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www.fca-today.com Page 1 FCA Today The newsletter about former Forestry Commission employees Issue 50 - Winter 2013 Contents Page FCA Today From the Editor 1 Days at Dean FTS 2 The Great Bear Rain Forest 5 Glen Estate Aberdeenshire 7 Book Review 8 Women at War 10 Fred Hummel: Memorial Tree Planting at Alice Holt 11 A Great Day Out by the South Wales Group 12 Letters to the Editor 13 The Lodge Forest Visitor Centre 14 Lynford Hall Now 18 Cliff Featherstone’s Arctic Star Award 20 Red Deer in Folklore 22 Obituaries 23 Contact Details 24 I am cleaned out of copy. I had to poach from another journal to find enough for this issue. I know the the editor's life for a small newsletter is hard going, I could even say stressful. However the easy way out is – no copy, no newsletter. Where is it all coming from? Certainly it's a struggle to get it from the readers. I can't imagine your lives are so empty that you cannot find time for some contribution. We battled to get our own newsletter in the old “Slasher” days, it would be sad to see it fail now through lack of interest, especially as this is the 50 th issue. Richard Toleman From the Editor A Happy Christmas and a Get Writing New Year! Winter
24

From the Editor - FCA Today

Mar 24, 2022

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Page 1: From the Editor - FCA Today

www.fca-today.com Page 1 FCA Today

The newsletter about former Forestry Commission employees Issue 50 - Winter 2013

Contents Page

FC

A T

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From the Editor 1Days at Dean FTS 2The Great Bear Rain Forest 5Glen Estate Aberdeenshire 7Book Review 8Women at War 10Fred Hummel: Memorial Tree Planting at Alice Holt 11A Great Day Out by the South Wales Group 12Letters to the Editor 13The Lodge Forest Visitor Centre 14Lynford Hall Now 18Cliff Featherstone’s Arctic Star Award 20Red Deer in Folklore 22Obituaries 23Contact Details 24

I am cleaned out of copy.I had to poach fromanother journal tofind enough for thisissue. I know thethe editor's life fora small newsletteris hard going, Icould even saystressful.

However the easy way out is – no copy, nonewsletter. Where is it all coming from?Certainly it's a struggle to get it from thereaders. I can't imagine your lives are soempty that you cannot find time for somecontribution.We battled to get our own newsletter in theold “Slasher” days, it would be sad to see itfail now through lack of interest, especially asthis is the 50th issue.

Richard Toleman

From the EditorA Happy Christmas and a Get Writing New Year!

Winter

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Days at Dean FTSby Harry Pepper

I needed some old black and white photographs for an exercise set on a recentPhotoshop course I attended. I came across four 1960s photographs, three of whichrelate to the September 1959 to July 1961 Dean FTS course.

The first picture is of Mike Stark on the treebicycle without hard hat or any other safetyequipment.

I am in the second peeling bark, and againwithout the benefit of any protective clothingsuch as gloves and rubber boots with protectivetoe caps. I remember well the abundance offine splinters embedded in the backs of myhands after peeling Larch.

Mike Stark on a tree bicycle Harry Pepper peeling bark

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Days at Dean FTS continued

The third picture is a group photograph of thecourse taken on a field trip in 1959–60. Oncea month on a Thursday there was a field tripand I think this one was to South Wales to seedeep ploughing in operation. In the front roware from the left: Brian Hibbard, Gabriel“Gabby” Charles, Derek Willmott, PeterStubbington, Mick Scutt, myself, John Hannamand Tony Graver. In the back row are from theleft David Ford, Mike Stark, Shaun Purcell, NailBuckley and Phil Drewett. On his own at theback is Ted Williams the FTS driver and whata character he was.

I think the photograph was taken by PaulCollis. The only other course member not inthe picture is Peter Webb.

Another field trip involved a tour of Parkendsaw mill. At the time, apart from convertingDean oak into planks, it was still producingkeys and ferrules for the railways.

We were told that before nationalisation ofthe railways the mill was the principlesupplier of these track components to theGreat Western Railway.

Field trip 1959-60

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Do you have any articles for publication in this magazine?

Send your articles to the editorby e-mail to: [email protected]

by post to: Richard Toleman, Manuel Stables, Linlithgow,

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The fourth image shows the late RolandThomas with his Foden timber wagon. It isoutside Parkend Saw Mill waiting to unload oakdestined for conversion into the two trackcomponents. Again I am not sure what H&Swould make of this load now. Incidentally

Roland told me that this Foden was unusualin that it was powered by a two stroke dieselengine that was very noisy under load. Thiswas an advantage to him because his wifewould hear him coming home as he cameup the Whitecroft road. By the time he hadunloaded, his evening meal would be on thetable.

