Slasher Magazine Summary: Publication No. 348 – September 1990
The scanned images of the Slasher were produced by and courtesy of the Forest Research library staff based at Alice Holt, Surry, where some of the original copies are located and assisted by staff at Forest Research, Roslin. Brian Mahony has been instrumental in locating many missing editions and continues the searches to locate all the earlier publication numbers.
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 420 issues or publications were produced between January 1948 and the final issue in 2009. To read the full edition please see PDF link below this text.
Forestry Jobs
The results of a Forestry Commission Forest Employment Survey, conducted during 1988 and 1989, which details job figures and patterns within the forestry industry in Great Britain, shows a total of 41,000 jobs were provided by forestry and the associated haulage and primary processing of home-grown timber - which is an overall increase of over 4 per cent since a similar survey in 1986. The country breakdown of employment figures is: - England: 21,025; Scotland: 15,245; Wales: 4,780. The largest increase has been in the harvesting and processing of timber, which has risen by 10 per cent, providing employment for some 2,500 more people than at the last survey. There has also been a marked increase in employment in “other forest activities” in all sectors surveyed. This includes all the environmental activities, landscape, nature conservation, recreation and sport. “The importance of forestry to the rural economy has never been so well illustrated as in the results of this survey,” commented Gwyn Francis CB, retiring Director General. “Timber production from Britain's forests currently provides about 12 per cent of the nation's requirement for wood and wood products, helping to reduce an import bill which in 1989 exceeded £7.3 billion. This survey shows the underlying effect of the increasing output of timber from British forests, as well as the increasing commitment to the environmental management of forests, and the expanding employment opportunities which both are providing.
Signing in … Signing out
Picture: The new Director General Robin Cutler with his predecessor Gwyn Francis, seen at his desk for the last time.
Foreign Cash “Welcomed”
Forestry Commission Chairman, Raymond Johnstone, said he would welcome a reasonable level of foreign investment in FC forests. Speaking to a seminar for Finnish farmers, land owners and businessmen, he said conflicts between foresters and conservationists are disappearing as better understandings are reached. The seminar gave details of the opportunities for investment in British forestry and was organised by the Finnish Consulate in Edinburgh. The article contains more details of the seminar including the fact that 60 per cent of our forests are in private hands and the Government requires a further 100,000 hectares of our forests to be sold by the turn of the century.
Commissioned …
Picture: Notice Malcolm Rifkind’s (FC) neckwear! The Scottish Secretary, Malcolm Rifkind, the leading Forestry Minister sharing a joke with Minister of State, Micheal Forsyth, the new Government spokesman on Scottish agriculture, fisheries and forestry matters.
B and B for Badger Cubs
Two badger cubs are being given bread and butter pudding and bed and board. David Parsons, FD Manager, South-east Wales, and Tim Yarnell, the Commission archaeologist, were visiting an ancient monument site at Trellech, when they heard some strange yelping. It led them to a sorry sight - a dead sow with her three cubs, two of which were just alive, the third already dead. Wrapped in Tim's coat (together with the fleas), the young weaklings were carried to a doctor's surgery for initial treatment, then on to David's house to warmth in the bedroom and their B-and-B pudding. Two cubs are now at a sanctuary which specialises in preparing them for a return to the wild.
Picture: The badger cubs.
Ignorance Says Farmer
“Criticism targeted towards the Forestry Commission in Wales often stems from ignorance,” said Mr H.R.M. Hughes, Chairman of the Farmers Union of Wales, following a recent visit to the FC’s Llanafan District, Aberystwyth. The visit was arranged by Wales Conservancy and attended by Mr. Hughes and Chris Gilmore, the FUW’s Land Use Executive Officer for Wales. Colin Bancroft, Private Forestry and Environment Officer for the Forestry Commission, said “The meeting was a very constructive one. The day was spent outlining the wide scope of forest management, including important issues of wildlife conservation, landscape and public access. The Commission feels that farm woodlands, through the Woodland Grant Scheme, play an important part in enhancing the interest and value of the farming estate, and also in achieving better landscapes in Wales.” Mr. Hughes said “Forestry and agriculture both have an important part to play in Wales and this meeting has given us a better understanding of the Commission's work. I hope this meeting has strengthened the links between us.”
The Timberjills
In 1976, the Forestry Commission employed the first female forester, but she wasn't the first woman to work in the industry. During the Second World War, when timber was desperately needed for the war effort, the Women's Timber Corps was formed with the specific responsibility for forestry.
During their time on the land, each team of four women had to fell 30 trees a day and were offered 3.5d (thruppence halfpenny) for each tree felled over that. Using cross cut and steam driven chainsaws, the women told FDM Syd House that only once did they ever manage to fell more than 30 and that the trouble arising from dividing thruppence halfpenny into four was decidedly not worth the extra effort.
