FCA Magazine (FCRA News) - Issue 8: April 2000
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 8: April 2000
Articles
Savernake Arboretum Again
John White, a retired dendrologist writes about the Quercus robur Cristata mentioned in the last issue.
Geoff Rouse says that he was invited to go with John White to mark a thinning in the species plots. The Larix polonika was of particular interest, with the best tree 81'/24.7m.
Mike Whitlock was at Savernake from 1956 to 1961 and thought the arboretum had been established after his time, on the former Cadley nursery, which does include specimen trees.
Hale and Hearty
Eric Hale, the FC's first full-time Welfare Officer, retired from HQ in 1977. He recalls the traumas of the HQ move from Basingstoke to Edinburgh in 1975. Since retiring he was, until two years ago, Clerk of Bentley Parish Council. Bentley is the Hampshire village in the live soap programme “The Village” on Radio 4 and Meridian TV.
A Millennial New Start
Elizabeth Porter known to staff in FE England as she was part of the Personnel Services team which covered that area and who has worked in HQ since 1985, retired on 31 December 1999.
Attention All Hoarders
John Grayson is enquiring whether any reader has an ELWELL catalogue of the early 1950s, when up to 70 regional patterns of billhooks were listed! He has a copy of the 1960 catalogue, but by then only 36 patterns were produced.
Life After Retirement
Or as Charlie Greenlees says "Life after Life". Charlie left the FC twice. The first time was from Clashindarroch as Assistant Forester to enter Aberdeen University where he took a degree in Geography. He subsequently went to Helsinki University, then spent 15 years in Karelia, Finland, where he married a Finn. He returned to the FC in 1981 and was posted to Ratagan.
Tom Johnstone, retired as Chief Forester at Wark Forest in 1984. He had a reputation for challenging any statement. One was cautious even of saying “Good morning” unless it was based on sound climatic evidence! He writes about his busy life in retirement, which included working at the Visitor Centre at Dalby for 15 years, consultancy for various organisations, working on a local estate and foreign travel.
Ecology Wins In Retirement
Alastair Rowan, whom readers will recall was very much a timber production man in Work Study and South Scotland gives details of his work during retirement. He says “Everyone I know who's retired asks where the time has gone, and I'm no exception: ten years have gone like a summer's afternoon”.
Forester Training Schools
Henry Smith (ex-Lynford and Dean) suggests a history of the schools is written.
Are You the Tenant of an Ex-FC House?
Following on from David Chadwick’s article in the 6th issue of FCRA News, Bart Venner has information of a “stay put” scheme, which is run by the Forest of Dean District Council in conjunction with the local Social Services.
Wartime Memories
Geoff Rouse invites contributors of unusual, fascinating and entertaining stories of the wartime period in the FC.
Fred Remembers
Fred's recollection shows how a well laid plan bears fruit after his talk at an IUFRO Poplar conference at Oxford, which would be followed by a party of 6 Russians visiting Alice Holt.
Farewells
Peter Awbery died aged 74 (Faversham) Retired 1984
Joseph Litt died aged 71 (Keswick) Retired 1993
Doreen Baber died aged 78 (Peasemarsh) Retired 1979
Ronald Lyde died aged 79 (Livingston) Retired 1983
George Ball died aged 78 (Barr, Girvan) Retired 1986
Kenneth Macdonald died aged 62 (Callanish) Retired 1979
Joseph Bartlett died aged 93 (Bridport) Retired 1970
Alexander McEwan died aged 70 (Dunoon) Retired 1994
Peter Bowman died aged 89 (Tiverton) Retired 1971
Lauchie MacGregor died aged 83 (Kyle of Lochalsh) Retired 1976
Janet Brown died aged 67 (Strathyre) Retired 1984
Elizabeth McGuire died aged 68 (Airdrie) Retired 1990
Leslie Brummitt died aged 74 (Raunds) Retired 1972
John McIntyre died aged 83 (Dunoon) Retired 1980
William Buckle died aged 64 (Bristol) Retired 1997
James McTeir died aged 67 (Lockerbie) Retired 1992
Leslie Cran died aged 74 (Culloden) Retired 1989
S.C. Marsh died aged 83 (Munford) Retired 1979
Harold Cutler died aged 71 (Lymington) Retired 1989
Charles Marshall died aged 79 (Cardiff) Retired 1979
David Davies died aged 79 (Brynhir Llandre) Retired 1985
Anthony Messent died aged 77 (Thetford) Retired 1982
Jenkin Davies died aged 80 (Tregaron) Retired 1984
John Milne died aged 73 (Brodick) Retired 1989
John Davies died aged 77 (Carmarthen) Retired 1987
Leonard Owen died aged 66 (Pwllheli) Retired 1995
William Doherty died aged 90 (Exeter) Retired 1969
Albert Parker died aged 86 (Chepstow) Retired 1978
George Doran died aged 77 (Brandon) Retired 1984
Robert Payne died aged 83 (Cambridge) Retired 1975
A.C.W. Evans died aged 83 (Newtown) Retired 1980
William Powell 76 (Leominster) Retired 1988
Samuel Evans died aged 85 (Devils Bridge) Retired 1978
Godfrey Price died aged 70 (Merthyr Tydfil) Retired 1987
Margaret Ferguson died aged 66 (Glenmoriston) Retired 1992
James Riddoch 90 (Peterhead) Retired 1973
Arthur Fishlock died aged 66 (Malmsbury) Retired 1986
James Ross 89 (Inverness) Retired 1975
John Hamilton died aged 61 (Glentrool) Retired 1986
William Stevens 81 (Carmarthen) Retired 1979
Richard lsted died aged76 (Petersfield) Retired 1988
William Stirk 62 (Stockton on Tees) Retired 1974
Griffith Jenkens died aged 94 (Talybont, Dyfed) Retired 1970
James Strachan 76 (Huntly) Retired 1977
Julia Jennings died aged 88 (Hove) Retired 1970
John Sprunt 81 (Tain) Retired 1982
Elizabeth Johnson died aged 80 (Fleet) Retired 1979
Jane Wightman 85 (Edinburgh) Retired 1975
James Johnston died aged 79 (Peebles) Retired 1981
Kenneth Woods 75 (Ampleforth) Retired 1987
Ronald Keir died aged 90 (Monmouth) Retired 1970
Hamish Turner 70 (Minard) Retired 1992
Susan Lepper died aged 71 (Bexhill) Retired 1976
Obituaries
George Dey recalls George Murray who died in December aged 74. During the War, he worked on Timber Control and as a Bevan Boy. In 1949 he entered Forester Training School at Glentress. He remained in East Scotland, being posted to Rannoch, Drummond Hill, Strathardle and finally to Drumtochty as Chief Forester, where he retired in 1985.
Donald Fraser has sent in an appreciation of Tavish Macmillan who died at Aberfeldy last October aged 70, after a short illness. He was born in Drumnadrochit and spent the major part of his working life in the old East Scotland Conservancy.
Although Laurence 'Larry' Roche, who died in November, wasn't a member of the FC. he had a major influence on forestry through his professorship at the University of Wales, Bangor, from 1975-92.