Slasher Magazine Summary: Publication No. 58 – October 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.
Royal Visit to Forests - H.R.H. The Duke of Edinburgh in East Scotland
Possibly the first Royal visit to take place to any of our forests was made last month, when H.R.H. the Duke of Edinburgh went to Monaughty and Culbin forests, in the East Scotland Conservancy. The Duke was escorted on his forest tour by Deputy Chairman Lord Radnor; Sir Henry Beresford Peirce, the Director for Scotland; Mr F.W.A. Oliver, Conservator, East Scotland; and District Officer J.A.M. Kennedy. He proved himself extremely knowledgeable in forestry matters, and at Monaughty, which is in the charge of Head Forester D.M. Watt and is a unit of more than 4,000 acres, he witnessed a variety of forest operations.
In the afternoon, a tour of Culbin showed thatched and planted areas of the 6,000 acres or more of sand dunes which, before being fixed by the use of brushwood and other material, threatened to encroach still further on arable land. Beneath the sands lies the Barony of Culbin, which, according to tradition, was in 1694 buried by sand which blew inland during a violent storm.
His Royal Highness was transported by Land Rover, and made frequent stops to walk through parts of the forest and to see certain features. He asked numerous questions of Head Forester W.G. Milne and was especially interested by the odd sight of some of the pines near Binsness which, planted in pre-Commission days, have for long been exposed to the wind, with the result that sand has piled high against the leading trees, and it is thus possible to walk among the tree tops. It is remarkable that these trees continue to make fair growth, despite the fact that so much of their stems is buried in sand.
Elsewhere, His Royal Highness saw the last stages of the task of thatching the remaining unplanted dunes. It was a proud occasion for certain of our employees, for they were introduced to the Duke and spent some while chatting to him about their work. All of them have been employed at Culbin since the Commission commenced operations there in 1929.
There followed a visit to the observation tower on Hill 99, the highest dune in the forest, and so named because it rises to 99 feet above sea level. From the tower, His Royal Highness obtained a magnificent view of the plantations and countryside, and of the Moray Firth. Before leaving the forest, a visit was paid to the biggest of the fire dams, which have been constructed by scooping out the sand to below water level.
Then, in the tiny community of Kintessack, in which is situated the headquarters of the forest, His Royal Highness was driven to the home of Head Forester Milne, where Mrs Milne and Miss Milne served tea.
Flooding in Our Forests - Conway Valley Disaster Recalled
Several readers have commented on the Lynmouth floods. "The disaster", says one correspondent, "recalls for us the not dissimilar tragedy which occurred in 1925 within a mile of Gwydyr, the biggest of our forests in North Wales. This happened when the dam at Llyn Eigiau, above Dolgarrog, in the Conway Valley, burst and a raging flood of water destroyed many cottages and other property. Some 17 people lost their lives".
It is understood that in the year of the Welsh disaster, more than 25 inches of rain fell in five days at Llyn Caw-Lwyd, in the adjoining valley. But then parts of Wales are noted for their heavy rainfall and, in his "The Lakes of Wales", Frank Ward says that "in 1912 the extraordinary total of 246 inches was registered during the 12 months in Cwm Dyli, on Snowdon, and a fall of six and a half inches in one day has been noted".
Seven inches of rain fell in one day on Plynlimmon, North Wales in July, 1949, in the vicinity of which are our forests of Hafren, Bryn Mawr, Tarenig and Cwmeinion. This fall is said to have occurred within four hours; some 23 landslides occurred in Tarenig Forest as the result, and many young trees were destroyed. On another occasion - possibly 1950 - heavy rain caused exceptional floods in the Llugwy Valley, near the Gwydyr Forester Training School, and one unfortunate camper lost his caravan.
In The Slasher for September 1950, we recorded how a cloud-burst at Margam Forest, in South Wales, had resulted in Sitka spruce over a large area being torn out of the ground and hurled downhill, cutting a "swathe" 10 yards wide and 200 yards long through other plantations. Many trees in a compartment of Japanese larch, averaging 30 feet in height, and with six-inch butts, were uprooted, broken, splintered, stripped of their bark and swept into a stream at the base of the hill.