In addition to tree felling, the women were also involved in building roads, dragging the trees with the help of horses to the roadside and loading the timber onto pole wagons.
The reunion, organised by ex-WTC Bonnie Macadam, was deemed a great success with few of the bad times remembered and nearly all the good, and is bound to be repeated next year.
Picture: Sue Williams, FOIV, Abertay, who along with FDM Syd House, gave some of the 150 women who turned up at the first WTC reunion in Perth since the end of the war, a chance to look at current forestry practice on Kinnoull Hill overlooking the town.
A Funny Old World - And Word
In his TUS diary, Kenny Murray writes about democracy; an update on the FUAG campaign and addressing items of outgoing mail.
On uniforms, he includes a letter from Tom Jenkins, retired Chief Forester from Mold, North Wales, who gives this humorous description of the old Mark 1 uniform: -
Dear Kenny, I refer to the last issue of “Slasher”. I think you might well have it wrong about uniforms, particularly the old Mark 1 uniform, foresters, for the use of. Heavy Bedford cord breeches with leather strappings, lined I believe with emery cloth, which permanently disabled the more gently reared of our number. Heavy rough khaki jacket, thigh length, and chamberpot-like khaki hat. The outfit could hold ten gallons of water without flinching, but foresters frequently spent nights on the mountain, being unable to carry it home after a day's rain. It would be ideal for computer-watching, and can be seen by uniform lovers in Tussauds where the elegant Savile Row-clad figure of a forester (weren’t we all) is kneeling before Lord Robinson, known in those far-distant days as Roi, this being short for King. The hat is held in a position available to the Chairman at any time.
Any Old Relics
“Slasher” readers are asked to help build up a unique collection at a permanent display site on the Ae Valley picnic site in Dumfries-shire. Items required include old farming machinery or photographs of horse drawn or ancient tractors pulling a plough. There is already quite a collection, but Nithsdale FD Manager Val Shipp would like to see more.
Pictures: (1) & (2) Forester Shawn Mochan of Forest Management at Nithsdale shows off two of the collection. (3) Another mechanical beasty at Ae. (4) More farm relics at Ae.
Butterfly Walk
A guided walk around Wyre Forest looking at the forest’s many butterflies was led by Peter Hobson, Conservation Ranger. Wyre Forest, designated as a Forest Nature Reserve by the Commission is a working forest and has been used to produce timber for over 1000 years.
Kiddens Award
The Kiddens Plantation in Somerset and South Devon FD has taken second prize in the Royal Forestry Society’s 1990 Duke of Cornwall Award, which aims to show how commercial woodlands are managed in sympathy with the landscape and for wildlife conservation. This year, it was confined to England’s south-west region.
Of the Kiddens Plantations, they said: “The commercial forestry purpose of these woods is fundamental and all managers demonstrated their appreciation of potential losses due to conservation practices. But these were demonstrated to be remarkably, and acceptably, low. Conservation planning at the Forest was both impressive and practical. Apart from planned retentions for raptor nest sites, we were particularly impressed by the carefully designed butterfly habitat management under high voltage power lines, which was also used as a special educational walk.”
Picture: FDM Jim Hunt and the Conservation Head Ranger Robin Khan, display the certificate and medallion, which were presented by Baroness Trumpington.
Video-Scope
A new recruitment video aimed at attracting college and university forestry students to a career with the Forestry Commission has just been completed. An 18-minute video, entitled “An Opening in the Forest”, has been sent to each Conservancy to use as support material at careers talks. It illustrates the wide range of opportunities within the Commission and contains interviews with people involved in research, landscape architecture, district management, harvesting, recreation and conservation work, among others. Locations filmed include the New Forest, Tentsmuir, Nithsdale and Dunottar and Countesswells Woods in N(S).
Deacon Mark
Mark Howarth, previously FOI in West England, has been ordained by the Bishop of Huntingdon and will serve his title in the parishes of St Andrew, Cherry Hinton and All Saints, Teversham.
Teddy Bear Goes
Alan Smart, usually acting as Harvesting Forester in Cornwall and North Devon Forest District, donned unusual protective clothing when he went to manage the Teddy Bears’ picnic, at which scores of children gathered for biscuits, crisps and lemonade.
The event was to attract visitors to Cardinham Woods, and featured mountain bike hire, conducted walks, a children’s play area and refreshments.
Picture: Teddy bear with children.
Bridge Builders
Staff in the Borders celebrated the completion of a new bridge linking Scotland and England across the Kershope Burn, which divides Kershope and Newcastleton Forest.
The bridge is an important development in the new cross-Border link for walkers, horse riders and cyclists, which will run from Kielder Water to Newcastleton Village. The route will open later this year as part of the revamp of the Border Forest Park, which takes in all the Border forests with Kielder FD in the lead role.
