Slasher Magazine Summary: Publication No. 266 - March/April 1971
The digitisation of the Slasher was undertaken by, and images courtesy of, the Forest Research Knowledge and Information Management staff based at both the Northern Research Station in Roslin, Scotland and Alice Holt in Surrey, where the original copies are currently located.
The content summary below was very kindly compiled by Diane Birkett, Bedfordshire. See PDF attachment link below the text to view the full document. A total of over 400 issues were produced between 1948 and the final issue in 2010.
Recreation Policy
The Commission's Recreation Policy statement given to the Press at a conference at Savile Row on 5th April 1971, affirms that being responsible for almost 3 million acres of land in Great Britain, it is in a unique position to help to meet the demand for countryside recreation.
Commission Chairman, Lord Taylor of Gryfe; Mr G.G. Stewart, Commission for Forest and Estate Management; and Mr C.D. Begley, Head of Forest Management Division addressed the 35 journalists present.
Prince of Wales Committee
A new organisation has been set up to take the place, in Wales, of the Countryside in 1970 Committee.
It will be known as the Prince of Wales Committee, with His Royal Highness as Chairman, and among its members will be Mr J.W.L. Zehetmayr, Senior Officer for Wales.
Speaking at a Press conference, the Prince announced the setting up of a Welsh Environment Foundation, which will be supported by public subscription and will give grants to various conservation projects.
Chairman and Lady Taylor Visit Northern Research Station
Commission Chairman Lord Taylor, accompanied by Lady Taylor visited the Northern Research Station on 18th March. They were met by Mr Brian Holtam, Chief Research Officer and senior members of his staff.
Miss Rosemary Barron presented Lady Taylor with a bouquet of flowers.
Congratulations on Certification
Mr Peter Hermon of Finance (Accounts) Section at London HQ has gained the Associateship of Certified and Corporate Accountants following five years of study.
Congratulations: Marriage
Mr R.G. (René) Harlow, aged 78, messenger at London HQ was married to Mrs Winifred Mansfield at Southwark Town Hall on 27th March.
Promotions
Mr I.A.D. Grant, District (Forest) Officer I, North East England promoted to Assistant Conservator (Forest).
Mr R.T.F. Larsen, District (Forest) Officer I, West Scotland promoted to Assistant Conservator (Forest).
MR G.G.M. Taylor, District (Forest) Officer I, Research promoted to Assistant Conservator (Forest).
Janet (Mary) McColvin is leaving London HQ on promotion to the Public Trustee Office.
Resignation
Mr Bill Lindsay Smith, DFO (I), Conservation & Recreation Branch left in March to join the Economic Forestry Group as Southern Region Manager at Berkhamsted.
New President
Mr John Curtis, Chairman of Thames Board Mills Ltd. has been elected President of the British Paper and Board Makers' Association, which represents 99 per cent of the U.K. industry.
Mind How You Go
Statistics on farm fatalities and accidents in England and Wales.
Metrication
The Metrication Board reports the present overall public awareness of metrication is 62 per cent. There has been a steady increase in knowledge of the main metric units.
A Handy Pocket Book
The Timber Growers Organisation Ltd. has produced a pocket size handbook called "Mensuration Information and Record of Prices", which includes information such as acres to hectares, hoppus feet to cubic metres and chains to metres.
Pocket Relascopes (Metric Models)
For field staff accustomed to using home-made relascopes to assess basal areas per acre, notes on constructing new instruments which will give basal area values in square metres per hectare. Or to convert existing instruments to give readings in these new units. A table shows the Basal Area Factor, Standard Length of Rod or Chain, Width of Blade or Aperture, Outside Diameter of Brass or Aluminium Tubing, Length of Chain or Rod, Nominal Bore of Copper Tubing, Actual Outside of same and Length of Chain or Rod.
Trees At Longleat
Lord Bath's estate at Longleat - famous for its lions and other beasts is having its 200 year old arboretum (4,500 acres) brought into a good state of repair, and its 355 species of trees classified and catalogued.
The work is being undertaken by Mr Edward H. Brook Boulton, who was Head of the School of Forestry at Cambridge, and for the past 16 years has been timber advisor on the reconstruction of HMS Victory at Portsmouth dockyard.
The arboretum at Longleat contains some of the largest and rarest trees, from all parts of the world, to be found on any private estate. One of the largest is a giant Wellingtonia with a circumference of nearly 21 feet. One of the Californian Redwoods introduced in 1841 has a girth of 20 feet 8 inches.
Book Review
The Natural History of an English Forest: The Wild Life of Wyre by Norman E. Hickin is reviewed by Commission Publications Officer Mr H.E. Edlin.
The author Norman Hickin is a field naturalist and illustrator and has had a deep love of Wyre Forest since he was a young boy. He has produced an account of the wild life, trees, flowers, birds, mammals and insects in Wyre Forest which covers 6,000 acres of hilly country west of the Severn, near Bewdley in Worcestershire. He acknowledges the help he has received from Commission staff, Head Forester R.E. Young and Mr Edwin George.
Onion-Shaped Log Lifter
After eight years of trials, the Bohemia Lumber Company of Culp Creek, Oregon has developed a balloon logging system. The static lift, onion-shaped, helium filled balloon is combined with a variable interlocking yarder. The balloon, 113 feet high, 105 feet wide with a minimum gas volume of 530,000 cu.ft. is made of Dacron and coated with Neoprin. It has a usable lift of between 25,000 lbs at sea level to 20,700 lbs at 5,000 feet and can log in winds up to 35 knots.
The Birds - Mystery Solved
Mr Brian Bliss, HQ (L) has responded to the article about birds making holes in road surfaces in a previous issue of Slasher. He says grit helps the digestion of birds, especially passerines (perchers) and game birds such as pheasants and partridges, pigeons and others. He adds that caged birds should have grit in the bottom of their cages.
