, despite the fact I'd put a super and frames on the top.  So it was suggested by our tutor that I do a Shook Swarm.  This involved using a new brood box and setting it up with two empty frames, one between them with brood in it. Then all the bees are 'Shook' into the new box, a queen excluder is put on top, and the old box with the brood in it is put on top.  Over night and into the next day the worker bees will go up to attend to the brood frames, the queen cant get up there, and she has attendants who stay with her.  The next day the boxes are separated, and put 3 feet apart.  We did all of that and left the hives last Saturday afternoon, both with fondant, and next Friday we go to check on whats happening, and to remove most of the capped queen cells, just leaving one good one to hatch into a queen.

                                                  The tall box are two hives and a super.

The separated box with the origional brood box.

Some of the bees who had landed on the floor.  The will find their own way back, but I gave them a helping hand, and they walked off my hand back into the hive.  Sweet.