Miles Wenner, FDM at Borders, congratulated all who had been involved in the work, which was completed in a record two months from inception in terrible winter conditions.
Postbag
Leg work: Jack Davies who attended Dean School in 1951-1953, has responded to the article about measuring a tree, in the “Slasher” 1990 edition. He remembers the “Tween Legs” method was introduced by Jack Leefe to students at the Forest of Dean Forester Training School in the autumn of 1951.
The 1951-1953 course received practical demonstrations of this method not very long after Jack Leefe joined the school as an instructor. Local inhabitants of the Forest of Dean were surprised to see apparently headless students wandering around the football pitch and wondered if Rag Week had arrived a little early.
Signed … Ashamed!: A letter from Donald Ward, Office Manager, who has written about the Morgannwg FD campaign against the illegal dumping of rubbish. He sent a letter to an offender and received a letter of apology in reply.
Echo of '41: After attending a scarifying course, B.L. Jones, FOIII, S/E Wales (Brecon), writes about the Compartment Notes for Compartment 34 Mynydd Ydu Forest, April 1941.
Lost Touch: Eighty four year old Mr S. Douglas from Alford, Aberdeenshire, who retired in 1969, attended the 1927-1929 class at the Beaufort Training School and would like to hear about or from anyone he knew.
Never an idle moment: Geoffrey Rouse of Keynsham, Bristol, agrees with Jack Jennings about not being idle during retirement. Since his retirement from the Commission, he has held posts overseas and has kept busy since his return to England.
Ode to disaster: Peter Quelch, FDM, Loch Awe, sends this ode from an unhappy holidaymaker staying in a Commission house, and says a new sofa-bed has been ordered: -
Oh hideous, horrible mechanical thing,
When you unwind and bear your springs;
Your mattress thin and battle scarred,
From this house you should be barred.
A plaque with the memory we shall keep,
Upon this bed thou shalt not sleep.
For the record: A letter from “Disgruntled Worker”, Marches FD, challenges the claim of the Adams’ family’s record of 378 years of service. The editor points out the service is in forestry, and the previous article does not state the service is all with the Forestry Commission.
Sporting Types Picture Parade – A Round Up of Sport
Archery: Perthshire FD have given the go-ahead to introduce archery to Ladywell Plantation near Dunkeld.
Picture: The archers of Perthshire, and District Forester Malcolm Wield handing over the FC’s official permission to Bill Lawson of Ladywell Field Archery Club to establish the target area.
Cricket: The FC eleven of North England have stowed away their bats, bails and balls after their “Test” success against the North England Timber Trade, held at Ponteland.
They took control with an opening partnership of 72 after Trade had been dismissed for 133, and FC won easily by seven wickets.
Picture: The FC cricket team, Bill Garth; Mark Hartnett (his 58 included 1 six and 11 fours); Basil Carter; Ian Laidlaw; Stephen Stables; John Amor; Norman Trollope; Mark Pritchard (Captain); Wally Grice; Geoff Neesam (an unbeaten 42); and Bobby Elliott.
Golf: Twenty Six golfers competed in the fourth annual Cowal Open Championship at the Blairmore and Strone Golf Club in August. The winner was Carson McCartney, second was Jim Kirby and third was Arthur Jenkins.
Picture: Golfing winners Jim Kirby; Carson McCartney; and Arthur Jenkins.
Golfer Sandy Lyle took time off from the Open at St Andrews to open the new forest trail in Tentsmuir Forest, Fife.
Picture: Sandy Lyle opens the Tentsmuir Trail, watched by Richard Watling, Marketing Director of George Ballantine and Son Ltd. who were persuaded by Syd House, FDM Abertay, to donate over £3,000 towards the trail.
Fishing: The annual fly-fishing competition was held at Loch Ruskie in Perthshire.
Picture: Members of Headquarters and M(S) fly-fishing teams at the annual competition, fished this year on Loch Ruskie in Perthshire. Eighteen fish were caught by weighing-in time, with Headquarters contributing 13 to claim the honours. The largest single fish was a 2¾ lb rainbow trout landed by principal photographer Douglas Green.
Orienteering: A new scenic course has been provided by the FC on the outskirts of Elgin, Morayshire. It replaces a Forest Wayfaring Course at Torrieston which has proved so popular since it opened in the 1970s that the routes between control posts are now well-worn footpaths.
FD Manager Douglas Clark said “The new course is an attractive wooded area of just over 400 acres and provides some spectacular views of the surrounding countryside, plus the Moray Firth and the mountains of Ross-shire and Sutherland.
There are three routes: 2.3 kilometres; 4 kilometres; and 5 kilometres. Planning and development was aided by members of the Moravian Orienteering Club.
A second orienteering course has been established in Northants FD – at Salcey Forest Nature Reserve. The first opened last year at Wakerly Great Wood.
