John Grieve on Alp Skyline in Clauchrie Forest, Nithsdale

Date Added: 01 December 2020 Contributor: Norman Davidson Year of Photo: 1980 Picture No: 4961

Photo is courtesy of Ben Harker who recalls:

“I took this photo of John Grieve from Ae village operating a James Jones Alp Skyline in the Clauchrie forest in about 1980. We lived at the edge of the forest and I used to go and help in my school holidays. One time the guy up the wire (Choker man) with the radio was off sick for 3 days, so I took over. To this day, it's the hardest 3 days of physical work I've ever done.”

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Groups: Forestry Areas, Forestry in Action, Timber harvesters, processors, forwarders and cable cranes

1 Comment

Thank you Ben for contributing the image. It brings back memories of cheveron 1st thinnings in SS, over contour ploughing on the steep slope to the north of Ae office in 1978, with Iain Lorimer using a Smith's TimberMaster skyline fitted round a Nuffield 4/60 tractor, for a Forest Thinnings contract! Unlike the Bowater pulp for Workington (I think!) seen in this image, we were trying to keep on top of 9 different produce specifications! Needless to say we reduced it to three. As Ben suggests "To this day, it's the hardest 3 days of physical work I've ever done.” being a chokerman in thinnings is hard graft.

Good health, Bill Comment left on 01 December 2020 at 23:09 by Bill Rayner

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