A Hive Friends UK 🇬🇧 Meet Up + A Power 🆙

In December 2025, some UK Hivians descended on London for the Tokenize:LDN event to represent Hive for the 10th Annual Defi Web3 Conference held at the ExCel Centre. Hive account@mcsamm spoke for the Hive project Hive account@wellsforall and I spoke on behalf of Hive.

Some of us on Hive account@steevc's #britlist could make it, but given it was December other Brits could not. I pledged to make an "okay, maybe next time?" a reality. The promise is now fulfilled and a new Friends UK episode, "The One About Hive" happened today in lovely Bedford.

It was a midday meetup with folk training in or driving for hours from the North, South, and East of England to reach our rendezvous in the county town of Bedfordshire. Hive account@steevc and I brought Hive merch from Hive account@hivefest and other recent chain events we've attended, so the beginning of our get-together felt like we were opening stockings on Christmas morning.

From L to R, here's the Hive Friends UK MeetUp, 21 February, 2026—
♦️Hive account@alessandrawhite
♦️Hive account@gillianpearce
♦️Hive account@chris-uk
♦️Hive account@steevc
♦️Hive account@nicklewis
♦️Hive account@shanibeer

In additional to this being a Hive Meetup, today serves double-duty as a Creative Work Hour (CWH) meetup, too! Actually, this is the 21st organized Hive & CWH MeetUp in the last three years! Our dear Hive account@nicklewis is now properly invited into the Hive account@creativeworkhour crew. Welcome Nick!!

A daily part of how CWH reinforces its commitment to the chain is that we power up based on the number of active Hivians (based on the status shown on HiveBuzz) who join us in the daily live online co-working sessions. To celebrate CWH MeetUp #21, we will power up an additional 6 HIVE to our daily total, to honour those who joined us in Bedford today. 🎉

To divide the tasks of organizing the meetup, I ran communications & photography and Hive account@steevc took care of lunch reservations, the after lunch walk route, and the venue for end-of-day drinks.

After lunch at the Olive Tree, Hive account@steevc led us on a brisk walk along the River Great Ouse, which is famous for it's swans, but Canadian geese like to encroach on the prized waters traditionally dominated by the majestically-paired water foul. 🦢🦢

It turns out that the swans aren't the only stars of Bedford. Along our walk we saw the White Water Arena signage honouring the British slalom canoeist Etienne Stott, a beloved son of the city, who rigorously trained on this river and earned a Gold 🥇 Medal at the 2012 London Olympic Games.

At the conclusion of our Riverside walk, we took the corner opposite St. Paul's Church which has origins dating back to the 8th Century, but the current structure dates to the 13th Century, albeit with restorations along its timeline. A stunning example of mediæval collegiate architecture.

A perfect ending to a perfect day together, we enjoyed drinks courtesy Hive account@shanibeer and Hive account@gillianpearce at the riverside Bedford Swan Hotel's Pen & Cob bar and restaurant. I tried to stump dear Hive account@steevc. I asked, "Steve, what is a Pen & Cob?" Without missing a beat he said, "a female and male swan pair." I said, "which is which?" He swiftly replied, "the cob is the male." So quick, that Steve!

Besides being a winning partner at trivia, should you need one, Hive account@steevc was brilliant in helping me organize the day. That said, it all came to life because Hive account@nicklewis, Hive account@madasaboxof, Hive account@shanibeer, and Hive account@chris-uk (who gifted me big bags of crisps–my fave Brit snack) trekked the whole way to Bedford so we could spend the day together.

Many it be one of many more to come!

Much love! 🥰
Alessandra

Ps. if you want to be added to the invitation list for the next Hive Friends UK MeetUp, please let me know in the reply below. Even if you just have plans to travel to the UK and want to be included, let me know that, too!