About 800 visitors turned out to test the Salcey course on the first day. It was designed by District Forester Rodney Newborough and local Forester Giles Drake-Brockman, with the help of Paul Brighton from Nene Valley Orienteering Club. Two of the suggested courses are suitable for wheelchairs.
Double Win For 'King of Forest'
It was a double success for a fell runner at Whinlatter in the Lake District when Keith Anderson won the King of the Forest trophy by coming in first in two events within 48 hours.
The Lord’s Seat event was contested by 116 runners and 132 runners turned out for the Grisedale Grind.
Mr I. Anderson set a record for the Lord’s Seat race (31 minutes 10 seconds for the nearly 6-mile route), aided by a new path made by the FC over a wet peat bog section, designed to help walkers reach this fell top without eroding a valuable section of peat bog.
The “Grisedale Grind” (no relation to Grizedale forest) field included Mike Scott, District Officer for North Lakes. This is turning out to be a classic fell race with a 1600 foot climb (1.5 miles) and back again. Keith’s time was 28 minutes 26 seconds.
Pictures: (1) The fell runners. (2) Some of the younger visitors at Whinlatter, who took part in a new venture at the Visitor Centre, the Fox Trot, which is already proving popular.
Selling … That's the Name of Forest Game - How to Woo a Million Visitors
A chain of seventeen Forest Shops is now operating and four more outlets are planned. About one million visitors pass through our shops each year, an impressive statistic, which would be even more impressive if you included all those who use the shops that operate on forest holiday sites. Products considered range from “pocket-money” items to luxury items such as wooden-faced watches, FC pencils, wooden pens, FC logo-shaped rubbers, a model Landrover, badger hats and a newspaper.
Various shops have produced their own range of specials and there is a Mail Order project for ‘Slasher’ readers. A Forest Shop is not just a retail outlet but part of the whole forest experience. Staff have to advise visitors about suitable walks, how long it takes to go round a forest drive, types of wildlife seen, where the toilets are and so on. This supplements information available at the Visitor Centres which may include displays, audio-visual presentations, leaflets, guided walks and a variety of events.
A concerted effort has been made to make sure the visitors know that it is the Forestry Commission that provides this service. In the past it has often been wrongly attributed to the National Trust, the local authority or some other body!
Information Division’s Design Branch has produced a range of special price tags and paper bags. Each bag lists all our shops to encourage people to visit other Centres. Forest Shop signs and carrier bags are also in the pipeline.
Picture: The interior of the shop at Whinlatter.
Our First Special Offer
The first special offer is for sweatshirts with the Forestry Commission logo. Another item available soon is a scale model of a Landrover.
Pictures: (1) A member of staff shows the Sweatshirts. (2) The Landrover model.
Badger Hats Modelled at Edinburgh Zoo
The new FC Badger hat is the brain-child of Bob Jones and is exclusive to the Forestry Commission under the trade name of Habit-Hats. It is the fore-runner of a set of hats signifying forest animals and birds.
The press-out hat (price 60p) provides the young at heart with lots of fun, tells them about Brock and our Forest Nature Reserves, and reminds them of their visit.
Picture: Two youngsters pose in their badger hats at Edinburgh Zoo.
How to Pull the Crowds
Forestry Commission staff are selling the image to the general public. Richard Broadhurst at HQ put out a paper with 101 ideas for recreation development; a Welsh craftsman fascinated the crowds at the Royal Welsh Show; open days at various Centres bring in the crowds; and novel ideas such as the Fox Trot Trail at Whinlatter, North Lakes FD, help to educate the young ones. On Richard Broadhurst's list of ideas, number 69 is a Forest Bodgers Workplace, the type of setting within which Mike Abbott could operate.
Advanced Chairmaking
Last June, Peter Quelch, FDM Loch Awe, was given a place on one of Mike Abbott’s courses by his wife Linda as a 40th birthday present. Mike Abbott runs the courses in a small woodland near Farmborough, Bath, with tools and work benches under canvas shelters slung between the trees. The course was on Advanced Chairmaking, although he does several other courses in basic chairmaking and in green woodwork techniques. There were eight students and by chance another FC man, Eric Rogers from Thetford, whom Peter had met when based briefly in Cambridge as Recreation Officer. Peter told ‘Slasher’ the course assumed knowledge of basic techniques and started with the felling of coppice wych elm. The wood was split, shaved, steam bent, drilled and fitted as the arm of a Windsor chair. Wide elm boards (dry) were sawn up and adzed hollow as chair seats. Beech and ash logs were split, shaved and turned by pole lathe into chair spindles and legs. Finally, a country Windsor chair was assembled on the last day.
Pictures: Peter Quelch adzing a chair seat while Eric Rogers turns chair spindles on a pole lathe.
