Slasher Magazine Summary: Publication No. 17 - May 1949
The scanned images of the Slasher were produced by and courtesy of the Forest Research Data and Information Team staff based at Roslin, where some of the original copies are located. The Forestry England Information Knowledge Management Team and New Forest Heritage made available copies of The Slasher from their collections. Brian Mahony of the FC Retirement Association devised and coordinates the Slasher Project and has been instrumental in locating many missing editions and coordinating the searches to locate all the earlier publication numbers.
The content summary below was again very kindly compiled by Diane Birkett, Bedfordshire. See PDF attachment link below the text summary to view the full document. A total of over 420 issues or publications were produced between January 1948 and the final publication in 2010.
The Sirens Wail Again
The sound of twenty five sirens signified a large-scale fire-warning exercise in South Wales, covering nearly all of the forest units in the conservancy. After the exercise, re-siting of a number of sirens is taking place.
Virtues of a Spud
W.F. Stoddart, Forester Instructor, Glentress School, extols the virtues of a Spud against a Slasher.
Easing the Traveller’s Problem
A guide to local accommodation for visiting Commission personnel has been produced by the Eastern Conservancy.
The Bells Ring Out
Following the article in the February issue of Slasher, where Head Forester G.W. Hollis (Arundel, South East, England), mentioned his church bell-ringing. Forester E.C. Kibble (Eggesford, South West, England), says there are a number of church bell ringers and hand-bell ringers among his colleagues. Forest Worker W. Hulland is captain of the hand-bell ringing team which includes C. Sly and C. Perkins.
The Eggesford church bell-ringing exponents are P. Westacott (treble); C. Bolt (2nd); J. Harris (3rd); W. Friend (4th); L. Bird (5th) and T. Smith (Tenor) They are used to ringing a light peal of six bells and to call change ringing.
The local team of church bell-ringers at Chawleigh, of whom T. Smith is a member, won the North Devon Ringers Association’s shield last year.
Clerk of Works E. Glass (South West, England) says "I have been a member of the Exeter Cathedral band of ringers for 23 years and my father is the present ringing master. Exeter Cathedral has the heaviest ringing peal in England, a tenor bell of 72 cwt. This does not mean to say that this is the heaviest bell in England, but it is the heaviest bell rung in terms of a peal as scientific ringers know it. We at Exeter are pleased to welcome Head Forester Hollis and arrange for him to 'have a ring’ on the Cathedral bells should he at any time visit the city. To ring a peal of 5,040 changes of cathedral bells means continuous ringing for four and a half hours, and is a feat of endurance and concentration."
Nature Notes
Last winter, District Officer J.L.F. Fergusson, from Martin's Close, Whitchurch, near Aylesbury, Bucks, had a male kestrel roosting in the eaves of his house. It disappeared round about March 15th, having, no doubt, found a mate. The roosting place was only about three feet above District Officer Fergusson's bedroom window; the castings which accumulated on the ground below consisted almost entirely of the fur and bones of voles and mice, with occasional wing cases of beetles. Only twice were feathers of small birds, which might have been killed by the kestrel, found near the house. "I think a roosting of this kind is quite an uncommon occurrence," says District Officer Fergusson, "and it will be interesting to see whether our kestrel comes back to this house next winter".
C.J. Cottrell, Clerk of Works at Mortimer (North West, England), recently, in one month, saw a fox at 30 yards, roe deer at little more and many pheasants, partridges, rabbits and some red and grey squirrels. A robin eats out of one's hand and will sit on a workman's haversack awaiting his share of lunch. Mr Cottrell also saw a buzzard, woodcock, curlew, magpie, nuthatch, barn owl, little owl, Peregrine Falcon, sparrowhawk and a heron.
One of the workmen breeds canaries and when a hen died after hatching a nest of five canaries, he put the nest and five young in his overcoat pocket and took them to work with him every day, feeding them as and when he could. He reared the lot.
The Work They Do (No. 11)
In the office of Director, England, Chief Utilisation Officer F.G.O. Pearson and Directorate Engineer Brigadier S.A.H. Batten have F.O. Beautement (a secretary of the Directorate Mechanical Development Committee) as their "aide". Assisting him on the utilisation side is D.J. Crabb who, together with K. Ashton is responsible for the issue of demand notes to Conservators and Deputy Surveyors for the timber which the Commission markets.
Around 400 wagon loads of pit props are supplied to coal mines each week from the forests in England and Wales.
There is also a growing trade in fencing stakes, poles, wood for pulp, Christmas trees and last year 12,000 telegraph poles were produced. This all falls under the remit of Utilisation Section in addition to finding lost wagons and following up payments due from customers. Support for this and many other tasks is provided by Miss D. Frost and C. Greenman.
Cries of London
Street sounds heard in Savile Row, in the past and present.
Symposium Silence
Sympathy for Miss Irene Brown, Clerical Officer in the North West Conservancy Office, who has her face strapped after sustaining a fractured jaw while playing hockey for the Chester Ladies team.
