FC Senior staff and Commissioners on visit

Date Added: 20 January 2017 Contributor: Norman Davidson Year of Photo: 1991 Picture No: 3473

David Foot came across this photograph in his collection and with the help of Richard Toleman placed the image on the FCA Today magazine for people to identify the individuals.

The photograph was taken apparently at Ludlow on a District visit and Willie Sheridan believes the timing must be between Sep 1990 when Robin Cutler became Director General and 1992 when Charles Simmonds retired.

Willie Sheridan, Dick Gossling and Bill Mason have valiantly risen to the challenge of providing the names against the numbers listed below. Open the larger photograph to see the image more clearly.

1. Arthur Barlow (see comments below)
2. Richard Illingworth (Director Estate Management - Chief land Agent)
3. Roger Busby (Regional Director SW England)
4. Gavin Laird (see comments below)
5. Tim Sawyer (FDM based in Ludlow)
6. Alistair Scott (Director Private Forestry and Environment)
7. Bruce Robertson (Secretariat - Secretary for Commissioners' Meetings)
8. David Grundy (Commissioner for Administration and Finance)
9. Robin Cutler (Director General Forestry Commission)
10. ?
11. Peter Clarke (Secretary of the Forestry Commission)
12. ?
13. Eddie Arthurs (See comments)
14. Roger Bradley (Commissioner for Forest and Estate Management)
15. David Burdekin (Director for Research and Development)
16. Charles Simmonds (Director Personnel)
17. Rod Leslie (Private Fprestry & Environment Officer, SW England, Bristol)
18. Simon Harding (see comments from Wilma below)
19. Sir Michael Strang Steel (Part -time Commissioner)
20. Tony Spencer (Former Conservator N England, York)
21. Terence Mallinson? (Part Time Commissioner)
22. David Foot (Commissioner for Harvesting and Marketing)

More names, correction to names and spelling as well as the work roles for all would be very welcome. You may use the comments box below.

Willie Sheridan has come back with work descriptions of those that he remembers.

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Groups: Groups of people

9 Comments

Nick Fielding, Forest Research, Mortimer Forest Office has come back with the precise details of the above meeting:

'The photograph in the latest issue brought back memories for me! The photograph date is between autumn 1982 and late spring 1983 and was taken during a meeting of Conservators, FDM’s, Chief and Head Foresters from Wales and the border counties, to look at and discuss the recent finding of the spruce bark beetle �“ Dendroctonus micans. The meeting was held at the Mortimer Forest Office here in Ludlow.

The reason all the participants are outside with their tea/coffee was that the office had recently burnt down as a result of the pyromaniac tendencies of one of the foresters (another story). I, along with my colleague the late Colin King were talking to the group and showing them the symptoms and effect of the beetle and what we hoped to do to control this problem. We were, as was customary then, asked to move out of the way for the photograph!'

Comment left on 31 January 2017 at 18:54 by Norman Davidson

1 is Arthur Barlow (Operations Manager SW England)
4 is Gavin Laird, Commissioner and General Secretary of AEEU (later became Sir Gavin Laird)
Roger Busby was not Conservator but Regional Director Comment left on 16 February 2017 at 11:30 by Graham J Hamilton

Presumably Nick Fielding meant 1992 and 1993. It could not have been 82 or 83. Comment left on 16 February 2017 at 16:35 by Graham J Hamilton

I'm pretty sure number 1 is Arthur Barlow, he was DO at Craven Arms when I started in 1978. I later came across him again when he moved to the New Forest in the late 80's Comment left on 31 October 2019 at 09:38 by Ian Briscoe

In response to Graham J Hamilton. If it was taken in 1990 then it couldn't have been taken shortly after when Dendroctonus was first discovered as Nick suggests. I was there in 82 when it was first discovered and was actually felling infested trees at Hopton Titrell the week before it was identified. Shame I didn't say anything I could have made a name for myself! :-)
Comment left on 31 October 2019 at 16:18 by ian

There is a disconnect in the years between those of the comments and the year allocated to the image. It may be that there were two similar events.

Note that Michael Strang Steel was appointed Conmmissioner in November 1988, Robin Cutler as DG in Sept 1990 and Gavin Laird joined as Commissioner in Sep 1991, Comment left on 01 November 2019 at 08:48 by Norman Davidson

Clearly a Commissioners meeting when they visited Regions from time to time. I agree with Willie Sheridan about dates. Number 13 is Eddie Arthurs, I think. Comment left on 02 November 2019 at 12:43 by Graham J Hamilton

No 18 is Simon Harding who was FC economist at the time. Must have been early 1990s.

According to an Annual Repot
“ Simon Harding, Director Policy Studies Division, transferred to the Department of Health in August 1994” Comment left on 05 December 2019 at 13:45 by Wilma Harper

I am afraid that Nick Fielding is mistaken. This group photo was taken during a commissioners tour. Whilst many staff did visit in connection with dendroctonus but not on this occasion. The purpose of the visit was to see the fantastic work being done by the team at the Marches Forest District. A team it was my privilege to be a part of. Comment left on 29 May 2020 at 18:21 by Tim Sawyer

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