Slasher Magazine Summary: Publication No. 274 - July/August/September 1972
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.
Pressing Home Our Point Of View
Following the recent Government Review of Forestry Policy, with its emphasis on recreation and amenity, the Forestry Commission received mainly good publicity from three events underlining this aspect of their activities.
Thirty journalists attended a press tour in Friston Forest, where conifer "nurses" were felled to transform what appeared to be a pine forest into a beech wood. The forest was planted in the 1920s, and now the beeches were maturing, the conifers were being cleared. In 12 to 15 years' time, Friston would be almost 2,000 acres of mainly beech.
Lord Taylor, Commission Chairman, addressed members of the press at a preview of the Grizedale Information Centre, which is designed to complement the popular Wildlife Museum.
Miss Sylvia Crowe, the Commission's landscape consultant, held a two-day seminar in West Scotland Conservancy. The Press were invited to meet Miss Crowe and members of the seminar at David Marshall Lodge, Aberfoyle, in the Queen Elizabeth Forest Park, West Scotland Conservancy.
We Can't Win
Following the publicity from the Friston press tour, a friend of Mr P.F. Garthwaite, Forestry Consultant, was upset to read of the conifers being felled.
He assured her there would be some conifers left in the forest to give warmth and shelter in the winter to an otherwise damp and cold beechwood. He also told her that due to chlorosis, the pine would not have lived much longer, so it was better to fell them and make some money from them while they were still healthy.
Blacksmith's B.E.M.
Thetford blacksmith Mr Hedley Mills, who has done so much notable work for the Commission since the 1930s, received the British Empire Medal from Lord Stradbroke, Lord Lieutenant of Suffolk, at an investiture at Santon Downham District Office on 8th September.
Article in AA's "Drive" Magazine
An article in the Automobile Association's Drive magazine gives a misinformed view of Forestry Commission facilities, despite briefings by the Commission's Information Branch and Forest Management's Conservation & Recreation Branch, and foresters taking the journalist on visits to the many recreational areas.
There is no mention in the article of the hundreds of forest trails, picnic sites and car parks provided by the Commission.
A letter containing Forestry Commission facts disputing the article was sent to Drive Magazine by D.B. Rooke, Principal Information Officer.
A response from Drive Magazine, completely rejected the facts presented by the Commission and the suggestion that a correction was printed in the next edition was ignored.
Commission Chairman, Lord Taylor of Gryfe wrote to Lord Brentford, Chairman of the Automobile Association, saying the article had caused a great deal of concern, not only in the Commission, but also among private landowners.
In his reply, Lord Brentford supported his Editor's reply to the original letter, so any correction is unlikely to be printed in the magazine.
A Letter From a Young Visitor
This letter from 8-year old Graham Brearley occupies pride of place in the correspondence files of Slebech Forest: -
Dear Sir Yesterday my Mummy and daddy and Brother and I went on your natcher trale.
It was very interesting There were small hols where animals hade made burows
On one of the logs I was watching an ants nest and then I spoted a liserd with a bit of is tale mising it was the first time I have ever seen a wild Liserd.
The Liter bins and chers were verey cleverly made an were good.
A Letter of Appreciation
This letter was sent to our Cardiff office by Jose Evans of Petts Wood, Kent: -
I want to say how much my husband and I appreciated the work of the Forestry Commission during a recent tour of Central and South Wales. Almost always its plantations, particularly when larch was prominent, seemed to improve the area in which they appeared. Strikingly so, of course, on coal tips and land just recovered from open cast mining.
We also admired your picnic places. The timber furniture, including a rubbish receptacle, prominent enough but not of a shape which encouraged the deposit of bulky lumber, and the elegant sign on its dark olive background was very agreeable to the eye.
Such proximity to industrial and built up areas in the South must bring you many problems, but I should imagine tremendous satisfaction, at any rate on the environmental front.
An Elm Inspection Letter
Mr A.P. Horn, Private Woodlands Head Forester for Suffolk received the following letter regarding Elm Disease where the wood is let to a Sun Club.
If you wish to look round and have not made prior arrangements for access, sound your hooter three times at the gate and explain your business to whoever appears.