Rustic Furniture Demonstration at The Royal Welsh Show
Llanrwst Craftsman Emrys Owen has demonstrated his techniques in making rustic furniture. Helped by his wife, Emrys drew the crowds at the Royal Welsh Show in the Forestry Commission’s “Living with Woodlands” theme in their enclosure. It was visited by the Commission's Chairman Raymond Johnstone, where he was welcomed by Conservator John Morgan. A revival of local wood industries and craftsmanship was just one feature of the theme, which was a celebration of 70 years (1920 to 1990) of the Commission's operations in Wales.
Picture: Emrys Owen producing rustic furniture at the Royal Welsh Show.
The arena display was developed by Bryan Pulford and won the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society's Silver Award, while Roy Jones’s popular Young Foresters Quiz won the Bronze award. The Gold went to the chainsaw safety demonstration, jointly organised by the Forestry Commission's Education and Training Branch and the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society.
Whinlatter Open Day
In August, the Open Day at Whinlatter, “A Day in the Woods”, attracted 4,500 people, almost overwhelming the facilities and staff. The badger sett, popular at the Glasgow Garden Festival has found a permanent home here and a new trail named the Fox Trot has complemented the amazingly successful Rabbit Run - a new concept in forest trail-blazing.
Visit to Parliament by Alice Holt Retirement Association
A large group of Alice Holt Retirement Association members joined in a guided tour of the Houses of Parliament in July, followed by a cruise from Westminster Pier to Kew Gardens. Social Secretary Betty Page organised the trip. During the quarterly social meeting in the conference room at Alice Holt, Dr Julian Evans (CRO, South) gave an illustrated talk on “Tree Aid in Ethiopia”.
We Can Learn From the French
The July 1990 edition of ‘Slasher’ featured the success of two Forestry Commission members of staff who won the Winston Churchill Travelling Fellowships. Mark Yorke of Dolgellau gave his impressions of his study in Europe, and now David Mackie of Dean and Three Counties, recalls his time in France.
David, who is an FOIII, made two visits to forests there in different seasons. Here is his report: -
The change in the attitude of the public leading to a new awareness of the countryside in recent years, has led the FC to reintroduce in lowland Britain, the system of growing oak or beech by encouraging young trees to grow among older trees - or to give it’s technical term - natural regeneration.
On the Continent they have used the natural regeneration method of forming a new crop for hundreds of years. The forests of Normandy and the Loire Valley have similar climate and soils to lowland Britain. So it was to these forests I went. I was able to make two trips to see the forests in different seasons.
In September 1989, I was able to observe the soil cultivation in anticipation of a good acorn crop. Besides encouraging the acorns to grow, many tons were collected, some of which were exported to Britain. I also saw the weeding and cleaning of the many hectares of young oak seedlings from previous seed years. I visited mainly the forests of the Office National des Forets and made some useful contacts with my French counterparts which I followed up on my second visit in May 1990. I was then able to see the results of the ground cultivation - hundreds of young seedlings springing up.
The rack system that has been developed in recent years allows foresters to make some order out of nature's disorder and they can move easier through the mass of young trees to inspect, weed and clean as necessary.
In Northern and Central France, they remove the overstorey of seed trees within a time span of 10 to 12 years of the first opening of the canopy. In the Forest of Dean where I am stationed, a different system will be practised. We do not remove mature trees so quickly and natural regeneration will be encouraged in smaller areas throughout the crop.
In the ancient forests of Fontainebleau and Rambouillet near Paris, I saw a system similar to Dean Forest where they try to keep the old woodland appearance and still grow a young crop among them. I am sure by learning from the French system, we can preserve into the next century, the old hardwood forests in lowland Britain, and be able to create some for the century after.
On my visits to various forests I was often asked to discuss conifer establishment as this is a facet of forestry that the Commission has developed further than the French. These exchanges between foresters at all levels are bound to benefit us all. For my part, I was very grateful to the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust for presenting me with a chance to study French forestry.
Wits' Corner
A competition to find the wittiest picture and caption.
Picture: A witty caption from Malcolm Wield, District Forester, FM&E - Unknown forester flying his kite in Perthshire FD.
Child's Play
A children's play structure, in the shape of a large animal made of wood poles, has been constructed in Boughton Brake, the FC’s community woodland near Boughton and New Ollerton in the Midlands.
Local sculptor Chris Campbell designed it, and built it with the help of schoolchildren.
Kielder Kapers
Kielder FD was the place to be when their annual “yomp” and Folk Festival drew the crowds as usual.
Folk music, fell running (won by Simon Hicks), the yomp for various classes, face-painting, the fiddle and Northumbrian pipes all combined to make it yet another day to remember down Kielder way.
District Manager, Bob Macintosh and his team were well satisfied with the whole event, and are looking forward to another success next year.