District Officer D. Mackay recalls a serious case of flooding in Dunwich Forest, in East Anglia. Apparently the sea barrier near Dunwich was broken down during the war to cause flooding of the marshes and so hamper the expected enemy invasion. During March, 1949, a very high tide completely submerged the marshes and flooded the village of Dunwich, and at the same time the sea encroached on the forest to a considerable distance and depth. No appreciable damage was noticed when the water receded, but about 18 months later poplar and Corsican pine commenced to die off, and large gaps were made in the plantations by the removal of the affected trees. Mr Mackay says that up to the autumn of 1951, when he left the district, trees were still dying.
Note: An inch of rain on an acre is said to weigh 101 tons, which is equal to 4.7 gallons per square yard.
Dean Foreman With Master's "Ticket" - Near Tragedy in N.Z. Port
Before joining the Commission, Foreman D. Robinson of The Dean spent many years at sea and secured his Master's "ticket". He says "I often cast my mind back to a dull winter evening when I stood on the bridge, ready to act as messenger boy and all decked out in my new apprentice's uniform, while the tramp steamer I had joined the previous day slipped slowly down the Tyne and out into the North Sea. In the following 17 years of "tramping" around the world, I signed indentures in 1929 to serve the Nautilus Shipping Company, and promised to live a sober, hardworking life for four years, in consideration of receiving £40 a year and being taught the business of being a seaman. I obtained my Second Mate's certificate in 1934 and two years later I passed for Mate. In 1940 I obtained my Master's 'ticket', after which I got a berth in the Orient Line. The remainder of my sea career was spent with the same line and I experienced many happy days, despite the fact that the ships were converted into 'troopers' and there were many anxious times throughout the war. I met my future wife on one of these ships, outward bound round the Cape to Suez, and we were married three years later."
His most graphic experience while at sea was when he was serving in a large trooper. He says "We took a company of New Zealanders home to South Island. We arrived off port in the evening; the air was still and the sea like glass. The pilot boarded us outside the harbour and slowly we made our way inside. The outer pier stretched round like a protecting arm, leaving just enough space to get in. As we entered the harbour we could see a great crowd of people packed along a frail wooden pier which jutted out from the land, and at the sea end of this was the town band. The musicians struck up a rousing tune, and there was a roar of welcome from the crowd. Our headline was passed ashore and then, on glancing seaward, I noticed a curious phenomenon in the bay - a white line was moving over the water, and I saw that it passed over a sailing boat, which capsized. Within seconds the wind hit us, and the peaceful calm of the summer evening gave way to a howling gale. Our bow line became taught as a violin string, while our stern began to swing towards the pier. My heart was in my mouth as I looked at that frail little jetty whereon stood the cheering crowd, with the band still playing some patriotic tunes; if our stern caught it the whole lot would be swept away. There was little we could do except hope that by hauling in our headline we would clear and then, after agonising moments, we got our stern into the wind again. But on the crest of our swing, our head line, the only connection with shore, gave under the strain and we commenced to fall down, bodily, on the seemingly ill-fated pier and its occupants. It seemed that nothing could save them, this time. It was a case of full speed astern, and there were seconds that seemed like ages during which we fell nearer and nearer to the pier, on which the crowd still cheered and the band added its melodies to the tumult of the wind. The suspense was agonising. Could we avoid a tragedy? Then our engines took hold and we began slowly to move astern; our bow swung past and clear by inches only and we eventually came alongside with a bump at the other end of the harbour".
What makes a man leave the sea for the forest? Mr Robinson, said "After I had been married a few years, the desire to return to the countryside I had known as a boy rose in me stronger than ever, and I came to the woods not as a stranger but rather as a friend long absent".
Cricket Success at Aberystwyth - Official Team Wins Silver Cup
A cricket team was formed in the Welsh Directorate Office in 1949. Despite early difficulties, the team, encouraged by their President Mr A.P. Long, Director for Wales, reached the semi-final in the newly formed Aberystwyth and District Cricket League in 1951. They played seventeen matches, of which ten were won, six lost and one drawn.