Mr Horne says: Having spent the morning trying to decide whether to take my clothes off or ask them to put theirs on, I finally lost my nerve and passed the letter on to the relevant County Council elm inspector. At the time of going to press, I'm still awaiting a copy of the report on his inspection.
Brownies Adventure
During off-duty hours, Mrs Lena Griffiths, Personal Secretary to Senior Officer (Wales), is Brown Owl of the Brownie Pack at St Dyfrig, near St Gwynno Forest, Glamorganshire. Recently she arranged a visit to the forest, guided by Chief Forester W.E. Powell, disguised as the "Great Buffalo Hunter" and assisted by Ganger Harry Marshall.
Retirements
Mr Steve Simpson, Grade I Mechanic, Dalby has retired after joining the Commission in 1957.
Mr H.V. McIntyre, Harvesting and Marketing Section at Cambridge, has retired after joining the Commission as a CO in 1950.
Mr Bill Wilkins, Ganger, Bramshill, South East England has retired after 29 years' service with the Commission. He is known as the "King of Poms" due to his expertise in growing prize winning dahlias.
Mr Donald McDonald, Forest Worker, has retired after serving 47 years with the Commission at Craig nan Eun.
Mr J.M.B. Brown (Michael Brown) has retired after completing 24 years as ecologist at Alice Holt.
Obituaries
Sir Henry Beresford-Peirse, Director General of the Forestry Commission from 1962 to 1968 and Deputy Chairman from 1965 to 1968, died in Lisbon, Portugal on 11th August aged 67.
Mr Danny Morgan, Former Chief Forester, Cymmer, South Wales, has died in early retirement aged 63 years after 45 years' service in South Wales.
Lord Kinnaird, a member of the Commission from 1927 to 1956 died in July aged 91 years.
Mr J.A. Lamb, Former Head Forester has died in Ballycastle, Northern Ireland. He attended the forest school at Birnam in 1919. He took charge of Newton Nursery, Elgin in 1945 until 1955, then established a nursery in Banffshire for Messrs A.G. & W.J. Riddoch and finally retired in 1962, relocating to Northern Ireland.
Mr Martin Donnelly, Clerical Officer, East Scotland Conservancy, since 1953 has died.
Mr Kenneth Barton, Clerical Officer, East Scotland Conservancy, since 1955 has died.
Presentations
Mr Steve Simpson, Grade I Mechanic, Dalby retirement presentation at Dalby Mechanical Workshops.
Mr H.V. McIntyre, Harvesting and Marketing Section at Cambridge, retirement presentation.
Mr Donald McDonald, Forest Worker, Craig nan Eun, retirement presentation at the Glenmoriston Arms Hotel.
Mr J.M.B. Brown (Michael Brown), Ecologist, Alice Holt, retirement presentation.
Art Exhibition
An art exhibition in the canteen at Alice Holt Lodge featured over 40 items of paintings, drawings and collages created by members of staff.
A total of £19.08, raised by donations and the sale of some of the exhibits was sent to the Diabetics Association.
Scotland's Information Officer
Miss Hazel Pottinger has been appointed Information Officer for Scotland and the Borders.
Augmenting the Information Branch staff under Colonel D.B. Rooke, she is currently working from Savile Row, London, but will be based at the Scottish Headquarters in Edinburgh.
Deer Menace in Germany
Wild deer are a major road hazard in West Germany. Now the country's largest automobile club has been testing a special electric fence with great success. The eight feet high fence, comprising six electrified strands, gives the deer a shock, strong enough to scare them away, but not enough to kill.
Last Laugh
Information Branch had cause to send the following letter to the Editor of the Liverpool Daily Post: -
"Sir,
On 14 September, with your tongue firmly in your editorial cheek, you reported: 'A colleague 'phoned the Forestry Commission in London yesterday and asked for the Press Office. He was told, "Oh, you want the Information Branch…"'
But, Sir I protest: this is our standard response to trunk calls.
Yours etc.
The Forest in Many Tongues
The Central Office of Information acquires films for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to project Britain abroad. When they viewed "The Changing Forest" they felt it was a winner. The response from overseas was overwhelming and C.O.I. made more than 100 copies.
Copies of this classic film about the Forestry Commission, originally made by British Petroleum, are available in British Embassies and High Commissions in 65 countries and in fifteen foreign language versions.