The more serious side of life was underlined at Kielder when Alan Mattingley, Director of the Ramblers’ Association and incoming president of the Council for National Parks, visited the district. He inspected Kielder’s “kind-to-watercourses” system; the Kielderhead Bothy (highly commended in last year’s Ford Awards for Conservation) and was impressed by the back-packing sites developed within the forest as part of the Border Forest Park recreational portfolio.
Pictures: (1) Face painting at Kielder. (2) Pipers at Kielder.
By Horse
Twenty miles of forest track in Thetford Forest Park is being made available by the Forestry Commission to provide safe and pleasant routes for carriage drives. All routes are being waymarked and will form three loops around Santon Downham in North-west Suffolk. The opening of this new carriage trail, the only one of its kind in FC woodland, was marked by an inaugural drive on Sunday 23rd September.
Leading off was Watton businessman, Noel Abel, who is famous in equine circles for his interest in heavy horses. He drove a pair of his immaculately turned-out matching bay Shire geldings, Henry and Albert, harnessed to an authentic 16-seater charabanc, originally used on the promenade at Scarborough in the Edwardian era. He was followed by international driving judge Sallie Walrond, Area Commissioner, British Driving Society, in a Bennington cross-country vehicle with her 19-year-old pony Razali in harness.
… And by Bike
A guided cycle ride on Sunday 9th September explored the forests around Ludlow. District Forester Jeremy Gissop led the ride starting from Castle Square, Ludlow. The route covered up to 12 miles mainly along roads and tracks running through the forest. Jeremy said: “Our cycle rides have always proved very popular and offer a different way of discovering the variety of timber and wildlife in the forests near Ludlow.”
Industry Starved of Vital Resources
Andrew Christie-Miller, Chairman of Timber Growers UK, the private woodland owners organisation, said Government opinion over forestry was split between those who wanted to support the industry at a modest cost, and those who regarded any kind of grant as an added burden for the taxpayer, whilst adding to the “wealth of landowners”.
During his speech at the Institute of Chartered Foresters 1990 study tour dinner at Southampton University, Mr Christie said the total grant to private woodlands was £9.7 million in 1988/89 (£3.15 an acre) and £1.38 billion to UK agriculture (equal to £30.06 an acre). He said: “These figures should be compared with the £150 million of aid which is given by the Government to overseas forestry projects. We are therefore taking up very little of the state’s money, and in view of the potential environmental and economic benefits that could be achieved by the continued expansion of forestry, we are being starved of the resources we need.”
DG Talks His Way Out
Gwyn Francis said his farewells as Director General on Friday, 14th September. There were laudatory speeches from Chairman Raymond Johnstone, David Foot and Gwyn’s wife Audrey. Successor as DG, Robin Cutler had a brief walk-on part — to receive his FC tie! Mrs Francis meanwhile continued her unsuccessful campaign for a re-design of the tie.
The day had been planned for some weeks with a small group headed by David Foot making
preparations. Anne Stohlner, the DG’s secretary provided the “inside information,” and John Wallace organised the collection of contributions and the nosh at lunchtime and later at a VIP dinner.
The Playfair Library in Edinburgh University’s Old Quad was the majestic setting for dinner when more than 100 people paid tribute to Gwyn and heard speeches from Kevin Lyden, Chairman of the Forest Industry Committee of Great Britain, FC Chairman, and Sandy Brownlie, President of UK Softwood Sawmillers’ Association.
Gwyn Francis begun his career in forestry when he joined the Commission in Llandrindod Wells on demob from National Service with the Royal Engineers. He had graduated from Bangor with a B.Sc. in forestry and an honours in botany.
Two years after joining the Commission he was transferred into the Gwydyr Forester Training School and spent nine years there, becoming the school’s Principal. Many foresters in Britain and overseas owe much to his approach to education. Cards from every forest district in Wales contained the names of FC staff, with some of them appending the course number when they and Gwyn first met!
He transferred to Ruthin District and on promotion to Assistant Conservator moved to Cardiff in 1969. Four years later he ‘came in from the cold’ to a Headquarters job in Harvesting and Marketing Division in London, and later transferred to Edinburgh. He was promoted to take charge of that Division in 1976 and became Commissioner Operations in 1983 and Director General in 1986.
Gwyn received many gifts from staff and friends in the forest industry and in his speeches he said both he and his wife had been touched by the obvious thought which had gone into the choices.
Conservator John Morgan presented an oak side table, constructed from a windblown tree, from the staff of Wales Conservancy; cash contributions from other staff and many private sector donations were pooled to buy a Caithness glass ‘Mastermind’ bowl carrying an etching of a Scots pine; a painting of Gwyn and Audrey’s home in Edinburgh by Ella Neustein, wife of N(E) Conservator; and Gwyn’s hobby of bird watching will be enhanced by a 60x magnification telescope; there was glassware and a decanter; a turned oak platter (made by former Conservator Mick Dinning); a wooden platter made of several British grown woods; a sometimes irreverent photo album. There were many other gifts signifying the esteem in which our former boss was held, both by staff and colleagues in the forest industry. A putter for Audrey Francis signified her own new hobby!