Howlers
Some humorous notes found in official files: -
Please consign one ton of nitrogen; The road will require a little evening out; The weight of this vehicle is centred at the rear; This tenant claimed and exercised the right to cut hay on a quarter of an acre of adjoining farm. This right apparently arose many years ago as the result of a wager in a cock fight; It is suggested that the owner be allowed six months to clear pop and top; My Council feel the land should be planted with conifears (presumably neurotic species!).
National Service
M.A.E. Gubby, Establishment Branch, Headquarters, and R.G. Brown, Office of Director, Scotland, who both passed in the Open Executive Competition in October, have been called up for National Service, Mr Gubby in the Navy, Mr Brown in the Army.
Verse
Margaret Kinloch, Southern Assessment Party, has penned some verse.
Too near the sky, For human eye, To judge the height. The branches lop, From butt to top, All clean and trim. Tough fibres tax, The swinging axe, Piercing the heart. In lengths of ten, The stalwart men, Mark off the Pole. A moment's hush, The swinging rush, To thud to earth. With girth and height, The forest's might, Now volume gives.
Forest Cameo
District Officer Stanley Forrester describes the area in Thrunton Forest, North East, England, and the scene when horses and hounds from the local hunt pass nearby during the Rede District Foresters' meeting.
Transfers and Promotions
E. Wynne Jones, Conservator, Office of Director, England, becomes Deputy Surveyor, New Forest, in succession to D.W. Young, who is to prepare a new register of New Forest Commoners;
R.H. Smith, Acquisition duties, Office of Director, England, promoted to Conservator, South East England;
G.W. Backhouse, State Forest duties, Cambridge, promoted to Conservator, East England;
Mr W.D Russell, State Forest Officer, Cardiff, promoted to Conservator, South Wales;
Mr G.B. Ryle, Conservator, South Wales, transferred becomes Conservator, Office of Director, England;
S. Forrester, Otterburn, NE(E), transferred to Hexham, NE(E);
R.M.G. Semple, District Officer, Lyndhurst, New Forest, transferred to Wimborne, New;
I.R.B. Marshall, District Officer, Wimborne, transferred to Hexham;
J. Kennedy, Head Forester, Asknish and Minard, W(S), transferred to Minard;
C.V. Squires, Head Forester, Brecon, S(W), transferred to Cwmogwr, S(W);
E.D. Fraser, Forester, Private Woodland duties, W(S), transferred to Loch Ard, W(S);
L. Sinclair, Forester, Loch Ard, W(S) transferred to Glenduror, W(S);
L.H. Coles, Forester, Holidays Hill, New, transferred to Blandford Forest New;
A.C. Simpson, Forester, Glendaruel, W(S), transferred to Strathyre, W(S);
H.C. Stout, Forester, Strathyre, W(S), transferred to Glendaruel, W(S);
D.J. Mackay, Forester, Knapdale, W(S), transferred to Asknish W(S);
D.H. Farrence, Forester, Hay, S(W) transferred to Brechfa, S(W);
W.G. Williams, Forester, Coed Sarnau, N(W), transferred to Dovey, N(W);
B. Hughes, Forester, Brechfa, S(W), transferred to Derry Ormond, S(W);
I.O. Evans, Forester, Derry Ormond S(W), transferred to Tintern, S(W);
J. Cumming, Forester, Chopwell, NE(E), transferred to Ampleforth, NE(E);
W.P. Smith, Forester, King’s, E(E), transferred to Shouldham, E(E);
J.A. Grubb, Forester, Newton Nursery, E(S) transferred to Dunragit, S(S);
P.J. Wheel, Foreman, Crynant, S(W), transferred to Brechfa, S(W);
J.A. Wood, Foreman, Dovey Corris, N(W), transferred to Myherin, N(W);
J.D. Carrington, Foreman, Broxa, NE(E), temporarily transferred to Harwood Dale, NE(E);
J.S. Perkins, Assistant Engineer, Thornton-le-Dale, NE(E), transferred to Bellingham, NE(E).
Retired
R.H. Felton, Conservator, South East England, is retiring.
Mr A.D. Hopkinson, Conservator, East England, retires next August.
Marriages
Miss Sybil Simms, Clerical Officer, Stores Section, Headquarters, and Mr James Summers, Statistician, Finance Branch were married in March.
Miss Rosemary Hodder, who resigned after serving six years in the Finance Branch in Bristol and London was married in her home town of Bristol. The bridegroom is serving in the New Zealand Navy and Rosemary will eventually join him in the Dominion.
Birth
A daughter, Angela Susan, was born several weeks ago to Mrs Buck and Mr A. Buck, North West Conservancy Office.
Obituary
Wilfred Ewart Ridge, Foreman, Wyre Forest, SW England, died last month aged 33 after an operation which followed an accident in the forest in which he was struck by a pole. He joined the Commission in 1945, attended the Dean School and became a Foreman last year.
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