FCA Magazine (FCAtoday) - Issue 37: March 2009
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 37: March 2009
Articles
Forest Visit 1949 Style
Archie Cameron, now 78 and retired to Paisley, remembers the annual visits to a forest, organised by the West Scotland Conservancy Office in the late 1940s. The chosen forest would lay on a range of activities - horse or mechanical extraction, axe and cross-cut felling, and planting. On the homeward bus, singing would be led by John Watson, a semi-professional performer. Two separate floors were rented for the office at 53 Bothwell Street and two at 200 St. Vincent Street. Later they moved to West George Street, then Renfrew Street, and finally India Street, where the Conservancy Office expired. A photo taken by Bill Thomson shows them visiting Strathlachlan in 1949. Those he remembers in the photo are: John James (Conservator); Ben Kinnaird (chief clerk); John Williamson (labour officer); Hugh Dyer (A/Cons); Maisie Cullum (CO); Robert Brown (EO); Alec Liddell (EO); John Millar (CO); John McMillan (EO); Barrie Drummond (EO); James Blyth (CO); John Watson (Drawing Office); Frank Foley (CO); Bill Thomson (DO); Evelyn McMillan (typist); Isobel Boyd (typing superintendent); Rosemary Nicol (cartographer); Bill Griffin (CO); Hugh Brown (CO); Mary Campbell (typist); George Gordon (CO); Jim Gordon (CO) and Archie Cameron(CO).
North Wales Group on the Web
The North Wales Group has produced a web page in conjunction with Forestry Commission Wales. Its guiding hands were Jeff Evans of Forestry Commission Wales and Les Starling, FCA member. It shows recent activities with photos of the members relaxing and enjoying themselves, and lists future events to encourage participation.
Faskally, Telling it Like it Was
Ted Radford comments on John McNeil’s assertion of the camaraderie that existed at Faskally.
That Faskally Photograph Again
Ralph Nickerson commends his old colleague John McNeil for the picture of would-be foresters from half a century ago and has a few amendments for the cast list. In the front row, just to Ian Robinson’s left, crouch Mike Smith and Ian Ward. In the back row, immediately to Nickerson’s left, is “Wee Gordy” Brown. Ralph also has some comments on the deselection of some of the students.
Spent Hops
The H & S Eager Beaver article in the August issue of FCA Today, reminded Martin Fletcher of working at Kennington Nursery, south of Oxford in 1966, before going to the Dean FTS. The small research nursery was opened in 1926 and run for most of its life by H/F Bill Gray until it closed in the late 60s. Martin recalls methods used and “gifts of kind”. He also recalls a poem about FC instructions.
A Hole Problem
Arthur Sutton remembers dealing with a request regarding a horse when he was at his desk in the West Sussex District Office in Chichester one day in the 1960s.
The Secrets of the Morehay Oaks
Peter Fretwell has written an interesting article with facts and legends on the Morehay Oaks.
Letters to the Editor
Ted Baldwin writes in reference to John Zehtmayr’s footnote regarding the dominance of the Macdonalds in post-war Forestry Commission research. Ted recalls the staffing in the early 1950s as: -
Director Research & Education, James Macdonald; Silviculture (N) Edinburgh, J.A.B. Macdonald; Research H/F Fort Augustus, Angus Macdonald; Research Forester Mabie, Murdo Macdonald; Ex- School ganger, Research, Alex Macdonald; Forestry School Instructor, Roddy Macdonald.
Obituaries
Alan Peacock remembers two colleagues.
The first was Gillies Mclean, who died in September. He was born in 1940 and started working with the Commission in 1986. He drove a Bri-Mec loader and then moved on to an artic low-loader.
Dougie Graham was born in 1921 and started with the Commission in 1969 as a ploughman. When his job was phased out about 1983, he joined the road squad until he retired in 1986.
Mike Whitlock recalls Lawrence (Lawrie) Tee who died in February aged 81. He spent nearly all his life in east Hampshire. He was brought up in the area and on leaving school, joined the FC at what is now Queen Elizabeth Forest. He moved to Bramshill, rising to the rank of ganger and taking charge of trainees. On completion of forester training at Parkend, Lawrie returned to Alice Holt Forest.
George Parker’s son tells of the death of his father in November 2008, just weeks short of his 90th birthday. George had worked for the Commission for more than half a century in Hamsterley, Byrness, Kielder, Chopwell and Slaley. He retired in 1988.
Lena Birchall tells of the passing of Wendy Lampard, who was born in Canada in 1925. The family returned to England when she was 14 and settled near Farnham. After leaving school she worked locally, where she met Peter Lampard, her future husband. When she married she was working at Alice Holt Research Station, first as a typist, then as Secretary and PA to more than one Director.
Groups: Forestry Commission staff magazines