Days at Dean FTS continued

View or download earlier issues of FCA Todayfrom the FCA website at: -

www.fca-today.com

Roland and Foden

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It is early autumn. We are sitting quietly in ahide on the bank of the Nekite Riversurrounded by majestic western red cedar,western hemlock and Sitka spruce. Above thefar riverbank, high on a bare branch sits a baldeagle. It is raining and the only other soundcomes from the river skipping over theshallows.We see movement on the far bank, emergingfrom the undergrowth is a large grizzly bearfollowed a few moments later by her three

cubs. She is after the salmon swimmingupriver to spawn. She breaks into a slowgallop, stops, splashes down a huge front pawand then emerges with a fat salmon betweenher jaws. Deftly she peels off and eats thehighly nutritious skin and then allows her cubsto feed on the scraps. They need to fatten upbefore moving up into higher ground to seekout a den in which to sleep out the winter.Then she and her cubs are gone and we sitquietly by the now empty river.

The Great Bear Rain Forestby Charles Dickens

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Gulls skit over the stones helping themselvesto fishy morsels left by the bears. The eagleremains high in the tree, his turn to feed willcome later.

Welcome to the Great Bear Rain Forest.Yesterday a small float plane brought us intoSmith Inlet from Port Hardy at the north end ofVancouver Island.

We flew under the clouds over the temperaterain forest that clothes much of the Pacificcoast of British Columbia. Looking down wecould see old logging roads, delineated bysinuous lines of lighter leaved naturallyregenerated alder threading their way throughsecond growth forest. Then evidence of activelogging marked by the cut of new roads, barehillsides and a floating loggers’ accommodationbarge hitched to the shore. Rafts of logs floatalong the shore to be gathered and towed tothe sawmills.

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Environmentalists despair at the loss of theold-growth trees that are a vital part of the rainforest ecosystem. They contend that loggingis proceeding at a rate that is not sustainableand are lobbying for the protection of theremaining intact old-growth trees to ensure thesurvival of the ancient temperate rainforest, thecoastal grizzly bear, stocks of wild salmon andthe many other indigenous species.

Salmon come up the river to spawn. Bears,and other animals, eat salmon and scatter theirdigested remains into the forest. The forest isfertilized and grows providing the habitat forbears and other animals. During heavyrainstorms the tree canopy and roots hold backexcessive run off into the rivers so the gravelspawning beds are protected, the salmonpopulation is maintained and the cycle isperpetuated.

Our lodging here is a floating platform tied tothe shore at the upper end of Smith Inlet.Consequently the tides give us an up and downsort of existence but we have comfortablebeds, a convivial mess room and good food tokeep body and soul in harmony.The only way in or out is by floatplane or if theweather is bad, by sea. We are not allowedashore unless accompanied by a staff member;

bears can sometimes be bad tempered andthey are big. Travel to the riverbank hide is byan old school bus along a few miles of disusedlogging road or if we are exploring the inlet orthe river estuary by boat.When moving between bus and hide we callout the greeting “hey bear”, just to let themknow we are around. The last thing you do isto creep up on a bear.

The Great Bear Rain Forest continued

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It is a privilege to have a glimpse into the worldof the Great Bear. Our stay will sadly be briefand soon we will be boarding the tiny floatplane

back into civilization.It would be nice to see some sunshinetomorrow.

The Great Bear Rain Forest continued

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Jim Christie, a volunteer warden with theWoodland Trust, has sent me the followingrequest for help.

Glen estate, near Edzell in Aberdeenshire,was built in 1795 and many of its trees wereintroduced around that time. The estate is nowheld in Trust and the main building is used bya Scottish university for courses. It’s a 200acre estate with a walled area for thearboretum. The estate manager is keen tokeep the estate as well loved and cared for aspossible, be it the many buildings, parkland,riverside and arboretum.

A tree recording session has taken place thisyear and over 20 trees (sweet chestnut, yew,beech, sycamore, lime, turkey oak,

Wellingtonia, cypress, monkey puzzle, cedar)have all been recorded. The arboretum has alarge area not readily accessible,rhododendron having taken over. Theresources to care for the arboretum are verylimited and the estate manager would dearlylike some advice on how to look after it.If anyone can help, please e-mail, telephoneor write to the Scotland Director Carol Evans.The Woodland Trust ScotlandSouth Inch Business CentreShore RoadPerth PH2 8BWTel: 01738 635829Mobile: 07767 211977E-mail: [email protected]