Pictures: (1) Chairman Raymond Johnstone hands over a high powered telescope with which Gwyn Francis intends to enjoy his hobby of birdwatching. (2) Gwyn Francis receives his “This is Your Life” album. (3) Gwyn Francis officially switched on the new Gravel Hill workshop.
Government Visit
Frank Oberle, Canadian Federal Minister for Forestry, led a group of ten Government officials and London High Commission staff on a visit to HQ and Northern Research Station. At HQ they met retiring Director General Gwyn Francis and his successor, Robin Cutler, before Commissioner Roger Bradley escorted them to NRS.
Picture: Government visit to HQ and NRS.
Max Quits Lorne for London
Max Hyslop has left Lorne FD, based in Oban, to become a forester for the East of London Community Forest project. During Max’s five years with the Commission, he has been involved in all aspects of forestry from harvesting and marketing timber to planting young trees, arranging draining and fencing operations and wildlife conservation.
Max said: “I look forward to the challenge of developing the urban forestry initiative. More and more people are becoming aware of the uses and benefits of forests and I’m pleased to be in the forefront of this important environmental development.”
Royal Visitor on Mull
A special visitor to the Forestry Commission stand at the annual Children’s Highland Games at Duart Castle on the Island of Mull was the Princess Royal.
The Mull FD usually helped the games by providing cabers etc., but at the request of the "Save the Children Fund" became more involved this year, setting up a display on the theme of woodlands for wildlife, backed up by quizzes to raise money for the charity. This included an electronic bird game, a woodland river scene and live salmon. Princess Anne was surprised when she was told the staff had taken annual leave on the day for the charity event which raised £400.
Picture: District Forester John Weir introducing HRH to student Dugald Allan. Len MacRae, FDM, looks on.
Engineers in Talks
About 140 delegates, including 5 from Sweden and 12 from Ireland, attended a symposium organised by FEG, a specialist group within the IAgrE for Forest Engineers. It was held in Cumbria at Newton Rigg College, the only such centre in the UK which dedicates half of its resources to forestry.
The gathering was organised by a subcommittee of FC members of the institute, R.M. Hay; G. Freedman; and J. Christie and was chaired by John Matthews, former director of AFRC Engineering and a Fellow of the Ergonomic Society.
Speakers included Brian Roebuck, FC Harvesting Officer; Grant Smith, of G. R. Smith Engineers Ltd; and Jim Brown, Scanforest Ltd. Colin Campbell presented Denis Welstead’s paper on “Safety.”
The symposium’s main topic was “harvester heads on excavators” and in the morning a new purpose-built thinnings harvester was launched, developed from a Smalley Excavator and a Tapio Grapple Harvester.
A competition was held to give it a name, and the winner was “Axecavator.”
The machine, it was suggested, can “almost do what a purpose-built machine can do, and at half the price, does it a lot cheaper”.
Geoff Freedman, secretary of the specialist group who organised the symposium, told ‘Slasher’ that he thought the savings are so significant that a large part of the industry will change. He added that the symposium was a great success, and already a follow-up is planned for next year.
Mr Freedman praised the work of Margaret Shearer, PA to the Director of Engineering, for her help in organising the symposium.
Appointment
Graham Hamilton is the new Conservator M(S), succeeding retiring Conservator Sandy Morrison.
Retired
Donald Stewart has retired after 40 years’ service with the Commission in Knapdale (Kintyre FD).
Picture: Donald Stewart with his wife and Howard Embleton, FDM, and colleagues.
Eric Slade, Messenger, W(E) Conservancy has retired after 8 years’ service with the Commission at the Bristol Office.
Picture: Eric Slade with his wife Eileen and colleagues.
Brian Jones, Dolgellau FD, has retired after 37 years’ service with the Commission. He joined as a 15 year old boy worker. Following two years’ National Service with the Royal Welsh Fusiliers in the Far East, he resumed his duties as a member of the Harvesting squad at Dyfi. Later, he transferred to forest management work, where he remained until his retirement.
Picture: Brian Jones receiving his Long Service certificate from David Hughes.
Willie Zuckert, Highland Bear operator, Fort Augustus FD, has retired after 33 years’ service with the Commission.
Picture: Willie Zuckert with colleagues, presented with his Long Service certificate by Sandy Calder, PF&EO.
