Slasher Magazine Summary: Publication No. 36 December 1950
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.
Those Flying Saucers - Phenomena Seen From South Wales Forest
An interesting "follow-up" has been received to last month's story about flying saucers. Mr J.W. Bowditch, Clerk at Brecon Forest, South Wales, tells us of an unusual sight witnessed at one and the same time by no fewer than twelve Forestry Commission employees. "While travelling to work today (24th November) on the transport lorry", writes Mr Bowditch, "my attention was drawn by a member of our party to a strange object travelling in the sky towards Brecon. It was flying at about 1,000 feet and moving at a great speed, and was similar in shape to an airship, except that it seemed to have a flat top. The lorry was stopped and the whole twelve of us were able to see the object and to keep it in view for what must have been a distance of five or six miles. Whatever the object was, it emitted no sound."
Our correspondent points out that Brecon is nearly 3,000 feet above sea level, and adds: "The majority of the party is strictly teetotal." In view of the time of day that the incident occurred, the last sentence of Mr. Bowditch's statement may, we feel, be regarded as somewhat superfluous!
Rare Plants in Pembrey Forest
We referred last month to the discovery at Pembrey Forest, South Wales, of a plant - Sisyrinchium angustifolium Mill - which, it was thought, had not previously been recorded elsewhere in the country. Now Head Forester G.W. Hollis of Arundel Forest, South East England, tells us of other rare finds which have been made at Pembrey. He spent 10 years at Pembrey and during that time he found four quite rare plants, namely: -
Gaura coccinea: A native of Texas, naturalised in eastern areas of U.S.A., but never before recorded in the British Isles.
Muscari comosum or Grape hyacinth: A native of Southern Europe and hitherto unrecorded in Carmarthenshire.
Lithospermum officinale or Gromwell: Not previously reported from within the county of Carmarthen, yet quite common at Pembrey.
Euphorbia cyparissias: A feathery foliage spurge, not previously reported in Carmarthenshire.
Other rare flowers to be found at Pembrey were Erigeron canadense, or Canadian fleabane, and Silene conica, or Striated catchfly. The species Gaura coccinea was, at the request of the Chief Research Officer of the time, transferred to Culbin Forest, East Scotland; it would be interesting to know if the removal proved successful.
Forest Workers' Success
Eleven forest workers at Kielder, North East England, have obtained the Woodman's Certificate of the Royal Forestry Society of England and Wales. They are: -
Kielder: M.J. Robson; W.B. Charters; W.B. Forster; N. Curry; R.S. Lee; A. Steel; A. Taurins; A.H. Weir.
Whickhope: J.W. Cowley.
Plashetts: A. Taylor; R.W. Blackwell.
The men's success was the result of much study, undertaken voluntarily out of working hours. A course was run on two evenings a week and was organised by Forester M.T. Turnbull, who was assisted by all Foresters at Kielder and by the District Officers. The scheme was developed and encouraged by District Officer P.F. Garthwaite of Kielder.
An Unusual Site
A birch tree, 10 feet high can be seen growing from the side of an old disused, stone-built windmill near Shouldham village in Norfolk.
Consternation in The Dean
The telephone installation at Whitemead Park, in the Dean was being changed because of a switch-round of office rooms. One afternoon the Deputy Surveyor Mr J.Q. Williamson went out into the forest, knowing that on his return the change-over would be completed. Imagine then, his horror on his return to find, opposite the office, a brand-new sparkling metal telegraph pole. Visions of "leg-pulls" innumerable ("You don't trust your own poles, eh?") flashed through his mind. Fortunately the Telephone Manager had a sense of humour and agreed to replace the metal monstrosity with a good-looking, well-pickled but otherwise respectable Scots pine.
Accident in the Forest
Head Forester T.E. Anderson sustained a fractured leg in an accident which occurred recently in Wykeham Forest, North East (England). A feature of the unfortunate event was the difficulty experienced in obtaining help and in removing Mr Anderson over hilly country. After being conveyed to Scarborough Hospital, he is making a good recovery.