Glen Estate Aberdeenshire

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BOOK REVIEW

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In his introduction, Rodney says that hisintention is to provide a brief introduction andexplanation of the basis of continuous coverforestry. It will be primarily for owners andmanagers of woodlands, but will also behelpful to others who have an interest in howforests and woodlands are, or could be,managed.He starts with the concept of natural woodlandsaying that it can regenerate in different ways.He gives as examples regeneration aftercatastrophic events or after death of smallgroups or individuals. In the management ofwoodlands he notes the different systems ofcoppice, clear felling and the alternatives basedon small group or individual tree removal. Thelatter, termed continuous cover forestry (CCF),has become widely used in European countriesin the last two or three decades.He states that the objective of CCF is tomaximise the benefits from an area ofwoodland while letting natural processes domost of the work. He then looks at timberproduction, nature conservation, landscape,conservation of soil and water and recreation.Before commencing CCF management hesays that a detailed site appraisal is necessary.He notes amongst other things the importanceof accessibility for timber production, exposureto wind, soil type, species and condition of treesand constraints in particular browsing.Then he introduces the key part of the booklet,commencing management. He says that theobjectives of management must be carefullyconsidered and that a vision statement of thefeatures that the owner seeks to develop, willbe helpful.

He outlines the principles of tree removal andretention, this section is well illustrated withexamples.He recognises that an land owner may wish tocreate a new woodland with the potential ofCCF management and he provides muchhelpful advice on species selection as relatedto site type.In the management of the growing stock heexplains the significance of diameter harvestingand “reverse J-curve” enumeration.As natural regeneration and its relation todaylight within woods is so important in CCFmanagement, he describes comprehensivelythe main factors affecting it.In his final chapter he gives a simple review ofcosts and returns.At the end of the booklet he gives furthersources of advice, a bibliography, and twoappendices with growing stock sample plotdata. The final appendix is a clear diagramshowing the transformation of a woodland frombeing even-aged to one of continuous forestcover with many ages and sizes.The booklet is clearly and succinctly written andillustrated, and fully achieves its purpose ofintroducing CCF to the reader. Foresters withwide experience in CCF may consider thebooklet as one that simply reiterates knownfacts. However, it will be valuable to all whohave an interest in, and wish to have anexplanation of the basis of CCF. I canrecommend it, and it is likely that the reader willbecome enthusiastic to explore the subjectfurther.

Continuous Cover Management of Woodlands A brief introduction by Rodney HelliwellISBN 978-0-9576326-0-8 £9.50 2013 66 pages.

Copies are available from Treesource , Church Hill, Stillingfleet, York. YO19 6SA

BOOK REVIEW

by Richard Toleman

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During World War Two, women not only foughtalongside men on the Home Front in the armed servicesbut also helped Britain to overcome the Nazi threat byworking on the land.In Scotland, 8,500 young women served in the Women’sLand Army (WLA) toiling for up to fifty hours a week toensure that vital food production was maintained. Somealso served wit h the Women’s Timber Corps (WTC) fellingtimber in forests and helped to transform the timber thatthey felled into products such as pit props needed for thecoal industry.The WLA was formed in 1917 during the Great War,disbanded at that war ’s end and reformed in 1939. TheWomen’s Timber Service operated during the Great Waralso and it too disbanded then reformed in 1942 as theWTC and was part of the WLA.These women, some as young as seventeen (it issuggested some might have been younger) were attractedto serve out of a desire to support the country when mostof the male labour force was away fighting on foreignshores.Wartime recruitment poster campaigns showed smilinggirls in sunny countryside surroundings, yet masked thefact that often when women enrolled and were allocatedto their areas of work, it was anything but pleasant!These land girls took on board hard manual work andafter a short period for training, found themselves at theheart of helping to feed the nation and ensure that it hadvital timber supplies.The regime under which the women had to operate inwas, by necessity, strict and while a uniform and paywere provided, the accommodation provided usuallyhad to be paid for.

Some women suffered bouts of homesickness, for manythis was the first time they would have stayed awayfrom their families. For others, who came from thelarger Scottish towns and cities, this was the fir st timethat they had been in the countryside.Lasting friendshipsMany members of the WLA and the WTC, speakingafter the war, talked of the spirit of camaraderie and oflasting friendships made during this time. The womenworked hard but despite this, still found time to walk tothe nearest townat weekends totake part in thelocal vil lagedances andsocial events asthey attemptedto maintainsome air ofnormality intheir lives.The WTC wasdisbanded in1946 and thewomen receiveda letter ofthanks fromtheir patron theQueen Mother.The WLAoperated for fiveyears after thewar ’s end andits membersreceived little orno recognitionfor their efforts.In the years that foll owed, the women who had soproudly served increasingly felt part of a ‘forgottenarmy’.Now at last, things are beginning to change and thismuch-deserved recognition has started to arrive. Amemorial to the members of the WTC was unveiled atAberfoyle recently and a special commemorative badgewas created for surviving members. Finally, last year amemorial was erected at Fochabars to the WLA. It may havetaken over sixty years since the end of the war but at lastsome recognition has come to these women who helped tofeed a nation in its hour of need.

