Slasher Magazine Summary: Publication No. 67 – July 1953
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.
A Farewell Message from W.H. Guillebaud
Mr W.H. Guillebaud has written a short farewell message and said "May you continue to flourish as the green bay tree!"
New Chief Clerk for Wales - E.R. Lewis Moves to Aberystwyth
Mr Eric Lewis has taken up his appointment as Chief Clerk in the Welsh Directorate, in succession to the late Mr George Childs.
Mr Lewis joined the forestry branch of the Office of Woods in 1918 and came to the Forestry Commission in 1924. He was appointed a Divisional Accountant in what is now the East England Conservancy, oddly enough in succession to Mr Childs. In that appointment he served under Mr A.P. Long, who is now Director of Forestry for Wales, and other Divisional Officers, until his promotion in 1937 for work on census and plans under Mr O.J. Sangar, now Director for England.
During the years 1939-45 Mr Lewis served in the West Indies and Central America as a Naval Reserve Officer in Naval Intelligence. He returned to civilian life with the rank of Commander and served successively as Deputy Chief Clerk, England, and Chief Clerk, Research and Education.
H.R.H. The Princess Royal in South Wales - Naming of Coed Morgannwg
H.R.H. the Princess Royal visited South Wales to bestow the name of Coed Morgannwg (Glamorgan Forest) on a number of our units which, between them, cover more than 53 square miles; Her Royal Highness also gave the name of Ffordd y Frenhines (The Queen’s Way) to a forest road.
Her Royal Highness was introduced by Mr W.H. Vaughan, a Forestry Commissioner. In performing the forest naming ceremony, she made a speech referring to the danger of forest fires and the problem of litter, and appealed to future visitors to Coed Morgannwg to "leave this lovely spot as you find it".
Some colourful Welsh, "atmosphere" was given to the occasion by a choir of children from the Cwmaven branch of Urdd Gobaith Cymru who, in national costume, danced as well as sang.
Her Royal Highness was thanked by Lord Radnor, who was accompanied by the Director General, Mr A.H. Gosling, and the Director for Wales, Mr A.P. Long. Mr Lloyd Owen, who in addition to being a Forestry Commissioner, is Chairman of the Welsh National Committee, and spoke of the great developments in the area and said that since 1946 some 57 miles of roads have been constructed in the forests now forming Coed Morgannwg. Ffordd y Frenhines, is 22 miles long and passes through 14 miles of forest.
Portrait of the Late Chairman - Now Handed to Lady Robinson
The portrait of the late Lord Robinson, by T.C. Dugdale, R.A., has been presented to Lady Robinson. It was handed to her by Mr James MacDonald, Director of Research and Education, and Mr B.R. Davies, on behalf of subscribers to the Portrait Fund. Lady Robinson expressed her great appreciation not only of the portrait, but of the colour prints which have been given to her for distribution to members of Lord Robinson's family and friends, in this country and Australia. The Presentation Committee provided Lady Robinson with three unique rollers for containing the prints; these are specially turned from native oak.
On White Foxes
From Private Woodlands Officer W.T. Smith of North East England, comes news about white foxes, a subject mentioned in our May issue. A white fox has been encountered other than in Balloch Forest, South Scotland. He has heard of at least six such animals. In November 1938, a white vixen was killed by the Morpeth Foxhounds in Paxdon Dene, near Longhorsley. "I have actually seen the mounted head of this fox at the home of the M.O.H.", says Mr Smith. About the same time, another white fox was killed at Brinkburn by the Percy Foxhounds and this, it is thought, is still preserved at Alnwick Castle, home of the Duke of Northumberland. A third was dug out of an earth at Cragside, Rothbury, and was sent to Edinburgh Zoo.
Mr Smith goes on: "The Master of the Morpeth Foxhounds says he has heard on good authority that there is again a white fox in the Longhorsley district. I have heard, too, that a white cub was once trapped in the Meldon area and another was reported during the war, in the north of Northumberland. All six foxes to which I have referred have been albinos, but the eyes, apparently, change to blue after death."
As a footnote, Mr Smith mentions that he saw a white woodcock which was shot some years ago at Wolsingham Park, in County Durham, and a white snipe, shot at Blenkinsop in Northumberland.
A Sign in Newtown - Can Any Reader Explain it?
We were strolling through Newtown (pop. 5,000) in Montgomeryshire, when suddenly the thought struck us - Cash is running low, will the local hotel take a cheque? Hanging from the side of what appeared to be an ordinary dwelling-house was a sign with 'GRIFFITHS' and 'Welsh Night Lodging Charity'. Who cares about hotel proprietors and cheques?, we thought. Here is a bed if we want it. On closer inspection we were not so sure, and we are still in the dark as to what the sign is all about, for lack of time precluded our making a personal enquiry of the householder. Anyway, the remainder of the sign read like this: 'These premises have been erected and completed at the cost of and belong to the Charity in the Parish of Newtown in the County of Montgomery, founded by the will of John Griffiths, formerly of No. 75, Buttesland Street, Hoxton, in the County of Middlesex, gentleman, deceased. Dated the ……day of December 1843'.
As a possible safeguard against any future uncertainty as to where we may find a pillow on which to lay our head, and because we are in any case by nature curious, we should be glad to hear from any reader who knows the story that lies behind this sign. Newtown is probably much visited by our staff from Kerry Forest, so no doubt we can look forward to receiving a few lines.