Creepy
A display advertisement in a national daily newspaper announced a "Meeting of the Holders of Frankenstein Stock to be held in St. Paul's Churchyard, London."
Time Rolls On
Mr W.J. Taylor, Tintern Forest, South Wales, recalls his first job after leaving school and working for the Forestry Commission in East Scotland with a ganger and two ex-Timber Corps girls. Initially, their journey to and from work was an arduous cycle on an undulating minor road, not something to look forward to in the winter months. However, they were informed transport was being laid on from the Market Square. They were surprised to discover their "transport" was a Rolls Royce taxi run by a local hirer. Eventually, a lorry driver was recruited and a high-sided ex-naval type truck became their regular transport.
More Productive Forests Needed
A hundred delegates - foresters, economists and forestry officials from 59 countries met in Rome for the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation's Ad Hoc Committee on Forestry from 1st to 6th February 1971.
Bargain Basement
An advertisement in the Aldershot Midweek News reads: "5 foot approximately cross-cut saw £1.25, handle at each end". Would the handles be anywhere else?
Retirements
Mr Valdemar Blankenburgs, Leading Civil Engineering Assistant, North East England, retired on 26th February after 23 years service with the Commission.
Mr George Sharp, Head Forester, York Forest, has retired after 40 years service with the Commission, mostly in North East England.
Mr Dick Francis, Head Forester, Chiddingfold Forest, has retired after working at the same forest since 1939.
Mr Charles Russell, Head Forester, Dean, has retired after joining the Commission in 1948.
Mr Bert Parry, Forester, Dean, has retired after joining the Commission 40 years ago, serving in South Wales, the New Forest and the Dean.
Mr George Jenkinson, Forester, South West England Conservancy, has retired after 45 years with the Commission.
Mr Ed Grigor, Head Forester, Glenisla, East Scotland, retired on 31st December.
Mr J.R. Fraser, Forester, Newtyle Forest, retired at the end of January.
Mr Lachlan Bell, Foreman Joiner at Cairnbaan, Lochgilphead, retired after 21 years as a Foreman Joiner.
Mr T.H. Lewis (Jack Lewis), Head Forester at Mynydd Du, South Wales, has retired after joining the Commission in 1927.
Mr T.G. Saunders (Trevor Saunders), Head Forester, Monmouth, South Wales, has retired after joining the Commission in 1924.
Obituaries
Norman Smith MBE, Chief Forester, Rheola Forest, South Wales died on 16th February at the age of 63.
Mr Jack M. Littler, Clerical Officer in the Accounts Section at Alice Holt Lodge died on 14th February.
Mr Cyril J. Hopkins, retired Forester, North Wales has died aged 66.
Presentations
Mr Valdemar Blankenburgs, Leading Civil Engineering Assistant, retirement party in The Rose and Crown Inn, Bellingham on 25th February.
Mr George Sharp, Head Forester, York, retirement dinner at the Granby Lodge Hotel on 26th February.
Mr Dick Francis, Head Forester, Chiddingfold Forest, retirement presentation in Dunsfold Village Hall.
Mr Charles Russell, Head Forester and Mr Bert Parry, Forester, retirement presentations during the Dean Forest Annual Luncheon at the Angel Hotel, Coleford last December.
Mr George Jenkinson, Forester, retirement presentation at The Westberry Hotel, Bodmin.
Mr Ed Grigor, Head Forester, Glenisla, retirement presentation.
Mr J.R. Fraser, Forester, Newtyle Forest, retirement presentation at Newbold House Hotel, Forres.
Mr Lachlan Bell, Foreman Joiner at Cairnbaan, retirement presentation Lochgair Hotel on 26th February.
Mr T.H. Lewis (Jack Lewis), Head Forester at Mynydd Du, South Wales, retirement presentation at the Angel Hotel, Abergavenny on 17th December.
Mr Trevor G. Saunders, Head Forester, Monmouth, South Wales, retirement presentation at the Angel Hotel, Abergavenny on 17th December.
Mr Danny M. Morgan, retirement presentation at the South Wales Conservancy Annual Dinner & Dance.
An Early Dam-Buster?
John Chapman, Lyndhurst, says Foresters around the Aldershill area in the New Forest are used to finding bits and pieces of weaponry when clearing undergrowth. It was a war-time missile testing range.
Recently, Trainee Forester Mike Casserley found three sections of the nose cone of a broad missile. The missile was collected by the Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit of the Royal Engineers.
Dr Barnes Wallis used the range in his initial trials for the successful dam-busting bomb. It is possible the missile could have been an early land-hopping version before the idea of bouncing on water was developed.
Forestry Commission Author
Mr Brian Holtam, Chief Research Officer, North, has won the N.D.G. James Cup Competition of the Royal Forestry Society of England, Wales and Northern Ireland for his article "Co-operative Marketing of Roundwood in Britain".
The award was for the best article (in the opinion of the three judges appointed by the Council of the Society), in the four issues of the Quarterly Journal of Forestry for the year.
Another paper by Mr Holtam on "Forestry and its Dependent Industries in Scotland" was given pride of place as the leading article in Scottish Forestry, the quarterly journal of the Royal Scottish Forestry Society.
Football: Basingstoke v London
Footballers from H.Q. London and H.Q. Basingstoke met at Stratton Park Football Ground, Basingstoke on 24th March.
Ken Millsom, the Basingstoke captain, won the toss and the game began.
Gordon Campbell scored a goal for Basingstoke before half-time. Another goal by Gordon Campbell made the score 2 - 0 for Basingstoke 3 minutes from time. Then Basingstoke's John Tinker scored a goal and Peter Atherton scored two goals for the 5 - 0 full-time result.
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