Article first published in Scottish MemoriesmagazineLunch time in the forest normally consisted of bread and cheesewashed down with tea

The Memorial to the WTC at Aberfolyeappropriately is a member of thatorganisation with axe to hand

Women at war on the land

The women of the Land Army and Timber Corps played a vitalpart in feeding wartime Britain, yet their contribution is onlynow starting to be recognised, writes James Hendrie.

Scottish Memories

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Older readers and those who have a fondnessfor mensuration will recognise the name of FredHummel. He will be remembered in particularfor inventing the FC tariff tables, developing thefirst comprehensive British yield tables, forleading the sections devoted to planning andeconomics and for persuading Commissionersto go metric. He followed on from John Dicksonas Commissioner Harvesting and Marketing for5 years and then took over the EuropeanCommission’s Forestry Division. He found thebureaucracy tedious but managed to initiatesome Europe-wide studies, including forestrytaxation, forest recreation, harvestingtechnology and small forest ownerships. Hiscontribution to forest policy development in hisFC days, to a smaller extent in Europe and,after retirement, through many consultancieswas a notable one. Clear thinking and clearexpression were the hallmarks of all his work.Sadly Fred died in October 2012 at the age ofninety seven, and there was a good gatheringof former colleagues at his funeral at Guildford.Subsequently his widow, Floriana, and his sonAntony by his first wife, thought that a plantingshould be undertaken in his memory.

Unfortunately plantings in Guildford castlegrounds were vandalised. Earlier this yearAntony suggested to me that Alice Holt wouldbe a more appropriate place for a memorialtree. Fred was at Alice Holt from its start in1946 up to 1961. Peter Freer-Smith, the ChiefResearch Officer, said he would be happy toarrange a site and tree. We agreed that aMetasequoia from Westonbirt should beprovided for a planting on August 16, 2013. Onthat day the Hummel family came to Alice Holttogether with Philip and Janet Wardle. PeterFreer-Smith and a number of other staff whoknew Fred’s work also attended.The occasion was, for all its poignancy, ahappy one. The whole family consisting ofAntony and his wife, together with Floriana, herthree daughters Anna, Silvia and Julia, andtheir husbands and children, were present.Floriana flourished a smart ceremonial spadeand expressed her thanks to Peter Freer-Smithand other Research staff concerned. In myview as one who started work as a student atAlice Holt in 1949, the occasion was conductedin the best traditions of Alice Holt. Fred wouldhave approved.

Fred Hummel: Memorial Tree Planting at Alice Holtby Arnold Grayson

The characters in the scene are from left to right:  Antony Hummel, Robert Matthews, Gary Kerr,Arnold Grayson (to right with silver hair), Floriana Hummel, extreme right Philip Wardle.

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A Great Day Outby Ian Blake

Nineteen members of the South Wales Groupenjoyed a day out at the Penderyn Distillery andGarwnant Visitor Centre in late May. The daystarted at Penderyn, nestled in the foothills ofthe Brecon Beacons,  with a tour around thedistillery. It was founded in 2000 by localbusinessmen and is currently the only one inWales. It has a visitor centre and shop,  andincludes an exhibition about key elements of'wysgi' making and Welsh culture that wereimportant factors in the successful  return ofdistilling to Wales. Members were escortedaround the distillery by a well-informed guide.They had an opportunity to see its workings,learn about the process and the unique productrange, and more importantly sample the newspirit of Wales. The photograph shows the FCAgroup at the start of the visit where everyone wascoherent and quite straight!

 Later in the day they made their way to theGarwnant Visitor Centre, part of LlanymddyfriForest District. It is a founder member ofNatural Resources Wales (NRW) along withthe Environment Agency and CountrysideCouncil for Wales. A relaxed lunch was takenat the 'Just Perfect' cafeteria, within theGarwnant complex, following which membersreceived a short talk from Andrew Nock, aneducation ranger based at the centre.Before leaving the group was updated on therecent AGM held at York and asked for venuesuggestions for the 2014 AGM that will be heldin South Wales.We met again in October and visitedWestonbirt Arboretum where we enjoyed theglorious Autumn colours. More on this in theSpring issue.

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Website Message BoardIf you have any news,announcements or forthcomingevents, post or e-mail thedetails to the editor. Contactdetails are on the back page ofthis magazine.

www.fca-today.com

Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor,I am doing research on the history of naturalhistory collecting, biological research, forestryand conservation in the Seychelles islands.I am trying to find information on “F.Strawbridge” (Fred Strawbridge?) who was aforester here in the Seychelles from 1958 toMay 1961. The Annual Report of the(Seychelles) Department of Agriculture for1961 says that “he left the Colony in May 1961,on the completion of his 3-year tour ofsecondment, and has since then reverted tothe United Kingdom Forestry Commission, towhich he belongs”.

