FCA Magazine (FCRA News) - Issue 3: August 1998
FC staff Retirement Association magazine. The content summary below was 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 3: August 1998
Articles
Well Worth It!
Ted Baldwin replies to Frazer Lindsay’s article in Issue 2 of FCRA News.
AGM 2nd June 1998
Details are given of the FCRA AGM which was held at The Crieff Hydro. The retirement of Peter Clarke after three years as the Association Chairman and Bruce Robertson as Treasurer were noted. David Chadwick becomes the incoming Chairman and Charles Dickens becomes the Treasurer. The guest speaker at the AGM Dinner was David Foot who outlined the potential changes at the FC. Hugh Clayden welcomed guests on the field trip to Aberfoyle on the following day, which started in the visitor centre and was followed by tours of nearby areas of forest.
New Group for Kielder
John Harpin is the Chairman of the new group within the North England Branch.
The Glenhurich Gathering
Mike Long’s anecdote in the December Issue reminded Bill ‘Irish’ Gibson of a hill fire which threatened Glenhurich Forest. He called for army assistance and the Clan Ranald Steamer appeared at Pollock Pier with 42 Commandoes who extinguished the fire, to the relief of Head Forester Willie McClymont. Bill relates an amusing story about the incident.
Life After Retirement
Don MacCaskill, who retired in 1983 as Chief Forester in Strathyre, gives details of his love of wildlife, the natural world and study of otters. He is a regular contributor to The Scots Magazine and with his wife Bridget has written two books, the latest about foxes.
Phil Ratcliffe is known for his wildlife and conservation work at Alice Holt and Edinburgh. He has written about spending time in retirement on his 10 acre woodland near Dunoon and with his wife Annie, indulging their interest in exotic birds by creating Cowal Bird Garden.
Take Care
Charlie Greenlees gives details of Mid Argyll Branch’s January talk given by David Black of Help the Aged. The subjects covered were Social Security benefits, retirement homes and investment possibilities.
Here to Help
Information is given on the work and help provided by the Civil Service Retirement Fellowship (CSRF).
FCRA News OK?
Lena Birchall, FCRA News correspondent at Alice Holt says FCRA News was discussed at their last committee meeting and there was general support, but members hoped future issues would contain news of Group activities.
North Wales Group
Details of the initial meetings at Dolgellau and Llanrwst attracted 30 prospective members and a further 20 expressing interest. The first meeting in September will be to the Llechwedd Slate Caverns near Blaenau Ffestiniog.
From the Editor
A comment from Richard Toleman.
Welcome to Retirement
Alan Beardsley (North Yorks Moors)
Mike Bishop (New Forest)
"Brad" Bradbury (Thetford)
Gracie Byers (Dumfries)
R W Causton (Thetford)
D P Cochrane (Dumfries)
David Elgy (Alice Holt)
David Elliott (Edinburgh)
Charles Fleming (Newton)
Mrs E Fraser (Kelty, Fife)
Eleanor Furneaux (Edinburgh)
Chris Griffin (North Yorks Moors)
Martin Hobday (Forest of Dean)
Catherine Laing (Dingwall)
Kay MacDonald (Inverness)
Alasdair MacLeod (Kingussie)
Jim McGlone (Edinburgh)
Mary Morgan (Ponterdwyd)
Ashley Morris (Bucks Horn Oak)
W M Orr (Stirling)
A E Price (Llanwrtyd, Powys)
Tim Sawyer (Bristol)
Eileen Tait (Rothbury)
Keith Wallis (Wendover, Chilterns)
Peter Webb (Okehampton, Devon)
Valerie Williamson (Forest of Dean)
Farewells
Charles Adland died aged 72. (Market Rasen) Retired 1963
Jonathan Anderson died aged 66. (Ballater) Retired 1985
John Banbury died aged 91. (Verwood, Dorset) Retired 1970
James Bell (Castle Douglas)
Francis Cornell died aged 74. (Lincoln) Retired 1983
George Darnley died aged 64. (Forres) Retired 1992
William Deacon died aged 86. (Fordingbridge) Retired 1976
William Dennis died aged 78. (Bodmin) Retired 1979
William Fuller died aged 81. (Brecon) Retired 1974
Edwin George died aged 73. (Bendley, Worc) Retired 1987
Duncan Gillanders died aged 97. (Alness) Retired 1966
Ernest Goodland died aged 81. (Bristol) Retired 1981
Anthony Grabham died aged 70. (Taunton) Retired 1987
Alexander Graham died aged 77. (Falstone) Retired 1982
James Halliday died aged 87. (Dalkeith) Retired 1971
Edwin Hampstead died aged 75. (Kings Lynn) Retired 1981
Thomas Hart died aged 92. (Scarborough) Retired 1969
Philip Hawke died aged 87. (Cranbrook) Retired 1974
Clifford Hemingway died aged 89. (Brampton, Cumbria) Retired 1972