Of the nine matches played in 1952, four were won, four lost and one drawn. No more fixtures were possible because the playing field was ruined by the visit of a circus earlier in the year. However, University authorities granted the Aberystwyth Cricket League the use of their field for a knock-out competition and in the final, the Forestry Commission beat the "Cambrian News" by nine runs and thus gained the Silver Cup, helped by some fine batting in the semi-final by J. Threadgill and E.J.M. Davies, and the consistently good bowling of Captain G. Williams and F. Bryan. Praise must also be accorded to each member of the team for some fine fielding. It was this good fielding which, in the final, was mainly responsible for the victory.
Sequel to a Find
In the May issue of The Slasher we recorded how a bronze medallion was discovered in the heart of an old beech tree felled at Barcaldine Forest, West Scotland. We said the medallion commemorated David La Touche, a member of the famous banking family of Northern Ireland who, apparently, was the son of a refugee Huguenot who fought with William of Orange at the Battle of the Boyne.
The Department has now heard from Mr J.F.D. La Touche of Newton Abbot, Devon, who states that the David La Touche in question was born in 1705 and died in 1785 and was his great-great-great-uncle. The medal was struck in memory of David La Touche in the year of his death; it has now been given to Mr. J.F.D. La Touche who is unable to suggest how it came to be embedded in the tree.
Transfers
District Officer F.W. Lindsay from Woking, SE(E) to Horsham, SE(E);
Head Forester J.W. Brook from Lake Vyrnwy, N(W), to Slindon, SE(E);
Head Forester J.E. Evans from Beddgelert, N(W) to Coed-y-Brenin, N(W);
Forester J. MacKenzie from Strathconon, N(S) to Moy, N(S);
Forester W.S. Stott from Kings, E(E), to Gunton, E(E);
Forester L. D. Ingram from Ampthill, E(E) to Thetford Chase, E(E);
Forester H.F. Parlett from Thetford Chase to Fritton, E(E);
Forester E.J.D. Wilkinson from HQ to Maresfield, SE(E);
Foreman B.W. Beard from Wigsley, E(E) to Ampthill, E(E);
Foreman A.G. Pyman from Marden, SE(E), to Alton, SE(E);
Foreman E.B. Cordery from Lyminge, SE(E), to Marden.
Marriage
Mr J.S. Burfitt and Miss R.M. Copp, Clerical Officers in the Cardiff Office, have married and spent their honeymoon at Bettws-y-Coed, on the doorstep of Gwydyr Forest.
Births
To Mr L.A Chaplin, Chief Clerk, York, and Mrs Chaplin, the birth of a third son.
To Mr D.O. Bayliss, Surveyor, Aberystwyth, and Mrs Bayliss, the birth of a daughter.
To Mr F. Bryan, Draughtsman, Aberystwyth, and Mrs Bryan, the birth of a daughter.
To Mr N. MacDonald, Accounts Section, Glasgow, and Mrs MacDonald, the birth of a daughter.
To District Officer J.H. James, of South Wales and Mrs James, the birth of a son who weighed 8lb 3oz at birth and may yet challenge his father who (as recorded in The Slasher in May, 1951) weighs 18 stones and is 6 ft. 4½ ins. tall.
Obituaries
Thomas Othen, aged 63, Forest Worker in the Research Branch at Alice Holt since 1950 died after his bicycle collided with a car.
The ashes of Lord Robinson, our late Chairman, have been scattered at Wickhope Nick, in Kielder Forest. Lord Robinson died in Ottawa while he was leading the United Kingdom delegation to the Sixth British Empire Forestry Conference. Lord Robinson entered the public service in 1909 as an assistant inspector in the forestry branch of the former Board of Agriculture and was largely responsible for the report which led to the setting up in 1919 of the Forestry Commission and was the Chairman for 20 years.
Lord Robinson was knighted in 1932 and made a Peer in 1947, choosing to be known as Lord Robinson of Kielder Forest and of Adelaide. He was closely associated from the start with the formation of Kielder Forest. He saw the first trees planted, cut the first thinnings and then, in May this year, he opened the new forest village of Kielder, one of several communities that are to be built in the area.
He was elected Chairman of the Fourth Commonwealth Conference held in South Africa in 1935 and of the sixth Conference in Great Britain 1947. A Memorial Service took place at St Margaret's Church, Westminster on 21st October.
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