I would very much appreciate biographicalinformation on Mr Strawbridge, any anecdoteshe may have told anyone about his time in theSeychelles, etc. Many thanks in advance foryour kind assistance.Regards,Pat MatyotIsland Conservation Society (ICS)C/o P.O. Box 321Victoria, MahéSEYCHELLESE-mail: [email protected]

If you have any information on Fred Straw-bridge please contact Pat Matyot directly.

Send your letters to the editor for publication in FCA Today

by e-mail to: [email protected]

by post to: Richard Toleman,Manuel Stables, Linlithgow, EH49 6JF.

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Back in the 1950s, Carnegie Trustchairman, David Marshall, was keen thatthe Trust should do something that wouldallow the ordinary person to enjoyNational Parks. His idea was to developa building that would serve as a rest stopand focal point for visitors and heconvinced the Trust to commit as muchas £20,000 to the project.

Emboldened by the Trust’s endorsementof his idea, he started the ball rolling byapproaching the Peak District NationalPark. Thinking that it wouldn’t be inkeeping with the landscape, the parkauthority turned the offer down. So DavidMarshall turned his sights to the ForestryCommission and Queen Elizabeth ForestPark (QEFP).

Thanks to his determination andpersistence and Forestry Commissionforesight, the project came to fruitionand the David Marshall Forest Lodgeopened in 1960 at a total cost of£50,000. It quickly became a much lovedfacility and in August 2010 it celebratedits 50th birthday. However, although ithad become a popular focal point towelcome, refresh, orientate and entertainvisitors before they venture into theforest and surrounding areas, those 50

years had not been kind to the building,or the site.

Largely left untouched, the building hadsuffered from a long series of ad hocrepairs and additions. The buildingneeded comprehensive repairs to itsleaky roof and windows, overheatingelectrics and eccentric wiring. Sometimesthere were light switches in differentrooms from the actual light fittings! Thekitchen was too small for commercialcatering and there was not enough officespace, storage space or toilet facilities.

Susan Nash, for Forestry CommissionScotland’s Aberfoyle team, said:

“It had become untidy and outdated,failed to meet accessibility standardsas set down in the DisabilityDiscrimination Act In a verycompetitive tourism market, it nolonger met visitor expectations.Together with the upgrades andredevelopment work required on thepath network, the car park andinterpretation materials, it was in apretty sorry state. It was a site andbuilding that was meant to be theflagship visitor centre in the QEFP,with over 1,000,000 visitors a year.”

The Lodge Forest Visitor Centre – A New Beginning

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Major investment was needed, and it wasclear to Forestry Commission Scotlandthat the benefits would be much morewidely felt than simply on site. It wouldbe a long term investment in Trossachstourism that would be of real benefit tothe local economy, supporting andstimulating local economic growth andtourism.

As well as providing a new resource forlocal community access and recreation,a refurbished building would be able tocater better for the anticipated increasein visitor numbers from 165,000 to250,000. This would additionally benefitlocal hospitality, leisure and retailbusinesses. For these reasons, ForestryCommission Scotland took the decisionto invest in a major upgrade and refitand it engaging Robertson Constructionto manage the £2m project.

Susan, who managed the project for theCommission’s Aberfoyle based team,said:

“Phase one, carried out in 2011/12,dealt with the ground works. As wellas providing a service road with newcoach and car parking, a new DDAcompliant footpath was constructed.Also the existing playpark, that hadcome to the end of its useful life, wasremoved.

We installed new natural playfeatures, a willow maze, a water parkand a tree trunk climbing frame Theywere more widely dispersed aroundthe site so that they would encouragefurther exploration of the forest.Because of the major impact thisphase of work had on the site, we didget some negative feedback. Howeverone year on the site was alreadylooking more established and it's asthough it had always been that way.”

Phase two involved the buildingrenovation and refurbishment. Workstarted in Autumn 2012 and was

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New view to main entrance

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completed in August 2013. This phaseincluded improving and upgrading thedecking area, adding an additional toiletbuilding adjacent to the Go Ape facilityand improving the interpretation display.

The building underwent a completetransformation. The interior walls anddark colouring that closed the spaces offand made them feel small and enclosedwere replaced with an open plan designthat was light and airy, and gave straightthrough views in almost every direction.The café and interpretation areas were

moved around to make better use of thespace and to capitalise on the dramaticviews.

Susan added:

“The transformation was amazing andthe reaction we’ve had from visitorswas fantastic! I think all wereimpressed when they came throughthe door and saw how open, airy,bright and welcoming the Lodge was.