Ernest Hill died aged 89. (Dorking) Retired 1972
Donald Hossack died aged 81. (Ullapool) Retired 1979
Edward Howard died aged 86. (North Walsham) Retired 1975
Norman Howgate died aged 64. (Ambleside) Retired 1990
David Hughes died aged 56. (Machynlleth) Retired 1988
Lewis Hughes died aged 87. (Pentrefoelas) Retired 1971
Marian Ibbotson died aged 73. (Llandudno) Retired 1984
Harold lmpey died aged 77. (Scarborough) Retired 1981
Frances Innes died aged 69. (Fort William) Retired 1991
John James died aged 86. (Dumfries) Retired 1971
Anthony Johnstone died aged 85. (Gatehouse of Fleet) Retired 1963
David Jones died aged 91. (Builth Wells) Retired 1971
William Lillie died aged 72. (Falstone, Hexham) Retired 1985
Douglas MacDonald died aged 79. (Benderloch, Oban) Retired 1979
James MacDonald died aged 78. (Oban) Retired 1984
Dugald Macinnes died aged 76. (Fort William) Retired 1984
Murdo Maclean died aged 82. (Portree) Retired 1975
Hugh McEachern died aged 70. (Ballachulish) Retired 1975
Geoffrey McGowan died aged 60. (Northwich) Retired 1996
J McKenna died aged 82. (Lochgilphead) Retired 1969
Malcolm McLean died aged 90. (Arrochar) Retired 1972
Thomas Morgan died aged 83. (Newton, Powys) Retired 1982
C Neville died aged 76. (Basingstoke) Retired 1976
Ivor Rea died aged 80. (Plymstock, Devon) Retired 1980
Jennie Rees died aged 91. (Aberystwyth) Retired 1968
Robert Roberts died aged 87. (Corwen) Retired 1970
Michael Romanuik died aged 72. (Horsham) Retired 1990
David Smallwood died aged 81. (Kendal) Retired 1981
Cecil Snowden died aged 70. (Pickering) Retired 1989
Albert Stewart died aged 82. (Fort William) Retired 1980
John Stoakley died aged 66. (Peebles) Retired 1991
Henry Stocks died aged 88. (Kincardine, by Alloa) Retired 1973
Richard Stumbles died aged 76. (Llandrindod Wells) Retired 1981
Obituaries
Daniel James Cox died last autumn. He joined the FC just after the war and retired in 1977 as Head Forester in Wareham Forest, Dorset.
George S H Seymour of Southwick, Peterborough died suddenly last May, aged 76 during a RFS meeting at Woburn Abbey Woods. Known as Harry, he worked in Rockingham Forest for 26 years until retirement in 1980.
Dick Stumbles died in October 1997. Dick was a District Officer in Wales, and until recently was active within the Institute of Chartered Foresters and the Royal Forestry Society.
Richard Bernard Tyson died in December 1997, aged 71. He had worked for the FC for 44 years and had retired to Keswick in 1991.
James "Jim" Clark died in October 1997, aged 88. He took charge of Fineshade Woods in Rockingham Forest in 1957, moved to Woodhall Spa in 1963 and retired in 1968.
Norman Tulloch, died in May, aged 89. He had a lifetime in education, starting in Glentress Forester Training School, then Lynford Hall in 1951, Faskally in 1957 and the Department of Forestry in Inverness College in 1970. He retired to East Lothian in 1972.
Joe Russell died suddenly in January, aged 76. Latterly he was Chief Welfare Officer. In retirement he was an active FCRA member and an elder of the Old Kirk, Bo'ness.
From Lochgilphead comes news of Jonnie MacArthur's death. He joined the FC as ranger for Achaglachgach in 1946 and retired as Senior Ranger in 1983.
William Holt died in December, aged 85. He was a forester in the Grendon and Bicester area.
From Cowal comes news of the death of Rena Muir, Wattie's wife. She is credited with having invented a very successful anti-midge protective headgear for seedbed weeding - tights stretched over a straw hat'.
Mrs Ritchie in Glenluce, Newton Stewart, writes that her husband Ian Ritchie, a civil engineer, died in September.
From Lena Birchall comes news that Harold Sands died in December, aged 78. He had worked in Abinger Forest for 30 years until retirement in 1962.
John "Johnny" MacFee, a loyal member of the Mid Argyll Branch, died in October. He had 31 years' service in Kilmichael and Loch Awe.
Barbara Maher, a friend and colleague, tells of the death of Sybil Summers in December. They had worked together in Savile Row, London, and remained in touch ever since.
"Mirna" Geekie MBE died in November, aged 90. She started with the FC at the end of the war in Bristol, then London and finally Edinburgh, where she retired in 1967. Her interests included WRVS, Scottish Rock Garden Club, National Trust for Scotland and Scottish Geographical Society and she sang with several choirs.
Groups: Forestry Commission staff magazines