Munich Olympic Games
Commission staff donated £21.43 to a Civil Service Sports Council Appeal towards the cost of supporting the British Team.
Stamp A Tree
First Day covers for the forthcoming Tree Planting Year stamp, to be released next February, are being published by Philart Productions Ltd.
Reference photographs for the design were provided by the Photographic Branch at Alice Holt Lodge.
Philart Productions Director Mr Edgar Levy, suggests Forestry Commission staff may wish to purchase a First Day Cover of the stamp, appropriately postmarked on the first day of issue, with the correct pictorial postmark.
Memories of Nagshead Nurseries
Retired Chief Forester Jack Jennings recalls working in the Nagshead Nurseries, Forest of Dean and some of the characters that the villagers of Parkend still talk about.
Names he recalls are Ian Wynne, Percy Tribe, Bill Drake, Bill Gulliver and George Button.
Following his student days nearly 40 years ago, Jack Jennings was an ex-school ganger at Nagshead and he remembers many amusing incidents, and one in particular with the foreman Joe Bird.
Double Bonus
Mr Stewart Mackintosh, E.O., is the first employee to receive £10 from the new Monetary Awards Committee for his suggestion to extend the Nursery Form PS7, to make it an accounting as well as a management document.
Sounds Fantastic
The closing date is approaching for the Scotch Magnetic Tape's 1972 wildlife sound recording contest.
Last year, a special award for originality went to a gentleman who captured the exquisite sound of beetles burrowing under cattle dung. Another special award went to a recording of a Roman snail noisily chewing a lettuce leaf - obtained by placing the snail together with a microphone, in a sandwich box.
A Bright Idea for New HQ
An invitation to staff to contribute ideas on structural aspects of the new headquarters in Edinburgh brought a response of 30 letters containing 100 ideas.
Every suggestion was considered by a special sub-committee of the Staff Suggestions and Monetary Awards Scheme, and 21 staff were awarded sums ranging from £3 to £10.
Top award went to Mr J.R. Ward, HEO, Lindhurst, SE (E) for his electrical circuit to enable the dark side of offices to be illuminated without lighting the daylight section, with consequent eyesight benefits and saving of electricity.
Eisteddfod Exhibit
Many messages of thanks were received for the Commission's exhibit at the Eisteddfod in
South Wales this year, which featured local forests, Cwmcarn scenic drive, nursery work, Dutch Elm disease, sign production and forestry in Wales generally.
One of the letters of appreciation was from Mr A.J. Davies, Engineer and Surveyor, Haverfordwest Rural Council.
Thanks
Mr E.H. MacMillen, former Chief Engineer, sends his thanks for the good wishes and presentation gifts on his retirement.
Cwmcarn Scenic Drive
The new scenic drive at Cwmcarn in Ebbw Forest has caught the imagination of local people, who featured it on a float in the Llanfach carnival and won third prize.
Despite poor weather, 4,000 cars went on the drive in the first six weeks.
New Conservancy Office
A new Conservancy Office was opened in Church Street, Inverness, on 18th September.
At a small ceremony in the Caledonian Hotel, attended by guests, staff and the press, the Commission Chairman Lord Taylor of Gryfe welcomed Mr Gordon Campbell, Secretary of State for Scotland.
Mr Campbell unveiled a plaque in the entrance hall and was presented with a four feet high Scots pine from Glen Affric Caledonian Forest by Mr Robert Innes, Conservator.
Great Yorkshire Show
The Duchess of Kent spent 10 minutes at the Great Yorkshire Show's forestry exhibit, being guided by Mr R.H. Totty, Chief Steward of the Royal Forestry Society and Mr G.E, Godwin, Conservator.
Mr Jim Prior, Minister of Agriculture, spent 20 minutes at the exhibit, which was a joint venture between the Forestry Commission and the Royal Forestry Society.
The National Chain Saw Competition was held at the Great Yorkshire Show. In the Novice Class, the overall winner was Mr G.R. Sharp, followed by Mr D.A. Sharp, both sons of recently retired Head Forester Alick Sharp. Mr A. Hutchinson, a Commission employee at Wark came third. Mr Alick Sharp came fourth.