More Quaint Place Names
At Radnor Forest, in the North Conservancy, writes District Officer J. Hampson, the following names (printed on the Ordnance Survey map) are intriguing: Water-break-its-neck; Dry Wood; The Snatcher; Molecatcher's Wood; and Evenjobb Hill.
A series of woods near Radnor Forest, shown on the O.S. map, runs as follows from West to East: Stocking Wood; Wern Gay; Hope's Wood; Hangman's Acre; and Hell Peak.
At Gwydyr Forest, also in the North Wales Conservancy, there is the place name Nant Betty Richards. Who was Betty Richards and why should a valley be named after her?
On Duty at the Coronation
Among the military personnel on duty for the Coronation was ex-School Ganger K.F. Baker of the Dean. He carried the Queen's Colour of the 4/5 Batt. D.C.L.I. (T.A.) and was in the street-lining contingent of the Light Infantry group. His "stand" was near the Dorchester Hotel.
A Diary Note
The Edinburgh University Forestry Society’s dinner will be held at the George Hotel, Edinburgh, on Friday, 27th November at 7.45 p.m. The dinner will be preceded by the Presidential Address, to be given by Lord Radnor at 6.30 pm.
The Weather Forecast in Rhyme
Our reference last month to weather prophecies in rhyme has brought us a note from District Officer K.A.H. Cassels, of the North Scotland Conservancy. He doubts whether our version of the rhyme about the oak and the ash is correct, and offers the following alternative: "If the Oak before the Ash, then its all rain and splash; if the Ash before the Oak, then its all heat and smoke".
The improbability of a summer being all heat and smoke, says Mr. Cassels, emphasises the improbability of the Ash budding before the Oak.
Newcomers
Executive Officer K.W. Winter to N(W);
Clerk of Works W.G. Perkins to S(W);
Clerical Officer T. Martindale to S(S);
Clerical Officer A.A. Butt to D(W);
Clerical Officer Mrs. E.M. Boocok to NE(E);
Clerical Officer Miss J. McLennan to E(S).
Transfers
District Officer B. Walbank from Gwydyr, N(W), to Welshpool, N(W);
District Officer J.N. Kennedy from Santon Downham, E(E) to Princes Risborough;
District Officer D.H. Wallace from Caerphilly, S(W) to Neath, S(W);
Forester A. Murray from Glenrigh, N(S) to Guisachan, N(S);
Forester W. MacIntosh from Guisachan N(S) to Nevis, N(S);
Forester A. MacKay from Ratagan, N(S) to Glen Affric, N(S);
Forester W.J. Nicolson from Torrachilty, N(S) to Ratagan N(S);
Forester V. Masson from Research, Mabie to Durris, E(S);
Forester A.J. Duncan from Monaughty, E(S) to Keillour,. E(S);
Forester J. Riddell from Nevis, N(S) to Glenrigh N(S);
Forester J.R. Henderson from Abinger SE(E) to Gravetye, SE(E);
Forester J.K. Reid from Keillour to Fonab, E(S);
Foreman W. Johnstone from Allean, E(S) to Drumtochty, E(S) ;
Foreman R.A.F. Kemp from Dean to Education, Glentress S(S);
Foreman G.S. Francey from Loch Katrine, W(S) to Ardgartan, W(S);
Clerk of Works T. Dalgleish from Glentress and Cardrona, S(S) to Glenhurich, N(S).
Marriage
Research Forester J. Waller has married Miss D.M. King at Bristol.
Birth
A son was born to District Officer B.D. Hughes of North Wales, and Mrs Hughes.
Retired
W.H. Guillebaud, Deputy Director General since 1948 has retired after nearly 40 years' service to forestry, having joined the Forestry Branch of the former Board of Agriculture in 1919. He became Research Officer of the Commission on its inception in 1919 and later served as Chief Research Officer, becoming Director of Research and Education in 1946.
Our Chairman Lord Radnor, described him as "the architect of our research organisation, which has the highest reputation in forestry circles throughout the world".
Obituaries
Thomas Hendrie (T.F. Hendrie), ex-Forester, formerly of East England died recently in Cambridge Hospital. Born in 1876 in Maybole, Ayrshire, he was the son of a Forester's son. He started work under his father, who was Head Forester to the Milton Abbey Estate, Dorset. He served on several other private estates and eventually went to Dickson's Chester Nurseries. In 1901, during his service with Dickson's, he was in charge of planting on the Elan Valley reservoir scheme. In 1902 he was appointed Head Forester to the Dowager Duchess of Northumberland's Stanwick Estate, then Head Forester to Cassandra, Countess of Ross. His last post in private forestry was on the Tongswood Estate in Kent. Mr Hendrie started with the Forestry Commission in 1926, when he took charge of the Santon Downham Beat at Thetford Chase, in East Anglia. During subsequent years, until he retired in 1945, he was in charge of various units in the Thetford and Swaffham forests. Mr Hendrie was a keen collector of entomological specimens.
Mr M.O. Davies, Clerical Officer at Aberystwyth has died aged 54 in Aberystwyth Hospital. He was a comparative newcomer to the Commission, having transferred from the Assistance Board and was Chairman of the local branch of the C.S.C.A.
Please see the PDF link below to read the newsletter.