Seventeen remarkable foresters from across England and Wales received Royal Forestry Society (RFS) Long Service Awards in 2014 after clocking up more than 690 years of experience between them.
RFS President Sir Jack Whitaker says:“Presenting Long Service Awards has been an extraordinary privilege for me. It’s so wonderful to meet these people with their huge breadth and depth of local knowledge, and admire their loyalty and tenacity. It’s also a powerful testament to our industry, that both employers and employees are devoted to this love of continuity.”
The most recent to be presented were to:
Roger John Pook from the Coode Estate in Cornwall for his 40-year award shortly before he passed away. Roger will be much missed. As well as his work on the Coode Estate woodlands, mainly around Launceston, he was a former Secretary and Treasurer of the RFS South West a founder member of a forestry training company, Kensey Training; a member and ultimately the Chairman of the Forestry Section at the Royal Cornwall Showground and a main stay of the Cornwall Countryman’s Fair to name but a few of his achievements.
Andrew Birch who was presented with his award for 30 years service by Foxley Estate’s owner David Davenport at a meeting of the Herefordshire Division..
Three recipients had clocked up 60-year awards:
The 60-year award to Walter Start, was presented posthumously to his family. Walter had also won awards for his work both on the Froyle Estate and at Rotherfield Park in Hampshire .
Geoff Bagley, Forestry Manager on the Willey Estate in Shropshire was the third generation of his family to have worked on the estate woodlands – following in the footsteps of both his father and grandfather. He started work as an apprentice woodman at the age of 15.
Brian Lewin followed in his father’s footsteps to become Rockingham Castle Estate’s Head Forester. After National Service, Brian followed in his father’s footsteps and joined the Estate’s team as a Woodsman, eventually becoming Head Forester himself as well as the Estate’s Head Keeper.
Details of all recipients are below with more details available at www.rfs.org.uk/awards/
2014 Long Service Award recipients
Geoff Bagley Willey Estate 60years
Andrew Birch Foxley Estate 30years
Mike Hayward Willey Estate 40years
Norman Hutchinson Swinton Estate 30years
Brian Lewin Rockingham Castle
Estate 60years
Raymond Latter Beech Estate 34 years
Jonathan Lester Leeds City Council 42years
John Litman Boughton Estate 46 years
David Peacock Settrington Estate 40years
Roger Pook Coode Estates 40years
Shaun Purkiss Zetland Estate 34 years
Tim Sheldon Hardwick Estate 39years
Walter Start MBE (posthumous) Froyle Estate 60 years
John Taylor Parlington Estate 50years
Timothy Tolliss Duncombe Park
Estate 30years
Richard Teasdale Zetland Estate 33years
Raymond Williams Glynllifon College 30years
