Slasher Magazine Summary: Publication No. 52 – April 1952
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.
Forest History in Celluloid - Film About Culbin
The Department has produced a film entitled "The Culbin Story" describing the formation of Culbin Forest, North Scotland. A booklet on Culbin has been published in the Britain's Forest series.
According to historians, the flourishing Barony of Culbin, which comprised sixteen farms and the home of the laird was buried by drifting sand, blown inland during a storm in 1694. Through the years, the Culbin sands remained a menace to the rich agricultural land which certain landowners attempted to stabilise by tree planting. The Forestry Commission undertook large-scale afforestation and established a flourishing forest of 6,000 acres.
The film shows the method of fixing the sands by thatching with brushwood before the planting of young trees, and also puts emphasis on the economic value of Culbin as a timber producing area.
Messrs I.A. Anderson and Marquis, the Official Photographer and his assistant produced the film.
Fire Protection?
The Forester, two Foremen and two Gangers at Kerry Forest, in Montgomeryshire, North Wales, are all non-smokers.
The Nine Buzzards - Courting En Masse?
In March, Foreman A.G. John, of Chepstow, South Wales, saw a flock of nine buzzards, circling and wheeling over Chepstow Park at about 500 feet. He could hear their distinctive mewing calls and wonders if the spectacle was 'courting en masse'.
Skeleton in the Forest - 3,000 Years Old Find at Friston
A skeleton, believed to be about 3,000 years old was found by workers in Friston Forest, South East England. Forester G.E. Holter says his men were erecting fencing when the bones were unearthed. He reported the find to the police and to local archaeologists. The remains were inspected and arrangements were made by the Police for a Coroner’s inspection.
Other recent discoveries on Commission property include a coin found in the Research Nursery at the Forest Research Station, near Farnham, Surrey. In excellent condition it appears to be a groat minted at Calais in the reign of Henry VII (1485-1509).
A bronze sword was uncovered by an excavator while removing gravel from the burn at the confluence of the Lewis Burn and North Tyne at Kielder Forest. This is a typical specimen of the late Bronze Age, dating from 1,000 - 450 B.C., and probably from the middle or latter part of that period.
New Role for Forest Officer - Judge at Beauty Contest
A combined whist drive, dance and beauty contest was held at Bonchester Bridge, Roxburghshire in aid of the summer outing for local children. Forestry Commission personnel, including staff and workers from the nearby Wauchope Forest contributed to the success of the evening. Foreman R.M. Edward (who was M.C.) served on the organising committee with Nursery workers Mrs Kemp and Mrs Abdullah. The Forester’s wife, Mrs F. McNicol presented the prizes and Divisional Officer W.N. Gibson judged the beauty contest. He also carried off first prize for whist. Winners of the beauty contest were: Mrs Scott (recently married), Miss Susan Cairn and Miss Jean Mabon (Nursery worker).
The Conservancy's annual dinner and dance was held recently in the Cairndale Hotel, Dumfries. Divisional Officer M.J. Penistan was M.C. The card dance was won by Mr and Mrs Peter Brown of Craigieburn Forest. The elimination waltz was won by Mr James Laidlaw and Miss Anna Marchbanks.
The Prize Canaries - And a Word About Budgerigars
At a recent show at Newton Stewart, Foreman Neil Drysdale, Kilsture Forest, South Scotland, won three first prizes for Norwich canaries and two third awards for Border canaries.
The antics of some budgerigars are truly amazing. We have knowledge of one little chap who, on request, rings a tiny bell and performs a rhythmic dance upon his perch. A budgerigar was known to recite the Lord's Prayer from beginning to end.
School Photographs Wanted - Were You at The Dean?
Education Officer J.F. Goodwin, of the Dean Forester Training School, wants Dean School class photographs for the years 1924, 1925 and 1926 and, if these are forthcoming, the School will have a complete series of class photographs from 1906 to the present time.
The Agricultural Show Programme - Support This Year for Fewer Shows
Here is the list of shows, the asterisk denoting those shows at which there is to be an outdoor exhibit in addition to the indoor display: -
May 21 - 23: Shropshire and West Midland, Shrewsbury;
May 28 - 31: Bath and West*, Nottingham;
June 10 - 12: Three Counties*, Worcester;
June 17 - 20: Royal Highland*, Kelso;
June 18 - 21: Royal Counties, Guildford;
June 25 - 26: Royal Norfolk, Loddon;
July 1 - 4: Royal*, Newton Abbot;
July 8 - 10: Great Yorkshire*, Harrogate;
July 23 - 25: Royal Welsh*, Caernarvon.
Forester E.J.D. Wilkinson of South East England will be in charge of the show unit for the second year, and will be assisted by Ex-School Ganger R. Kemp of the Dean.
Table Tennis Tournament - Salute to The Veterans
The Inforesta Table Tennis Club held an open tournament in March and April. Over 50 games were played, the finals taking place at Thames House on 3rd April.
Paul Brook won the men's singles, Miss Jessie Moss won the Ladies' singles, and Mr A.D. Palmer won the veterans' singles.
Paul Brook and Maurice Gubby won the men's doubles, Miss Jessie Moss and Miss Jean Marshall won the ladies' doubles, and Miss Jessie Moss and Reg Beagley won the mixed doubles.
Miss Betty Landimore won the ladies' handicap event.
Paul Brook won the men's handicap event.
Miniature gold cups and book tokens were presented by the Chairman of the Social Club, Mr E.R. Lewis.