The job had been carried out sosuccessfully that you would think theentire building was only a year or twoold. It had given this much love listedbuilding a  new lease of life,and  transformed the centre into a

modern facility. It has lifted The Lodgeinto the ranks of top-flight visitorattractions in the area.”

This was also a sentiment echoed by thelocal community and other stakeholders,who have been supportive throughoutthe two year development period. Theirpatience has been rewarded with anoutstanding new visitor centre thatenhances the visitors' enjoyment of theQEFP and Aberfoyle.

Many of them joined the celebration inSeptember when there was a fantasticturnout for the official opening. StephenLeckie, Chairman of the Scottish TourismAlliance and Chief Executive of CrieffHydro, presided over the ceremony.Guest of honour, Janet Marshall,daughter-in-law of founder, DavidMarshall, unveiled a plaquecommemorating the important role David

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New cafe view

The Lodge Forest Visitor Centre – A New Beginning continued

New shop

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Marshall played in establishing theLodge. Over the intervening 50 years ithas helped  millions of people to enjoythe benefits of the QEFP.

As a last little bit of icing on the cake,Mrs Marshall wrote in a letter to staff,

“Congratulations to you all. Therefurbished Lodge is wonderful and

I know that David Marshall wouldhave thoroughly approved of theamazing ‘open-plan-ness’ of theinterior giving spectacular views inall directions.”

Post Script: The last piece of work to be donewill be to renovate the wardens cottage, tomake it into a staff area and to integrate it withthe approach to The Lodge. Watch thisspace……

New - view through to Interpretation area

New Interpretation area New Cafe area

New Reception area

The Lodge Forest Visitor Centre – A New Beginning continued

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Lynford Hall was a Forester Training School until the late 50’s.  While out walking there recently Itook a few pictures that I know would be of interest to past students now scattered across thecountry. They may bring back a few memories.

Scene at Lynford Hallby Simon Malone

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South frontage of Lynford Hall.  Themodern extension on the left was builtsome 20 years ago as a conferencehall.  The Hall now functions as acountry hotel with accommodation,restaurant and bar facilities.

The redwood avenueleading up to the westernside of Lynford Hall.  Thiswas known locally as theBull Ride because of thestatue of fighting bulls thatstands at the far end of theavenue.

This is the base of the oldwater tank that once heldsupplies of water for LynfordHall.  It is incorporated intothe arboretum that adjoinsthe Hall which was plantedby students in the 1940’sand 50’s. This is now thefinest collection of maturetrees in the east of Englandand very popular with birdwatchers at all seasons.

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Scene at Lynford Hall continued

A view of the arboretumlooking suitably attractive inthe snow.

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Lynford Hall captured in thisview across the frozen lake.

When I retired in 2003 I was privileged tobe able to plant a tree in the arboretum, ashave many other retired Thetford forestersbefore me.

The tree, a Japanese lime, (Tilia japonica),is pictured in 2006, having establishedsatisfactorily.

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Ninety one year old ex-chief forester CliffFeatherstone, who retired from Thetford in1987, has been awarded the Arctic Star. He isone of hundreds of Arctic convoy veterans ofthe Second World War who have beenhonoured by the British Government for theirpart in delivering supplies to the Soviet Union.

Cliff was a 19-year-old radio officer on theLowther Castle when it was torpedoed as itsailed between Iceland and Murmansk in May1942. He was picked up from a lifeboat by asmall destroyer that accompanied the convoy.He still has his record book recording serviceon 9 different ships between 1941 and 1945.

The words “Sunk in enemy action” are stampedover the Lowther Castle entry. When he finallyarrived in Murmansk he watched as thecaptain, spotting a German Stuka dive bomber,manoeuvred his ship between the bombs.

He had to wait in a survivors' camp for about amonth before returning to Britain. He spentmuch of this time walking in the surroundinghills that reminded him of his home in the NorthYorkshire Moors. He was only about 25 milesfrom the front line fighting and the ground wasstrewn with the debris of war.

Although the “Russian Run” was fraught withthe problems of attacking U-boats and aircraft,the Atlantic run was far more stressful. Weekscould pass in peace, then a neighbouring shipwould be blown up and sunk with no warning.He had a close call on the St. Lawrence Rivernear Quebec when the two ships either side ofhis were hit.

Cliff left the Merchant Navy at the end of thewar and joined the FC where he started workat Dalby Forest in 1946. After his wife Joycedied in 2000 he returned to Ryedale and laterto Pickering. His Arctic Star will join hisUshakov Medal awarded by the RussianGovernment in 2010 in thanks for serving onthe convoys.

This was an extract from the Gazette & Heraldnewspaper, so I asked Cliff to fill in somedetails of his career. This is what he sent. Ed.

