FCA Magazine (FCRA News) - Issue 2: December 1997
FC staff Retirement Association magazine. Content summary below very kindly compiled by Diane Birkett, Bedfordshire. See PDF attachment below the text to view the full document. A total of 77 issues were completed between 1997 and the final issue in 2023.
Issue 2
Articles
Is It Worth It?
Frazer Lindsay poses the question “Is it Worth it?” and considers the merits of FCRA News, a publication independent from Slasher.
The Nest is History
Mike Long of Mole Plough fame in Moffat recalls an incident in 1969 at the FC Golden Jubilee Exhibition at Bush. A cage labelled and containing a pine marten also had 2 hens' eggs on a pile of heather (the marten's lunch). A primary school teacher and class passed by. She announced "you have seen the arrival of sand martins and house martins, here's a pine marten's nest". With that the pine marten emerged and promptly ate the eggs! Response 'there's a rat eating the pine marten's eggs!' Moral - the world survives quite happily on misinformation. especially if delivered profoundly.
1998 FCRA AGM
Details are announced of the FCRA AGM which is scheduled for 2nd June 1998 at the Crieff Hydro hotel, near Perth.
Life After Retirement
After thirty years as District Officer, Assistant Conservator and finally Chief Work Study Officer, David Chadwick writes about a visit and subsequent stay in Zimbabwe, initially as a consultant for ILO, the United Nations Agency. Whilst there, Richard Toleman and his wife Judy visited and Richard joined them at a meeting of the Forestry Association of Zimbabwe. At the Forest Research Branch Office at Chimanimani which Michael Wall, recently Head of Technical Development Branch, had built during his time with the Zimbabwe Forestry Commission, Richard gave greetings from the Institute of Chartered Foresters and presented one of its ties to George Bruce, president of FAZ, receiving in exchange one of the distinctive FAZ ties.
Ragbag of Snippets
Details are given of the North Scotland Branch’s visit to Glen Affric forest with guides Gordon Donaldson and Sandra Folds.
The Director of The Royal Forestry Society of England, Wales and Northern Ireland offers a concessionary rate for retired people to join the society.
The David Douglas Society, which aims to perpetuate the memory of the Scottish plant collector (remember the Douglas fir), has contacted FCRA with news that it is open to all with a forestry, horticultural and landscape interest.
Tony Joslin, the Deputy Surveyor in the Dean until his retirement, is emigrating to Manitoba, Canada to take up farming.
A Taste of Wine
Stan Forrester writes about his winery in Strathcarron.
Round up …Round up …
News items include congratulations to Keith Ball (previously of Drawing Office HQ) for raising money for charity by running his 3rd London Marathon and 11th marathon in total.
59 ex Dean Foresters’ school students and wives enjoyed a reunion dinner in October at the Bells Club, Coleford, Forest of Dean. Cyril Lewis was the longest retired, entering the Dean School in 1934.
The Association of Professional Foresters (APF) offers assistance for retirees wishing to continue in active forestry work.
Round The Branches
Chairman David Fraser writes about the members of his branch Edinburgh & S(Scotland) enjoying a full programme of outings. He appeals to members to contact him or Nancy MacKenzie if they wish to start and run a Dumfries Group.
They could give a fig!
A fig tree belonging to Betty and John Zehetmayr, keen gardeners in Penarth, South Wales, produced 700 edible fruits last year.
Listings
A planned visit to the Royal Observatory, Edinburgh is announced and Finlay MacRae will be the guest speaker at the North Scotland Christmas lunch.
From the Editor
A comment from Richard Toleman.
Welcome to Retirement
T G Breed (Thetford)
P C Clark (Lyndhurst)
J Dack (Horsham St Faith)
C F Evans (Llanwychllyn)
J Fraser (Inverness)
D Galbraith (Karnes, Tighnabruaich)
G J Hamilton (Inverness)
J J Hamilton (Castle Douglas)
A G James (Aberystwyth)
D Linney (Rugeley, Staff)
ER Parry (Aberystwyth)
J J Phillipson (Roslin)
M R Plowman (Alice Holt)
C Roberts (Cynwyd Clwyd)
A B Sawers (Edinburgh)
Mrs S Simpson (Edinburgh)
D L Wilmot (Llangorse, Brecon)
E Woodgate (Farnham)
D Yeats (Huntly)
Farewells
William Anderson died aged 51. (Fortrose) Retired 1996
James Bodle died aged 68. (Locharbriggs, Dumfries) Retired 1994
Edwin Booth died aged 70. (Stratford on Avon) Retired 1962
Ernest Burton died aged 93. (Somerton, Somerset) Retired 1969
Jack Chamberlain died aged 79. (Itton. Gwent) Retired 1981
Francis Cowie died aged 85. (Forres) Retired 1979
Arthur Chapman died aged 85. (Bridgewater) Retired 1975
John Cambell died aged 81. (Skye) Retired 1981
Gordon Drew died aged 72. (West Malling, Kent) Retired 1984
Alexander Downie died aged 76. (Carradale) Retired 1980
William Fawkes died aged 61. (Newcastleton) Retired 1997
Charles Ferguson died aged 57. (Aviemore) Retired 1996
Griffith Griffiths died aged 78. (Pwllheli) Retired 1979
Thomas Green died aged 79. (Bonnyrigg, Edinburgh) Retired 1982
Charles James died aged 65. (Maentwrog, Gwynedd) Retired 1990
Thomas Jones died aged 89. (Knighton, Powys) Retired 1972
Frederick Jones died aged 82. (Woodbridge, Suffolk) Retired 1976
Henry McConnachie died aged 95. (Elgin) Retired 1966
George Marshall died aged 84. (Lydney) Retired 1978
John Munro died aged 86. (Lumsden, Huntly) Retired 1970
C Otto died aged 80. (Aberdare) Retired 1977
Gurnos Roberts died aged 82. (Christchurch Coleford) Retired 1980
Raymond Roberts died aged 62. (Dolwyddelan, Conwy) Retired 1996
John Rogers died aged 75. (Berriew, Welshpool) Retired 1986
Arthur Rudling died aged 83. (Chichester) Retired 1976
Obituaries
Ted Baldwin of Dumfries writes about former forester Austin Watson who died in April 1997 aged 66. He trained at Benmore in the early 50's and retired in 1990 having spent time in Mensuration Branch (Edinburgh), Glenbranter and Mabie.
Barbara Shiels, who joined the Forestry Commission HQ in Secretariat in 1978, died in September. Her early career took her to the ATS, then the Ministry of Transport. Latterly she was active in the local FCRA branch as Slasher correspondent.
Roger Larsen remembers Hazel Pottinger who died this year. She came to the Forestry Commission as Information Officer in the 70s and 80s. On retirement she went to Argyll with her old boat and married Peter Clowes.
Tom McGeorge recalls Raymond Fossey, who died recently, aged 92. He came to South Scotland in 1947 from south of the Border.
John Zehetmayr writes about Jimmy Farquhar who died this year aged 89. He served over 40 years in Research, starting in Sample Plots in J 929 and leaving as Chief Research Forester Scotland in 1970. Many Silviculturists in NRS will pay tribute to his care in setting out and recording experiments. John recalls the completion of the 1952 Teindland ploughing experiment and considers it one of their finest.
Geoffrey Forrest who died in October became the Forestry Commission's first Senior Officer for Scotland in 1964. The Scotsman obituary of 29th October details his interesting and varied career.