Harold Evans, Coed Sarnau, Wales, has retired after 36 years’ service with the Commission, without a single day’s work lost. On leaving school, he started work on the family farm before joining the RAF in 1942, serving in Palestine and Foulness Island in the Thames estuary. Harold joined the Commission in 1954 and was engaged on forest management. He has also been part of the team responsible for FC activities at the Royal Welsh Show.
Picture: Harold Evans with workmates, receives his Long Service certificate from David Hughes.
Sandy Morrison, Conservator, Mid Scotland, has retired after 36 years’ service with the Commission, joining in 1954 as an Assistant District Officer in North Scotland. On promotion to District Officer, he held several posts in North Scotland before moving to West Scotland as Assistant Conservator. Two years as Conservator East Scotland was followed by a move to Headquarters as Land Use and Planning Officer. In 1985, he returned to oversee Mid Scotland Conservancy for his final five years.
Picture: Sandy Morrison with his secretary Margaret Morgan.
David Hawkes, Chief Forester, South Lakes, has retired after over 40 years’ service with the Commission. He joined as a junior in the New Forest in 1947. After National Service and attending Lynford Hall Forester Training School, he was posted to North West England where he worked at a number of forests before being posted to Grizedale in 1960. Promotion to Chief Forester took him to Carrick S(S) in 1975 and he returned to Grizedale in 1982. At Grizedale, among David’s responsibilities were the development of the extensive recreational facilities, including the Visitor Centre and the Adventure Playground, which he created with the sculptor Andy Frost.
Picture: David Hawkes and his wife Mary.
Keith Hobson, District Forester, H&M, Cowal FD, has retired after 39 years’ service with the Commission. After completion of his forestry training at the Dean Forestry Training School, he served in the former North West England Conservancy, becoming Head Forester in charge of Bowland Forest and then Ennerdale, where he was involved with the major changes in the landscaping of the forest. On promotion to Chief Forester, he went to what was then West Scotland Conservancy, to take charge of Benmore Forest, later part of Cowal FD. Keith went on to become District Forester, H&M.
Picture: Jimmy Gillies presents Keith Hobson with a miniature carving.
Charlie MacDonald, Senior Ranger I has retired after joining the Commission at Inchnacardoch Nursery in 1952. After five years, he became a Ranger, and continued in that post until his retirement.
Picture: Charlie MacDonald with his colleagues and presented with a Long Service certificate by Sandy Calder.
Ian Reid, District Forester, FM & Environment, Aberfoyle, has retired after 30 years’ service with the Commission. Ian served in the forests of Knapdale, St Fillans, Glenbranter and Aberfoyle. He also spent several years as the Conservancy Ploughing Forester.
Picture: Ian Reid with Kevin Wilkinson, FDM.
John Mellon, Carrick Squad, Ayrshire and Arran FD, has retired after 37 years’ service with the Commission. He was involved for several years in establishing mixed plantations at Killgrammie. During the 1970's the chainsaw came into use and John was employed felling roadlines before a felling squad was started. He then worked in the Carrick squad until retirement.
Allan Green (Dodger Green), Area Research Officer at Newton, N(S) Conservancy, has retired after 36 years’ service with the Commission, spent mainly in Scotland. Originally from Romford, East London, his best recollections were seeing shelterbelts he had planted, growing to maturity in windswept Hebrides. He had a deep knowledge of the famous experiments in the Lon Mor and Teindland.
Picture: Allan Green and his wife Marjorie on the garden seat presented to him.
Bill Wilkinson, Civil Engineering Branch, Northumberland, has retired after 40 years’ service with the Commission. He was Road Foreman with Bellingham Engineers. Initially employed on FM duties, Bill transferred to Engineering Branch and his service included work on drilling rigs, bridge construction, road construction and latterly road maintenance.
Picture: Bill Wilkinson and Alan Riley presented with their Long Service certificates by R.H. Hay, Director Engineering.
Alan Riley, Civil Engineering Branch, Northumberland, has retired after 40 years’ service with the Commission. He began in the nursery at Whitehaugh before moving to Kielder Village. Alan worked on H&M and FM duties until his transfer, followed by work on excavators and quarry plant.
Peter Kelly, Castle Douglas FD, has retired after 49 years’ service with the Commission as a Shepherd, Forest Worker and Senior Ranger. When he left school, Peter bought a dog for £10 and became a Forestry Commission shepherd. He looked after sheep stocks on the land awaiting planting, then when the land was planted, went on to forest management duties, later becoming a trapper, then a Forest Ranger. As a forest worker holder, his stock-rearing knowledge was put to good use when the Red Deer range was being formed. The herd now numbers 70 adults and each one is known to Peter.
Pictures: (1) Peter Kelly with colleagues. (2) Peter Kelly presented with his Long Service certificate by Conservator Gordon Cowie. (3) Peter Kelly with his old friend Ian Watret, who regaled Peter’s colleagues with stories of his life.