I joined the Dean FTS in 1946 on the first fulltwo year course after the war, and oncompletion returned to Dalby, becoming aGrade II Forester in 1950.

After some years, I was put on PrivateWoodlands in Yorkshire and after further beatwork on Osmotherley and Wykeham, I waspromoted to Chief Forester in 1972 and wentto Kielder. My final post was Thetford fromwhere I retired in 1987.

My wife and I moved to Minchinhampton, anarea she knew well from her earlier life. Afterher death I returned to Yorkshire and now livein Pickering where I had attended grammarschool.

I should like to pay tribute to three giftedinstructors during my time at the Dean FTS.Bob Streets reopened the school in 1946 andwas later transferred to Lynford Hall. Dr. NeilChrystal had tutored Bob and was invited torun the lectures on entomology. One day wevisited an abandoned coal mine being used asa timber store. Dr. Chrystal identified two Ipsspecies in oak logs and was able to say theyhad originated in Germany as part ofreparations payments. Being a cynic I askedthe person in charge of the timber depot andhe confirmed their origin as Germany. The thirdwas Harold Jones, biology teacher at LydneyGrammar School who did so much for ourcourse.

Arctic Star Award

Continued on next page

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Back row L-R: Frank Skinner, Norman McIntyre, Bonny Austin, Jack Permain, Charlie Russell,Stan Betterton, John Derbyshire, Ken Mills, Peter Woods, Bert Howland,Roland Baltitude, Cliff Featherstone

Middle row L-R: Mike Salmond, Wilf Ridge, Jim Field, Norman Fowler, Dick Crawford, Ken Lewis,Peter Gerrard, Howard Ingram, David Bromley, Raymond Young, John Offord,Ken Wills, Derek Rayner, Fred Hann

Front row L-R: Pincher Martin, Robert Baird, Fred Hinton, Fred Barling, Jim Bruce*,Harold Jones*, Tom Edwardson**, Pop Hale*, Arthur Eckton, Taffy Maddocks,Ben Olney, Arthur Tackney

* Staff ** Head of School

Arctic Star Award continued

Continued from previous page

The photo shows the 1946 – 48 Dean course. Almost all were ex-service. I and two others were24 but most were well over that. Are there any of us left? I'd be very keen to know.If anybody wants to contact Cliff, Dorothy Munn will forward your e-mail. You should send it to herat [email protected]

Visit the FCA Today website at: -www.fca-today.com

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The Red Deer in FolkloreChris McCooey explores the folklore associated with theRed Deer, and its usefulness to Highlanders fromprehistoric times to the Victorian era.The Red Deer (Cervus elaphus) is Britain’s largest wildland mammal but it is only in the Highlands that they haveremained truly wild. Originally a woodland animal, RedDeer would have roamed all over the Caledonian forests.When the climate changed during the Ice Age and thenatural trees disappeared, followed centuries later by theClearances and the introduction of sheep, Red Deeradapted to life on the open mountains and moors. Theysurvived by eating heather, grass and the leaves of shrubs.Highlanders appreciated the deer, not only for their meatbut also their skins, which were made into footwear andprotective clothing. The antlers of the stags were craftedto make knife and fork handles, and buttons and clasps forfastening clothing. The hooves could even be fashionedinto drinking vessels.As well as these practical benefits, Red Deer made animportant contribution to the economy of Scotland. Prior tothe nineteenth century the deer were hunted by the laird’smen who formed a huge circle over the moor and graduallyclosed the circle by walking inwards. They pushed the deerinto a cul-de-sac where they were killed with guns, swordsand knives, mature deer and calves alike. They werebutchered and the meat distributed among the hunters.But in the early 1800s a new method of hunting wasintroduced, namely stalking. The land owners ran their ‘deerforest’ for the benefit of wealthy visitors who were guided bythe ghillies to use basic skills of covert approach and stealthymovement to get to within 100 yards of a deer and drop itdead, hopefully, with one shot from a rifle.

Once the sport caught on, the same wealthy visitors,mostly from south of the border, began to buy land, builtgrandiose lodges and drove roads deep into the hills sothat they could stalk the deer and enjoy the greatoutdoors. The craze for spending some of the year in theHighlands grew rapidly, inspired by the young QueenVictoria and her consort Prince Albert taking a long leaseon the Balmoral estate in 1848 and holidaying at thecastle during long summers spent with their young family.

Barbara Fairweather MBE, who co-founded the Glencoeand North Lorn Folk Museum in 1966, wrote that red deerwere called ‘fairy cattle’ and that the fairies milked them outon the mountains, as did witches. One witch Cailleachmhor Chilibric is said to have put a spell on the deer thatlived in the Forest of Reay which made them imperviousto bullets, which was good for the deer, especially whenstalking with high-powered rifles became a popular sportamong the wealthy bankers, brewers and industrialists ofVictorian times.