Animal Casualties on The Road
Much publicity has been rightly directed towards the prevention of road accidents in which humans are involved, but the extent to which mortality occurs among animal road users is not generally realised. In the New Forest fairly large numbers of cattle and forest-ponies are depastured on the 46,000 acres or so of Open Forest and Unenclosed Woodland, and as many of the roads are unfenced it is not surprising that these animals are sometimes killed by motorists. Mr O. Hook, a Clerk in the New, gives details and statistics.
Watch For It
Visitors to the Festival of Britain exhibition, to be staged in London on the South Bank of the Thames, should look out for a flagpole provided by the Forestry Commission, This comes from a fine specimen of larch which was planted in the New Forest in 1868, only 17 years after the first Festival. The dimensions of the pole are: length 70 feet; butt 11 inches; top 5 inches. It contains 21 cubic feet of timber.
Rainfall at Hardknott
Forester M. Murray gives some weather statistics for Hardknott Forest, North West England. The total rainfall in F.Y.50 was 116.1 inches. The highest rainfall on any day was 4.25 inches (September 7th). September was the wettest month, with a total of 20.1 inches; May was the driest month, with only 3.15 inches. There were 116 days without rain. The year's rainfall at Hardknott represents 2,631,692 gallons (11,616 tons) per acre.
We believe Culbin, the forest formed on sand dunes on the southern shore of the Moray Firth may have established a record with the weather, with its generous amount of sunshine and the average rainfall of only 25 inches a year.
Hot Job
Recently a number of ex-RAF huts, in need of repair and renovation, were received at one of the commission's depots. There was some speculation among the personnel as to the future of these huts, and someone decided that the Commission intended to set them up in the forest and use them as Swiss chalets. So instead of being called huts they were popularly referred to as chalets.
The foreman detailed someone to paint them. There must have been a misunderstanding somewhere, however, because when the time sheet of the workman was received it read: "To painting shallots - 3 hours."
Try This At Your Party
A correspondent has sent along the following little competition, the idea being to fill in the gaps with the names of Forestry Commission officers. In certain instances one name denotes two words. Each dot signifies a letter. The solution will be given in February's edition. The suggestion is made that similar competitions, with the substitution of Conservancy names, might be held at office parties this season.
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.. the interest of that not so
.
.. Man Friday."
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. but
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. the
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. the bulb to smithereens. This clumsiness serves only to
. his companion who, although whistling "Annie
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through his difficulties. To Friday's protestations he comments in simple, almost pigeon, English "You go
. ..
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Conservancy Staff Visit a Forest
Staff from the North East England Conservancy office made an educational visit to Allerston Forest. Conservator A.C. Connell and District Officer E.M. Conder showed the party around. Various forest operations were seen, and considerable interest was shown in the Forest Workers Holdings.
Driver Joins Veteran Motorists Club
Mr W. Brown, a driver at Ampleforth Forest, North East England has joined the Veteran Motorists' Club after driving for 24 years without an accident. His record includes nearly four years' driving with the Forestry Commission, six years with haulage firms, seven years as a private chauffeur, four years' public service driving and three years' driving as a garage hand.
The Trout of Whickhope Burn
A fisherman's tale comes from Forester W.L. McCavish, of Whickhope, North East England, who writes: "For the past two years, an old trout living in a pool in the Whickhope Burn has managed to evade my efforts to land it, although I have hooked it twice. It was therefore with keen anticipation that I started fishing this season, believing that there might be a case of 'third time lucky'. But alas, new and scientific methods of fishing were brought to us in the form of the road-making excavator. This just lowered its grab into the pool and, in the third grab load, took out the trout. The fish was loaded with the gravel into a lorry, transported for a mile or so and then, still full of life, was deposited at the feet of an astonished Polish road-worker who immediately confiscated it for his supper. It weighed about a pound and measured 12 inches from head to tail."