Cycling to Work
A colleague cycles a total of 16½ miles a day to do his job at Headquarters.
Privilege for a Foreman
Foreman H. Elliott, of East England, helped line the route from Sandringham to Wolverton Station on the occasion of the funeral of his Majesty King George VI. This privilege came to him as a member of the Norfolk Yeomanry (T.A.).
We Laugh at Ourselves
A newspaper columnist writes: "In a handout about a grant scheme for woodland thinnings the Forestry Commission talks about an operation which 'is silviculturally necessary to improve the woods'. Well, after all, if agriculture, horticulture and floriculture, why not silviculture? Verbiculturally speaking, the word is doubtless justified. But I still don't like it."
On due reflection, neither do we - at least not when offered for consumption by the man in the street. We hereby undertake not to offend again.
Buckets of Blood
During a visit by the Blood Transfusion Service, 85 pints of blood were collected with almost half coming from staff and students at the Glentress Forester Training School and the remainder from local inhabitants.
Dialogue Again - The Cup That Cheers
On the subject of dialogue debated in previous issues of The Slasher, a correspondent says of the cup that cheers but does not inebriate, it is "brewed" in the south; "mashed" in Yorkshire, Lancashire and probably elsewhere and "masked" in Scotland.
Warning to Trespassers - For Snakes' Sake!
A farmer who was greatly troubled during the nutting season by trespassers, ascertained the botanical name of the hazel and erected the following notice: "Trespassers, take warning! All persons entering this wood do so at their own risk, for Corylus avellana abounds here in company with ordinary English snakes." The wood was henceforth given a wide berth.
The foregoing is taken from the correspondence columns of The Field. If it were our practice to discourage visitors, we could imagine our Foresters having fun and games with such comparatively common names as Larix leptolepis or Acer pseudoplatanus: and one can well imagine the back-pedalling there would be if circumstances permitted the use of Hylastes ater or CeratostomeIla ulmi.
For Football Fans
With the approach of the Cup Final, the following notes from the programme of Third Division Aldershot may be of interest to football fans: -
In 1903 Bury scored the biggest ever F.A. Cup Final victory by beating Derby County 6-0. This pales into insignificance, however, when one considers that in 1883, in the first round of the Scottish Cup, Dundee Harp beat Aberdeen Rovers 35-0.
A team of the same eleven players can be arranged 39,916,000 ways.
Football was first played 500 years B.C.; the Greeks played a game called "Harpaston", the "ball" being an inflated animal bladder.
Before 1879 referees had no whistles, and shouted their decisions. The cry "Keep it on the island", intended to bring a flush of shame to the face of the defender who wastes time by ballooning the ball off-field, originated at Godmanchester, Huntingdonshire, where the ground was situated on a small island in the Great Ouse.
Newcomers
District Officer T.S. Pryce to E(E);
Clerical Officer J.P.C. Hughes to D(S);
Clerical Officer Miss M. Verral to SE(E);
Clerical Officer Miss P.J. Hiscock to New;
Clerical Officer W.A. Smith to Research;
Clerical Officer Miss C.A. Chapman to Dean;
Clerical Officer Miss G.M. Cooke to E(E);
Clerical Officer B.T.D. Ward to H.Q.
Transfers
District Officer R. MacDonald from Gwydyr School to Benmore School;
Head Forester J.J. Smith from King's, E(E) to Santon Downham E(E);
Forester R. Bultitude from Stanway, SW(E) to Hartland, SW(E);
Forester F.B. Jones from Swanton, E(E) to King's;
Forester R. Meech from New Forest to Ferndown, New Forest;
Forester J.W. Middleton from Ferndown to New Forest;
Forester R.P.C. Woolard from Shouldham, E(E) to Swanton;
Foreman J. Cooper from Bedgebury, SE(E) to Abinger, SE(E);
Foreman W. Murray from Dalbeattie, S(S) to Greskine, S(S);
Foreman P.H. Pearce from Wareham, SW(E) to Savernake, SW(E);
Assistant Engineer W.S. Haynes from D(E) to Chester, NW(E);
Executive Officer Miss E. Crorar from H.Q. to D(E).
Marriages
Forester Charles Thorne of the Forest Research Station has married Miss Doris Hyland, formerly a typist at Alice Holt.
Clerical Officer Lionel Tythicott of the South Wales Conservancy Office has married Miss Beryl Pope, of Cardiff.
Obituaries
Mr Tom Lewis, former Head Forester, Tintern, South Wales has died. He served at Tintern from 1929 until his retirement in 1948, when he completed 50 years unbroken service with the Office of Woods and the Forestry Commission. He commenced his career in 1898 as a workman. The whole of his time was spent in the Dean and Tintern forests, and it is of special interest that he was one of the first class of students to attend the Dean Forester Training School in 1904. His two sons are Foresters T.H. Lewis of Myndd Ddu, South Wales, and C. Lewis of Gardiner, South West England. The family has a record of 141 years unbroken service with the Office of Woods and the Forestry Commission. The late Mr James Johnson, the great grandfather, on the mother's side of Messrs. T.H. and C. Lewis was employed by the Office of Woods from 1838 until he died in 1898, and his father, Ben Johnson, was employed by the Office of Woods from 1811 and was the first tenant of Russell's Lodge in the Forest of Dean.
Ganger A. Sadler, Tintern, South Wales, who joined the Commission in 1943 has died suddenly aged 66.