Sinteag feidh (a stag’s leap) was used as a measurementi.e. 30 feet. Caberfeidh (a stag’s rutting roar) is the war cryof the MacKenzies. The animals being wild are very lean,so the by-product of fat was much prized by Highlanders forfolk remedies as a cure-all. There was a Gaelic saying: Geirfeidh a muigh’s a stigh, mar leighis sun thu cha ‘n ‘eil doleighis an (the fat of the stag, applied, externally or internally,if that cures you not, your cure is not to be). The antlersof the stag were also cut into short lengths, boiled down,sweetened with sugar with a little rum added and madeinto a jelly to treat consumption.

Scottish Memories is Scotland’s premiernostalgia magazine, and is a must-readfor anyone with a passion for thecountry’s past.

Every month the popular magazine offersa comprehensive range of in-deptharticles, features and reader recollections,which celebrate the diverse and colourfulhistory of our country.

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OBITUARIES

Tributes have been paid to one of the first everSAS recruits who has died at the age of 88.Norman Watson - dubbed The Fox due to hiscunning ability to escape capture - was just 17years old when he signed up for the eliteSpecial Air Service at the height of the SecondWorld War.Mr Watson, originally from Walkerburn,Peeblesshire, joined the Argyll and SutherlandHighlanders in 1942. But his athletic prowessplaying rugby in the Borders quickly led to himbeing transferred to the 5th Battalion ParachuteRegiment.After training at RAF Ringway nearManchester, he was selected to become partof the covert SAS unit set up the previous yearby Scots Guards commando David Stirling.The following three years the war herocompleted daring missions across north Africaand Europe against the Nazis - including raidsin Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Crete, Italy, Belgium,Holland, Norway, France and Germany.His friend Charles Miller said: "As a SecondWorld War Special Air Services volunteer hehad numerous escapes, but none moreextraordinary than when passing throughenemy lines in Germany after D-Day. He wasseen by an Allied patrol who held fire believinghe was a tramp."By extraordinary coincidence and good luckhe had come upon his home Battalion, the 8thRoyal Scots, and an officer from Walkerburnrecognised him exclaiming 'It's NormanWatson, The Fox'."His daughter Amanda Forte said: "Another timehe was among a group of four dropped byparachute behind German lines with a Jeep.

There was a padre and two other SASmembers, and dad was the only one to comeback alive out of the four of them."Even in the final weeks of the war, Mr Watsonand his patrol took the surrender of theGerman garrison in Bremen.Being a bomb-disposal expert he was alsodeployed to Norway after the Germansurrender to check for booby traps among theU-boat fleet.His courage and endeavour during the conflictwith Germany led to him being selected asthe SAS representative for the Victory Paradein London shortly afterwards. He was alsohonoured by the people of Norway inDecember of same year for his part in theirliberation.Undeterred by the war experience, hevolunteered to remain in the ParachuteRegiment and fought for a further three yearsin Palestine.Mr Watson married sweetheart Peggy on July14, 1945.Following his extended stay in the Army, Mrand Mrs Watson moved to Walkerburn wherethey raised their son, Keith, and threedaughters, Lynn, Gail and Amanda.For 36 years he worked as a Forestry Rangerwith the Forestry Commission.Just before his 89th birthday, he was admittedto Chesterfield Royal Hospital, where he diedin his sleep on November 5.His funeral service will take place on Mondayat Chesterfield Crematorium in Derbyshire.Re-printed from an article in the The HeraldScotland.

Tributes as SAS Hero 'The Fox' Dies, Aged 88by Robert Fairburn

I have heard of Mike Mitchell's death from his family. He worked at Silvan House. I cannot findanybody to write a few memories, any volunteers?

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Peter Charlesworth (Chairman/Secretary)

Charles Dickens (Treasurer)

Charles Dickens (Group & FC Liaison Officer)

Richard Toleman (Editor)

ContactsFCA Today editor: -Richard TolemanManuel Stables

LinlithgowEH49 6JF

Telephone: 01506 845575e-mail: [email protected]

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Forestry Commission AssociationManagement Committee

FCA Today is an FCA productionEditor: Richard Toleman, Manuel Stables, Linlithgow, EH49 6JF. Tel: 01506 845575. e-mail: [email protected]

The next issue of the FCA Today magazine will be available (depending on whetherwe receive any articles from you) on the www.fca-today.com website on 5th April2014.Articles for inclusion in the next issue of the magazine should be sent to the editorbefore 1st March 2014.

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Summer edition: 5th AugustWinter edition: 5th December

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