Transfers
W.J. Hale, Head Forester, Dean School, transferred to Hazelborough, E(E);
J.D. Robbie, Head Forester, Speymouth, E(S), transferred to Blackhall, E(S);
G.F. Beasley, Head Forester, Hazelborough, transferred to Kielder, NE(E);
R.A. Allison, Forester, Pitmedden, E(S), transferred to Speymouth;
W.J. Humphries, Forester, Quantocks, SW(E), transferred to Dunster, SW(E);
D.M. McLeod, Forester, Assich, N(S), transferred to Farigaig, N(S);
D.B. Crawford, Forester, Tentsmuir, E(S), transferred to Pitmedden;
R.H. Pacey, Forester, Blackhall, transferred to Blackcraig, E(S);
J.K. Reid, Forester, Blackcraig transferred to Glenerrochty, E(S);
C.M. White, Forester, Rannoch, E(S), transferred to Keillour, E(S);
D. Marnoch, Forester, Kiellour, transferred to Alltcailleach, E(S);
M. Macrae, Forester, Farigaig, transferred to Assich, N(S);
J.F. Bowen, Forester, Monmouth, S(W), transferred to St. Asaph, N(W);
J. Day, Forester, Bawtry, NW(E), transferred to Clipstone, NW(E);
E. Leyshon, Foreman, Holden, SW(E), transferred to Alice Holt;
A.J. Duncan, Foreman, Craigvinean, E(S), transferred to Monaughty, E(S);
J.M. Willson, Assistant Engineer, Director, England, London, transferred to Lightmoor Depot;
R.E. Yabsley, Clerk of Works, Bruton, SW(E), transferred to Wareham, SW(E);
L.H. Grinsted, Executive Officer, Shrewsbury, transferred to Bristol,
Appointments
D.A. Mithen, District Officer, Gravetye, SE(E);
A. Moss, District Officer, Benmore W(S);
J.P. Newton, District Officer, Devizes, SW(E) ;
P.J. Langley, District Officer, Santon Downham, E(E);
J.P. McNamara, District Officer, Chester, NW(E);
G.H. Dey, District Officer, Aberdeen, E(S);
P.H. Manning, District Officer, Cambridge, E(E);
V.B. Side, District Officer, Woking, SE(E);
F.J. Donald, District Officer, Aberdeen, E(S);
I.A. Falconer, Foreman, Dean;
D.C. Ross, Assistant Engineer, Benmore;
G.E.C. Beacham, Clerical Officer, Bristol;
R.R. Carrick, Clerical Officer, Dumfries;
R.C. Mclean, Clerical Officer, Dumfries;
J.R. Maxwell, Clerical Officer, Dumfries;
Miss B. Stewart, Clerical Officer, Dumfries;
J.G. Pritchard, Clerical Officer, Chester;
R.W. Tester, Clerical Officer, New;
L.R. Evesden, Clerical Officer, York;
K.E. Kitteridge, Clerical Officer, Cambridge;
J.B.S. Audy, Clerical Officer, H.Q.;
Miss T.A. Wyatt, Clerical Officer, Woking;
Miss J. Wilcock, Clerical Officer, Chester.
Retired
Mr A.B. Weir, Head Forester, Kielder, has retired after 25 years service with the Commission and with 50 years experience as a practising forester. Prior to that he was a Foreman in Brechfa Forest in 1926 after being employed in private estate forestry in South Wales. Though retired from the Forestry Commission, he is taking up a job as Forest Consultant with Northern Forest Products.
Engagement
Miss Margaret Enever, of the office of Director, England, has become engaged to Tony Pettitt of the same office. Tony Pettitt and his fiancιe were the 1949-50 Chairman and Vice-Chairman respectively of the Forestry Commission branch of the Civil Service Clerical Association.
Marriage
Forester D.R. Harvey, of Ringwood, has married Miss D. Haynes.
Obituary
Alasdair MacDonald Annan, Forest Worker at Glenbrittle, North Scotland has been killed in Korea. He commenced his employment in the forest in July 1948 and was called up in the autumn of the following year.