FCA Magazine (FCAtoday) - Issue 54: Spring 2015
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 54: Spring 2015
Articles
Moving Eight Times in a Lifetime?
Don Amer calculates the number of times he has moved to different residences.
Experiences of a Forester in Africa
Duncan Lee applied for a teaching post at the Zambia Forest College in 1966. The British Government sent recruits for their overseas aid to Commonwealth countries. Duncan opted for a secondment, thus holding the “door open” to the Forestry Commission on his return. The job proved to be interesting and varied and Duncan stayed on for two years longer than the initial three year secondment.
Before Chainsaws
Before chainsaws were invented, the logging industry in the United States & Canada was a seriously challenging occupation. In the Pacific Northwest there were forests full of monster trees and cutting them down was done by hand. Photographs of early methods of tree felling accompany this article.
Cargo Bikes
Some people believe Cargo Bikes are the only way to travel around town. Do a Google search on “Copenhagen Cargo Bikes” and enjoy the YouTube bike adventures.
Willie Cameron - Sutherland Man and Forester
Norman Davidson has written about the life of Willie Cameron who died aged 89 in November 2014. The article has photographs taken at Auchterawe Nursery Fort Augustus in 1948 of C. MacAulay, Davie Robertson, Bob Ross, Willie Cameron and John MacLeod (Forestry Memories Picture No 609), Benmore Forester Training School taken in 1950 of the 1949-51 Class (Forestry Memories Picture No. 596). Willie is also pictured with his son Donald in 1994.
Recruits Wanted in 1961
Brian Greig contributes a Forestry Commission advertisement for recruits that appeared in the January 1961 issue of the Quarterly Journal of Forestry.
Recollections of a Pre-Forestry School Worker
Simon Malone was a pre-school forest worker at Alice Holt prior to taking up a place at the Dean Forester Training School. He recalls those times in this article.
A Senior’s Prayer
David Paterson shares a poignant poem which has a wishful element that should make you smile.
From the Editor
A comment from Richard Toleman.
Obituaries
Brian Greig remembers John Low who died in 2013, aged 92. After serving in World War II, he joined the Forestry Commission and made a huge contribution to the early days of Forest Research.
Martin Fletcher sent a press cutting about David Perry OBE who died aged 82 in January. David joined the FC in 1957 as an assistant DO based at Reading and retired in 1992.
Norman Davidson has written about the life of Willie Cameron who died in November 2014. The article “Willie Cameron – A Sutherland Man and Forester” is on Page 13 of this edition of FCA Today.